The There There Letter: Obviousness, Obfuscation, and Orvieto
Three things from DAH.
DAH is me, David Anthony Hance. I pen, promote, and make change (not the coin kind).
First up this week, Obviousness …
There are benefits to stating the obvious. Sometimes doing so assures that all conversing are on the same page. Sometimes doing so is just funny and allows release through laughter. There can be drawbacks, too. For instance, what seems obvious to one might not be obvious to others. Indeed, it might not even be true (or believable), in which case the stater of obviousness could appear either shallow or misinformed. I lean towards stating obviousness only in a humorous way. "What kind of plant is that?" To which I might reply, "A green-leafed one with pink flowers." Yes, it's DAH, the notorious wise-ass. I shy away from more complex or controversial statements of the obvious because they often feel like an intellectual trap. I will step up if safety is a concern. "What happens if I take this sharp corner at 100 miles per hour?" I won't hesitate to reply, "Nothing good."
Isn't it all just obvious? (The British Psychological Society)
Second up this week, Obfuscation …
I readily notice most barriers to entry. Blame an effective college professor for drilling that one into my brain. He was talking about economics, but I notice barriers to entry wherever those with power or money are working to preserve their power or money (or both). Most life pursuits that enable a "professional" class develop powerful walls of jargon. There is justification for this when communicating within your group: Jargon can efficiently explain things for those in the know. There isn't any justification for purposefully using jargon with those outside your group. Then it's simply a tool of obfuscation aimed at avoiding issues you don't want to address. It's a technique intended to build a barrier between obfuscator and obfuscatee (that's DAH jargon for those having obfuscation used against them). Jargon-laden obfuscation offends me because it belittles the obfuscatee and their concerns.
The Truth About Lies: The Illusion of Honesty and the Evolution of Deceit (Publishers Weekly review)
Third up this week, Orvieto …
That's enough grumpy-DAH for this week. For a happier thought let's imagine a visit to Italy. Where must one go? Obviously, Rome and Florence would be on the list. A step lower in obviousness would be taking a road trip between those two mighty tourist magnets to include a stop in Orvieto (it's about 90 minutes from Rome and two hours from Florence). Orvieto is a small Umbrian city inhabited since Etruscan times. It's walled and built upon a rocky bluff. For me, it's the epitome of a medieval city in modern times. Best of all for this wine lover, the city lends its name to a lovely wine: Orvieto, a dry white that tastes something between an unwooded Chardonnay and good Pinot Grigio (the Grechetto grape is a key component, and how often do you get to taste that?). My recommended antidote for grumpy-DAH (short of a trip to Italy) is, obviously, a glass of Orvieto while enjoying photos and videos of Orvieto the city and the Umbrian countryside.
Rick Steves: A Venerable Wine Estate in Umbria (4 minute video)
And a bit more.
It's obvious by Greg Hewett
It’s obvious
beauty is a postage stamp,
a composed self-portrait
of Frida Kahlo
wearing a simple necklace,
an image chosen by the USPS
not because it was like one she painted
for Trotsky. Of course
beauty could not include
imagery of hammer and sickle
or black monkey leering
over her shoulder or parrot
twisted under her chin.
And not the one with snakes.
Not the one of her
all butched-up, hair cropped short,
wearing one of Diego’s suits
after they split for the final time.
Not one with wheelchair, spinal-brace,
or scar down her long trunk.
Forget the one of her cloven wide open,
a jungle of history and myth, of poetry
burgeoning forth from her innermost.
Most definitely not
the one of her wearing the collar
of thorns in memory
of Jesus and Trotsky
and revolution
lost.
And that's all for this week.
From Mary Oliver’s poem "Sometimes" …
DAH is me, David Anthony Hance. I pen, promote, and make change (not the coin kind).
First up this week, Obviousness …
There are benefits to stating the obvious. Sometimes doing so assures that all conversing are on the same page. Sometimes doing so is just funny and allows release through laughter. There can be drawbacks, too. For instance, what seems obvious to one might not be obvious to others. Indeed, it might not even be true (or believable), in which case the stater of obviousness could appear either shallow or misinformed. I lean towards stating obviousness only in a humorous way. "What kind of plant is that?" To which I might reply, "A green-leafed one with pink flowers." Yes, it's DAH, the notorious wise-ass. I shy away from more complex or controversial statements of the obvious because they often feel like an intellectual trap. I will step up if safety is a concern. "What happens if I take this sharp corner at 100 miles per hour?" I won't hesitate to reply, "Nothing good."
Isn't it all just obvious? (The British Psychological Society)
Second up this week, Obfuscation …
I readily notice most barriers to entry. Blame an effective college professor for drilling that one into my brain. He was talking about economics, but I notice barriers to entry wherever those with power or money are working to preserve their power or money (or both). Most life pursuits that enable a "professional" class develop powerful walls of jargon. There is justification for this when communicating within your group: Jargon can efficiently explain things for those in the know. There isn't any justification for purposefully using jargon with those outside your group. Then it's simply a tool of obfuscation aimed at avoiding issues you don't want to address. It's a technique intended to build a barrier between obfuscator and obfuscatee (that's DAH jargon for those having obfuscation used against them). Jargon-laden obfuscation offends me because it belittles the obfuscatee and their concerns.
The Truth About Lies: The Illusion of Honesty and the Evolution of Deceit (Publishers Weekly review)
Third up this week, Orvieto …
That's enough grumpy-DAH for this week. For a happier thought let's imagine a visit to Italy. Where must one go? Obviously, Rome and Florence would be on the list. A step lower in obviousness would be taking a road trip between those two mighty tourist magnets to include a stop in Orvieto (it's about 90 minutes from Rome and two hours from Florence). Orvieto is a small Umbrian city inhabited since Etruscan times. It's walled and built upon a rocky bluff. For me, it's the epitome of a medieval city in modern times. Best of all for this wine lover, the city lends its name to a lovely wine: Orvieto, a dry white that tastes something between an unwooded Chardonnay and good Pinot Grigio (the Grechetto grape is a key component, and how often do you get to taste that?). My recommended antidote for grumpy-DAH (short of a trip to Italy) is, obviously, a glass of Orvieto while enjoying photos and videos of Orvieto the city and the Umbrian countryside.
Rick Steves: A Venerable Wine Estate in Umbria (4 minute video)
And a bit more.
It's obvious by Greg Hewett
It’s obvious
beauty is a postage stamp,
a composed self-portrait
of Frida Kahlo
wearing a simple necklace,
an image chosen by the USPS
not because it was like one she painted
for Trotsky. Of course
beauty could not include
imagery of hammer and sickle
or black monkey leering
over her shoulder or parrot
twisted under her chin.
And not the one with snakes.
Not the one of her
all butched-up, hair cropped short,
wearing one of Diego’s suits
after they split for the final time.
Not one with wheelchair, spinal-brace,
or scar down her long trunk.
Forget the one of her cloven wide open,
a jungle of history and myth, of poetry
burgeoning forth from her innermost.
Most definitely not
the one of her wearing the collar
of thorns in memory
of Jesus and Trotsky
and revolution
lost.
And that's all for this week.
From Mary Oliver’s poem "Sometimes" …
Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.
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