Day: November 21, 2018

Linear Thinking

Fandango12 Comments

0C8DBED3-C2C3-4BA2-8A82-D76E5702E8FD“I don’t recommend that you carry that large of a load this coming semester,” the guidance counselor said.

“Listen,” Aaron said, “I’ve given this whole curriculum a lot of thought. As they say, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. My plan is to graduate in three years instead of four and to do that I need to take all of my classes in a very deliberate, sequential manner. I’m simply applying the concept of linear thinking to my decision.”

“But college is not only about going to classes and academic achievement,” the guidance counselor said. “Don’t you want to participate in any extracurricular activities? And what about a social life?”

“I have neither the time nor the interest in wasting my time with trash talk,” Aaron said. “It’s my conviction that my focus has to be on academics and my goal of graduating in three years.”

The guidance counselor sighed. “Well, Aaron,” she said, “I can tell that you process a great intelligence, but I fear that you’re demonstrating a serious lack of wisdom.”

Written for these one-word prompts: Ragtag Daily Prompt (recommend), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (carry), Scotts Daily Prompt (linear), Weekly Prompts (trash talk), and Word of the Day (conviction). I also snuck in a not so provocative response for my Fandango’s Provocative Question Prompt (intelligence or wisdom).

One-Liner Wednesday

Fandango11 Comments

2B5A8D53-3F79-4059-B04D-C052EC655435“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.”

British philosopher Bertrand Russell

Can you think, off the top of your head, of a fool who is always so certain of himself? Someone who knows the best words, who is really smart, a stable genius? Come on, take a wild guess.

There have always been people who are 100% certain that they have all the answers, answers that somehow elude all others. In fact, their belief in themselves is so settled, they find it hard to understand how anyone else could not share their certitude. It baffles them that others could miss what they so easily see.

Clinically, though, those are characteristics of a narcissistic, delusional person. Anyone who believes solutions to complex problems are clear and simple is just plain wrong. And is a fool. Unfortunately, as Bertrand Russell points, much wiser people are not nearly as confident that the have all the answers. Or have even asked all the right questions.

Written for Linda G. Hill’s One-Liner Wednesday prompt.

Fandango’s Provocative Question #2

Fandango21 Comments

FPQLast week I starting something new and different. The good news is that it was pretty well-received, so let’s keep it going, shall we?

Each week I will pose what I think is a provocative question. By provocative, I don’t mean a question that will cause annoyance or anger. Nor do I mean a question intended to arouse sexual desire or interest.

What I do mean is a question that is likely to get you to think, to be creative, and to provoke a response. Hopefully a positive response.

So without further delay, my second provocative question is this:

“What do you think is more useful: intelligence or wisdom, and why do you feel that way?”

If you decide to participate, write a post with your response to the question. Once you are done, tag your post with #FPQ and create a pingback to this post if you are on WordPress. Or you can simply include a link to your post in the comments.

And most important, have fun.

FOWC with Fandango — Carry

Fandango42 Comments

FOWCWelcome to November 21, 2018 and to Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (aka, FOWC). It’s designed to fill the void after WordPress bailed on its daily one-word prompt.

I will be posting each day’s word just after midnight Pacific Time (US).

Today’s word is “carry.”

Write a post using that word. It can be prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction. It can be any length. It can be just a picture or a drawing if you want. No holds barred, so to speak.

Once you are done, tag your post with #FOWC and create a pingback to this post if you are on WordPress. Or you can simply include a link to your post in the comments.

And be sure to read the posts of other bloggers who respond to this prompt. You will marvel at their creativity.