'T'ain't a rant--it's just that I gave a flip (and not at the office)

[shalanna]

About that . . . about being passionate about issues and what you care about. It's a GOOD thing.

In one of my novels, I write,

The world doesn't view heightened emotionality in a positive light. The first thing babies hear is, "Hush, now, don't cry." That had quickly progressed, in Jacquidon's case, to "You're too sensitive," "Don't get so excited," and, finally, "Control yourself!"

Basically, the Stoics won. Never let 'em see you sweat. Be dignified. Remember decorum. Don't cry out loud!

Fran at Fran's Whatever hits the nail and doesn't even crack the plaster. Same kind of thing I was just talking about. People fearing the ones who are truly passionate, interested, energetic, Harlan-like about things.

“Rant” seems to be a popular descriptive word today--often when someone shows extra warmth, shows extra passion, people probably get scared and feel the need to negatively dub that person a ranter, or a raving lunatic, or both, or something along those lines.

You should also read the piefessor and probably also Dana and Rob. Regularly.

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

The northwestern world, anyway. There are cultures where open emotion is quite acceptable--even ritualized.

But I have to say, speaking as a parent, consoling a crying baby was not the same thing as teaching a very loud toddler about inside voices and outside voices--and about letting others have their turn.

And 'rant' I don't think indicates extra warmth but rather the intention of steam-rollering discourse by laying down opinions as non-negotiable fact.