resistentialism - 03/30/04 04:09 PM
The theory that inanimate objects demonstrate hostile behavior against us.
I love it! Does anyone here subscribe to this?
I love it! Does anyone here subscribe to this?
Re: resistentialism - 03/30/04 04:39 PM
I remember an essay back in early thirties entitled
"The malice of objects". Example given, the infallible ability of a dropped collarbutton to find an invisible
restingplace.
I wonder if anybody drops collarbuttons these days.
"The malice of objects". Example given, the infallible ability of a dropped collarbutton to find an invisible
restingplace.
I wonder if anybody drops collarbuttons these days.
Re: resistentialism - 03/30/04 05:01 PM
back in early thirties
The link in the email is to a discussion of the Clark-Trimble experiments of 1935.
http://www.uefap.co.uk/writing/exercise/report/clatri.htm
The link in the email is to a discussion of the Clark-Trimble experiments of 1935.
http://www.uefap.co.uk/writing/exercise/report/clatri.htm
nothing new under the sun - 03/31/04 03:36 AM
I agree - "resistentialism" is not exactly a modern coinage!
Fifty-plus years ago my mother was using that word, which she defined as "the inherent perversity of inanimate matter." I suspect a common source. Though not well-educated,* she read voraciously and was extremely well-informed.
The paradigm was "Bread always falls butter-side down."
*Edit: Let me rephrase that. She had little formal higher education, going to work in the late 1920's after completing high school. She was nevertheless _very_ well-educated.
Fifty-plus years ago my mother was using that word, which she defined as "the inherent perversity of inanimate matter." I suspect a common source. Though not well-educated,* she read voraciously and was extremely well-informed.
The paradigm was "Bread always falls butter-side down."
*Edit: Let me rephrase that. She had little formal higher education, going to work in the late 1920's after completing high school. She was nevertheless _very_ well-educated.
Re: nothing new under the sun - 03/31/04 06:30 AM
I used this word as a wwftd not long ago; the OED citations I quoted were from Jennings himself, which put a date on the coinage:
"Resistentialism is a philosophy of tragic grandeur...
Resistentialism is the philosophy of what Things
think about us."
- P. Jennings, The Spectator 23 Apr. 1948
"Things are against us. This is the nearest English
translation I can find for the basic concept of
Resistentialism."
- P. Jennings, Report on Resistentialism (1950)
"I must object to Oxford's dubbing resistentialism a
"mock philosophy." There is nothing mock or sham about
it, as anyone who has ever had to call a plumber on a
Sunday morning to unclog a refractory toilet will
attest." - Charles Elster,
Resistentialism: Things that go totally awry
"Resistentialism is a philosophy of tragic grandeur...
Resistentialism is the philosophy of what Things
think about us."
- P. Jennings, The Spectator 23 Apr. 1948
"Things are against us. This is the nearest English
translation I can find for the basic concept of
Resistentialism."
- P. Jennings, Report on Resistentialism (1950)
"I must object to Oxford's dubbing resistentialism a
"mock philosophy." There is nothing mock or sham about
it, as anyone who has ever had to call a plumber on a
Sunday morning to unclog a refractory toilet will
attest." - Charles Elster,
Resistentialism: Things that go totally awry
Re: nothing new under the sun - 03/31/04 01:07 PM
Bread always falls butter-side down.
Read the report, wofa. The probability of the toast landing marmalade side down is directly proportional to the cost of the carpet.
Read the report, wofa. The probability of the toast landing marmalade side down is directly proportional to the cost of the carpet.
Re: nothing new under the sun - 04/01/04 11:16 AM
"the inherent perversity of inanimate matter."
Neat – but I’ve always believed it to be wilful intransigence. So when I trip over a rock I know exactly where the blame lies!
Neat – but I’ve always believed it to be wilful intransigence. So when I trip over a rock I know exactly where the blame lies!
Re: nothing new under the sun - 04/01/04 03:26 PM
Oh yes--like when the tree jumped in front of my car.
Re: nothing new under the sun - 04/01/04 03:37 PM
Well, trees don't jump. It just chose to be in that place at that time.
Re: nothing new under the sun - 04/01/04 04:14 PM
There is a way trees can jump, and kill the guy who cut them down. When some large trees fall, a large part of their
kinetic endergy gets stored in many strong flexible branches when they hit the ground. And the the trunk jumps up and backwards. If axeman is in line, he's a goner.
kinetic endergy gets stored in many strong flexible branches when they hit the ground. And the the trunk jumps up and backwards. If axeman is in line, he's a goner.
Re: nothing new under the sun - 04/01/04 06:30 PM
I took the butt-end of a, thankfully, small elm, right to the nose, by just such a jump. no fun.