One of my readers suggested that I might want to consider blogging about the movie "Social Network."
I thought about this, mulled it over for a bit-and thought that it might make for an interesting read....at least i hope so...
So lets consider this film for a moment. A savant-genius, and let me preface, savant because i truly believe many of us possess a certain genius that is specific to our own talents. We dismiss our personal "geni"(plural) as i like to call them, because in relation to someone like Zuckerberg they pale in comparison. Let me begin by saying that the only difference between Zuckerberg's savant genius and yours is that he changed how we relate to one another, how we network; its application. 500 million users is a huge impact, a measurable impact, and most commendable. Zuckerberg made a huge contribution to the world of communication that has indeed changed the world.
But what about the impact that many of us make on one another perhaps on a smaller more intimate scale?
Are these any less significant?
Is any one person more or less of a genius because of the size of their impact?
Certainly Zuckerberg thought so. And to what end? He struggled interpersonally, was socially off, few friends and obsessively preoccupied, braiding conversations like tributaries into a single purpose; "The" Facebook.
He clearly fits the criteria of Aspergers syndrome in the DSM IVTR. Shipping his best friends down the river in pursuit of his monomaniacle dream; repetitive patterns of behavior pursued with great intensity to the exclusion of any other activity. He even went so far as to post insulting material about his girlfriends breast size for others to read. His impairment in reciprocal social interactions makes it almost ironic that he became the King of social networking.
And yet, he is the icon of success among America's youth. A Billionaire at age 20 something....??
At the end of the film he is left sitting alone in a board room logging onto Facebook to check the status of his ex-girlfriend- still pining for the one connection that felt meaningful to him.
Thing is, he never got over not being invited into the "Pheonix" club among the Harvard elite-
and more significantly... he never got the girl.
Today he is left as an adult having suffered from not being seated at the "cool lunch table."
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Illusory musings….
“Sometimes the illusion is better than the medicine”…Woody Allen
So it’s been a rather leisurely weekend, a lovely time for reading, exercise and reflection. We therapists by occupation and perhaps also by nature tend to reflect relationally; that is always within the context of a relationship or while watching another’s relationship.
I took in one of many films this weekend, one that has remained with me- “You will meet a tall dark stranger,” written and directed by Woody Allen. In the film, Roy, a married novelist nervously awaits the response to his latest manuscript. Roy becomes fixated over Dia, a mysterious woman who catches his gaze through a nearby window. One cannot help think of Hitchcock’s “Rear Window,” when reminded of this storyline. Despite Roy’s repeated attempts to sell his manuscript to an English publishing house, nothing seems to give until Roy’s irrationality and perilous schemes take shape. In the meantime, Roy literally “looks to” his muse across the courtyard for inspiration. He is consumed by Dia’s beauty, his erotic fantasies and the gentle spanish music that floats from her guitar. Her serenade draws Roy’s attention in and he is besotted by her, can think of nothing else. Roy finally arranges a meeting and they lunch at a nearby café. Their relationship develops and Roy announces to his wife that he will be leaving their unfulfilling marriage. Roy’s wife is actually relieved by this news as she too has been unhappy in their marriage. Roy then moves into Dia’s apartment directly opposite his previous apartment where he and his wife lived. He finds great comfort in the arms of Dia and hopes to glean deeper fulfillment and inspiration in life in his new relationship. In what is a classic Woody Allen moment, Roy finds himself distracted by something outside his window. Low and behold, it is his ex wife undressing in her apartment. How ironic??Roy is captivated by the erotic image in front of him-and suddenly realizes that it is his ex wife that he is captivated over! So …the illusion once again becomes stronger than the medicine or the reality of Roy’s new found “happiness.” He can barely keep away from the window and resorts to slowly lowering the shade, albeit painstakingly.....
Ha! So what do I want to say to my dear readers besides to encourage you to pull your shades down!LOL….Are our illusions both of grandeur and promise greater than their actuality? Can we honestly ask ourselves this question? Has the fantasy of your relational expectations surpassed your reality and if so, then what to do? Can you cultivate what it is you want within the context of your relationship(s) as Roy sadly learned after- the- fact? I don’t really have any answers for you, only a gentle nudge to find out/ explore the possibilities that await all of us if we begin to look through a new and different window….
“Sometimes the illusion is better than the medicine”…Woody Allen
So it’s been a rather leisurely weekend, a lovely time for reading, exercise and reflection. We therapists by occupation and perhaps also by nature tend to reflect relationally; that is always within the context of a relationship or while watching another’s relationship.
I took in one of many films this weekend, one that has remained with me- “You will meet a tall dark stranger,” written and directed by Woody Allen. In the film, Roy, a married novelist nervously awaits the response to his latest manuscript. Roy becomes fixated over Dia, a mysterious woman who catches his gaze through a nearby window. One cannot help think of Hitchcock’s “Rear Window,” when reminded of this storyline. Despite Roy’s repeated attempts to sell his manuscript to an English publishing house, nothing seems to give until Roy’s irrationality and perilous schemes take shape. In the meantime, Roy literally “looks to” his muse across the courtyard for inspiration. He is consumed by Dia’s beauty, his erotic fantasies and the gentle spanish music that floats from her guitar. Her serenade draws Roy’s attention in and he is besotted by her, can think of nothing else. Roy finally arranges a meeting and they lunch at a nearby café. Their relationship develops and Roy announces to his wife that he will be leaving their unfulfilling marriage. Roy’s wife is actually relieved by this news as she too has been unhappy in their marriage. Roy then moves into Dia’s apartment directly opposite his previous apartment where he and his wife lived. He finds great comfort in the arms of Dia and hopes to glean deeper fulfillment and inspiration in life in his new relationship. In what is a classic Woody Allen moment, Roy finds himself distracted by something outside his window. Low and behold, it is his ex wife undressing in her apartment. How ironic??Roy is captivated by the erotic image in front of him-and suddenly realizes that it is his ex wife that he is captivated over! So …the illusion once again becomes stronger than the medicine or the reality of Roy’s new found “happiness.” He can barely keep away from the window and resorts to slowly lowering the shade, albeit painstakingly.....
Ha! So what do I want to say to my dear readers besides to encourage you to pull your shades down!LOL….Are our illusions both of grandeur and promise greater than their actuality? Can we honestly ask ourselves this question? Has the fantasy of your relational expectations surpassed your reality and if so, then what to do? Can you cultivate what it is you want within the context of your relationship(s) as Roy sadly learned after- the- fact? I don’t really have any answers for you, only a gentle nudge to find out/ explore the possibilities that await all of us if we begin to look through a new and different window….
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)