I Just Can't Help It... | bohemiantragedy's Blog

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I think the biggest reason for all of this self evaluation I'm going through is coming from this book I'm reading.

"The Blank Slate. The modern denial of human nature." by Steven Pinker. It's a book that attempts to figure out, to some degree, the correlation between genetics and environment that determine our personalities, along with other influences that are proven to, and myths that do not. It also attempts to prove that we are actually 'born' in a state of denial (regarding our true human nature), thus suppressing what our true nature (or personality) is.

I know! It's one of the most boring and obtuse books I have ever, EVER, read! This guy reads like wall painted white. But there is something intriguing about this book. Though he attempts to make no conclusions, he's very accurate in his observations of people. Especially those interactions between couples. But in analyzing his many scenarios he takes an almost pompous view by saying that everybody acts this way, or maybe closer to "this is how you should be acting".

I'll agree that this is how I would expect most people to act, but certainly not everyone. Does that mean there's something wrong with me because I don't interact with people in the ways he describes?

On second thought, never mind. I forgot who I was for a second.

This book is 600 pages of this boring psych crap, and yet I cannot put it down. I'm currently cresting page 500 and it's really got my head swimming. Not in the knowledge I am obtaining, but in the way it's forcing me to review how I interact and react to people and problems, what to expect in return from those people, and how I might avoid acting like a normal human in the future (that is, acting like a better human instead).

But still, DAMN! I still catch myself wondering WTF am I doing reading this POS? I've got a feeling I'm going to be thinking about this book for a long time.