Reality TV. It’s here to stay apparently. The situations and participants vary widely, all fitting with the audience draw of the supporting network. Obviously, reality shows must be entertaining and must draw significant numbers of viewers; otherwise, they would go the way of westerns, a viewing staple of the 1950s and 1960s.
A chief tenet of quantum physicists is that observation changes what is observed. It is also a tenet of psychologists. I can’t go into a group of strangers without making my presence part of their makeup. By observing, I change what I want to see. If I show up in a Brazilian rainforest to confront a group of people previously unmet by outsiders, I’ll change them. Brazil knows that, so the country does what it can to protect the lifestyle of indigenous peoples from corruption from the outside.
Reality TV is observation on steroids. So is speaking to an audience—anywhere: classroom, place of worship, public square, or even large family reunion. That makes me wonder. Shouldn’t we accept that we are not, any of us, “one” person?
We are different as we enter one place or another. Place really does have a bit of control on us, and it does so to a greater degree when it is peopled. Yes, Shakespeare wrote it succinctly, “All the world’s a stage.” You know the rest. We are players.
As you move through your day, look at the stage on which you stand. Look at the audience. Look at your role. Are you a “real person” or are you merely playing one?
A chief tenet of quantum physicists is that observation changes what is observed. It is also a tenet of psychologists. I can’t go into a group of strangers without making my presence part of their makeup. By observing, I change what I want to see. If I show up in a Brazilian rainforest to confront a group of people previously unmet by outsiders, I’ll change them. Brazil knows that, so the country does what it can to protect the lifestyle of indigenous peoples from corruption from the outside.
Reality TV is observation on steroids. So is speaking to an audience—anywhere: classroom, place of worship, public square, or even large family reunion. That makes me wonder. Shouldn’t we accept that we are not, any of us, “one” person?
We are different as we enter one place or another. Place really does have a bit of control on us, and it does so to a greater degree when it is peopled. Yes, Shakespeare wrote it succinctly, “All the world’s a stage.” You know the rest. We are players.
As you move through your day, look at the stage on which you stand. Look at the audience. Look at your role. Are you a “real person” or are you merely playing one?
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