Tuesday, September 28, 2010

tell me everything

RD Laing was a Glaswegian psychologist in the 60s(?) who was famous for progressive experimental treatment of his patients,
like the introduction of art therapy. He compiled a book of poems (Knots) based on the thought patterns of his patients.
I believe he later fell into notoriety for his experimentation with LSD and a scandalous sex life.

There is something I don't know
that I am supposed to know.
I don't know what it is I don't know,
and yet am supposed to know,
and I feel I look stupid
if I seem both not to know it
and not know what it is I don't know.
Therefore I pretend I know it.
This is nerve-racking
since I don't know what I must pretend to know.
Therefore I pretend to know everything.

I feel you know what I am supposed to know
but you can't tell me what it is
because you don't know that I don't know what it is.

You may know what I don't know, but not
that I don't know it,
and I can't tell you. So you will have to tell me everything.


which makes me think of this excerpt of an old favourite;

If you were cool in high school
you didn't ask too many questions.
You could tell who'd been to last night's
big metal concert by the new t-shirts in the hallway.
You didn't have to ask
and that's what cool was:
the ability to deduct
to know without asking.
And the pressure to simulate coolness
means not asking when you don't know,
which is why kids grow ever more stupid.

so please, tell me everything,

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