PTSD

how much is the fish?*

“You get ideas from daydreaming. You get ideas from being bored. You get ideas all the time. The only difference between writers and other people is we notice when we're doing it.”

-- Neil Gaiman, not a famous sociologist, on ideas.

"Ideas occur to us when they please, not when it pleases us. The best ideas do indeed occur to one's mind...when smoking a cigar on the sofa; or...when taking a walk on a slowly ascending street; or in a similar way. In any case, ideas come when we do not expect them, and not when we are brooding and searching at our desks. Yet ideas would certainly not come to mind had we not brooded at our desks and searched for answers with passionate devotion."

-- Max Weber, not a famous-in-some-circles writer, on ideas.

Not much difference there, eh?

But, as has been known to happen in the social sciences, I can most likely use the latter example as an illustration of why and how ideas arise and how the social science are scientific while I would be less likely to be taken seriously if I used the first example. Even though they are saying pretty much the same thing. In a way, this goes well with E's previous post about being seen as having less expertise of math and quantitative approaches just because of the virtue of being of a specific gender.

More on this later. Yes, yes, the ethnographic post will follow. Sometime soon.


* The Scooter version. Had to get a German band in there for once. Also chosen because (and this is via Google. It was difficult enough to think of a German band that was not the Scorpions) the lyrics include these lines:

"Transforming the tunes we need your support
if you've got the breath back.
It's the first page of the second chapter!"

No, I've no idea what they were on, either. But, hey, they were big when I was in undergrad so yous get to read all about them too. It's not like there are loads of German bands out there, you know. On this evidence, that's probably for the best.

posted by Priya @ 2:58 PM