When I was two, my grandfather taught me to read. He used the New York Daily News because it had such large letters in the headlines. He also taught me storytelling by reading aloud to me from his favorite books. Mostly Shakespeare, but other things as well.
One day, when he had been particularly irritated by someone's endless, and pointless, talking, he said to me, "Remember, God gave us two ears and one mouth. We all should take the hint." In other words, try to speak only when you have something worthwhile to say.
With the advent of the internet, and of blogging in particular, we have been acting as if God gave each of us six mouths and half an ear. As the character Celimene (in Moliere's Le misanthrope) said of a verbose acquaintance,
I have never wanted to add to this cacaphony, yet here I am. *sigh*
One day, when he had been particularly irritated by someone's endless, and pointless, talking, he said to me, "Remember, God gave us two ears and one mouth. We all should take the hint." In other words, try to speak only when you have something worthwhile to say.
With the advent of the internet, and of blogging in particular, we have been acting as if God gave each of us six mouths and half an ear. As the character Celimene (in Moliere's Le misanthrope) said of a verbose acquaintance,
Oh, he's a wondrous talker, and has the power
To tell you nothing hour after hour.
[trans. Richard Wilbur, 1955]I have never wanted to add to this cacaphony, yet here I am. *sigh*
Your grandfather was a wise man!
ReplyDeleteAnd, frankly, you have identified what is considered a very relevant topic in the MLIS field.
For instance within the book "The Social Life of Information" a variety of views on how an abundance of information will affect us is addressed. Some thoughts they cover are that sharing of information will empower people and obliterate social organizations; or that blogs are a type of community of interpretation that helps to work towards a shared understanding of the matter of discussion; or,that they are negative in their potential to polorize opinions.
I just know they take time and I sometimes walk away thinking...where did the last two hours go? What did I gain/learn!? Other times I might learn important tidbits, such as how families teach and share important impressions.
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You make an interesting point. I think the word cacophany is perfect. I do think there are a lot of things I would call frivolous being blogged and tweeted (I've been guilty of it myself from time to time). As a counter though, I would say that I'm much more connected to my family scattered across the country than I was before and the opportunities for connection and creation are limitless. And sometimes are really important: Gay Teen Blogger Blasts School, Public Librarians
ReplyDeleteIt is (or will be) our job as people working with children to teach them your grandfather's saying and give them opportunities to think about what they are adding to the cacophany.