Ain't it like most people
I'm no different
We love to talk on things we don't know about.
When I first heard this song, I thought Yeah. That's so true - people shooting off their
mouths about all kinds of random things when they have no idea what they're
talking about. And it's true that I do
this too, although I try to be at
least somewhat informed about the things I hold opinions on. And I do
try to listen to opposing opinions on a subject (unless someone's just
out-and-out wrong. I'm not going to
listen to a person talk about why someone deserved to get raped because of what
he/she was wearing, or how some people shouldn't get married because
Reasons). Especially with politics, it
seems like a lot of people have opinions that may or may not be fact-based.
But after listening to the song 563791 times, and listening
to other songs and interviews by the band, I decided he meant something
different by these words. I think what
he's saying here is, a lot of people like to talk on things they don't know
about so that they can learn. We love to talk on things we don't know about
so that we can hear other people's opinions, gather information, maybe go home
and Google some stuff. Once people get
out of school, it seems like the way they learn is mostly by talking to other
people, or sometimes listening to the news or reading a website. But talking allows for an exchange of ideas
that can't be had through those other mediums.
When I see my kids years later, or they write in a card or a memory
book, mostly what they'll remember are discussion we've had. Why do people join book clubs? To talk about books they've read/loved. Why do people say "You have to see this movie"? Because they want to talk about it!
Now, you might say, "Well if they read the book/saw the
movie/whathaveyou, then they're not talking about things they don't know
about. They're talking about things they
do know about." And that's true to an extent, but it's a very
boring conversation if all someone is saying is "Yeah, remember when X
happened?! Yeah, that was awesome!"* So a lot of times it's people asking about
things that didn't make sense, backstories they're not familiar with, actors
they haven't seen before, and on and on.
So next time you think someone is talking out their
backside, going on and on about things they don't know about, speak up. Add in what you do know about the subject, or join in the general wonderment if you
don't know anything about it either. It
doesn't hurt to ask questions; you might even learn something.
Ain't it like most people
I'm no different
I love to think about random things while mowing the lawn.
(This is why Scott Avett is a very successful songwriter and
I haven't blogged in two years.)
*This is a
nod to the Chris Farley show. You young
whippersnappers should look for it on YouTube if the NBC Fascists haven't blocked
it.
