Friday, January 21, 2011

A craze.

RAN'DOM, n.
  • 1. A roving motion or course without direction; hence, want of direction, rule or method; hazard; chance; used in the phrase, at random, that is, without a settled point of direction; at hazard.

  • 2. Course; motion; progression; distance of a body thrown; as the furthest random of a missile weapon.RAN'DOM, a.

  • 1. Done at hazard or without settled aim or purpose; left to chance; as a random blow.

  • 2. Uttered or done without previous calculation; as a random guess.




  •  This isn't a post to rail on anyone. This isn't even a post to complain loudly about things I don't like. This is a post, about Random-ness. Right now in the blog and internet circles I frequent, randomness is huge. If you are random you are cool. If you make random blog posts they are, epic. But if you make long drawn out posts when you actually dig into the meat of something it's, good. Well thought out. Nice post. Not often--epic. This isn't a new phenomenon. This isn't something that is new on the block. Randomness is exalted. People want to be random, they want to make little to no sense while amusing themselves--and apparently, others. This isn't just one person. This isn't just two. This is a large amount.


    So why the drive for being random? Why do we feel the need to impress others with our randomness? Why are there blog posts devoted to being random? That's something I'm still trying to figure out. Someone started this being random craze, I know that. Some people made it cool, and now--it's the in thing to do. So instead of emulating articulation of ideas, it's randomness that's the pinnacle of conversation. People fail in online interaction, or the conversations get no where, why? Because randomness is exalted and you can't hold a long term conversation when it's being punctuated by rantings on boot leather and bird wings. It's not possible. Can the problem be fixed? Maybe, but priorities need to be changes, the focus needs to shift, and that my friends, starts with you.

    6 comments:

    Jake said...

    Randomness is exalted...hmmm. Perhaps because it is left to chance...and people like to test chance.

    But 'cool'? Perhaps among the Undergrounders and Christian fantasy writers. ;) LOL! But then again...I wouldn't know, being a homeschooler and separated from those in public schools.

    Maybe it's because it sets us apart, why we do it. Because we don't want to look like others. And I might even explore that aspect of our lives...WHY do we not want to look like others? That is a question that some of us, me included, might want to answer.

    I just enjoy being random. :P

    But....I don't exalt it. I really like randomness because it may take imagination. Turkey feathers...ha, random. But I tend to focus more on the results of it. The thing that follows. The imagination it takes to take rubber ducks...and turn it into invisible rubber duck spies. To take pie and make it a banner of patriotic Elvishness. To take rubber and make a rubber revolution.

    Perhaps I like THAT kind of randomness because, being a writer, I admire the imagination it takes to do such a thing.

    Precentor said...

    Thanks for the comment :) Actually, being silly has always been a market that tween girls have a huge corner in..But not entirely.

    Why do we not want to look like others? But you do! When everyone tries *not* to look the same--they are the same. Articulation is not something that can be imitated as readily.

    Imagination yes..but is that the goal? Should that be the goal? How much imagination do we get from the men of the New Testament? No I'm not saying imagination is bad but it needs to be constructive I think.


    Having non-cohesive thoughts is different than "random". Just a thought there--that is cohesive ;)

    Millard

    Jake said...

    Hmmm. Methinks randomness CAN become dangerously crazed and 'cool' but as for me it is not. It does, though, scare me, that such a thing might become an idol without us realizing it--what else could there be in our lives that may take away from God's glory? :P

    I admire imagination in someone simply because it takes imagination to create a niche in the genre in which I write. Imagination is key when writing Christian spec. fiction. >_>

    Precentor said...
    This comment has been removed by the author.
    Precentor said...

    ( I missed some punctuation)

    I admire imagination in writing Spec. Fiction, it is key :) But is "randomness", NOT imagination, key in conversations? There is a fine line different I think...

    Jake said...

    Hmmm. A fine line indeed. Like ye said, my definition of randomness may lean toward "non-cohesive thoughts".

    The Old Underground (pardon the term;) seemed to me not to be random but rather non-cohesive. Indeed, if we are only random, randomness has no meaning. Non-cohesive thoughts may start with randomness and grow out of it...but it is not randomness. Randomness began it, but ultimately methinks randomness is only useful as a catalyst. Randomness can cause inspiration...but when randomness is 'exalted' (for lack of a better term), alone, it is purely useless except, perhaps, for entertainment.