April Words of Wisdom

What people commonly call fate is mostly their own stupidity. --Arthur Schopenhauer

 

Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate. --Carl Jung

Close some doors. Not because of pride, incapacity, or arrogance, but simply because they no longer lead somewhere. --Paulo Coelho

I restore myself when I'm alone. A career is born in public, talent in private. 

--Marilyn Monroe

There is something at work in my soul, which I do not understand. --Mary Shelley

Recent reading: "Breaking Bad 101: The Complete Critical Companion"

Breaking Bad 101: The Complete Critical Companion by Alan Sepinwall

I had bought this book a while back but for some reason never got around to reading it. Given the release this weekend of El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (which triggered me into starting a new binge of Breaking Bad) I thought it was appropriate.

Sepinwall takes a psychological dive into the motivation behind Walter White's evolution from a mild-mannered and disrespected husband, father, and high school teacher to the drug lord known as Heisenberg, and the wreckage that journey left in its wake.

These aren't detailed recaps - you will need to have seen the show to understand what he's referring to. But it's a fascinating take on the world of Breaking Bad. Sepinwall focuses particularly on Walt's pride and the poor decisions it prompts, his long-simmering resentment at having missed out on the prestige and wealth that Grey Matter generated, and his desire for control and respect. That notwithstanding, he doesn't neglect the other characters. Everyone gets attention. He also heaps well-deserved praise on the cast, particularly Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, as well as the writers and directors.

The pieces are brief, which makes it easy to get through the book quickly, plus once you get to the final season and start hurtling toward the explosive ending, it's impossible to put it down. Sepinwall actually wrote these as the show was airing, but many have been rewritten or updated for this book, which also includes contributions from Vince Gilligan, Cranston and others involved with the show.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?! WE'RE A FAMILY!!!...We're a family." - Walter

Almost seven seconds pass between the time Walter White screams the words "WE'RE A FAMILY!!!" and the time he whispers them, and they are an eternity. They are everything. Those seven seconds are what Breaking Bad has been building to for the previous fifty-nine hours. They are the shattering of every illusion Walter White has ever had about himself. They are the terrified faces of his wife and son as they huddle together on the floor, trying to wish him into the cornfield. They are all his bogus self-rationalizations being dipped in acid until they are no longer recognizable. They are Walter White finally, after so much time and so much sin, coming to terms with everything he has lost.

I relate to enough of these that I thought it was worth posting

20 Things Only Highly Creative People Understand.

A few that hit home:

They cannot multi-task effectively...

True.

Often, this requires solitude for periods of time...

Most of the time, actually.

...highly creative people often can quickly shift from joy to sadness or even depression. Their sensitive heart, while the source of their brilliance, is also the source of their suffering.

I know it sounds pretentious as hell, but it's true. I envy people who are emotionally tough.

Creatives are notorious procrastinators because many do their best work under pressure. 

Oh good, it's not just me. Actually, this is how I just got through my first UCLA Extension TV writing class, and came out with an A and a hell of an outline for a Better Call Saul spec. All assignments were due online by Friday at midnight, and each and every one was submitted on Friday evening, except for the one that didn't get done until Saturday. Nothing about this story existed when this class started; this wasn't the show I was planning on speccing. But when I had to come up with something, I did. The rest of the week was mainly spent thinking about it. But nothing actually got done until the deadline was looming.

Although I do wish I didn't procrastinate. It's a personal failure IMO.

They have difficulty finishing projects.

Again, oh good, it's not just me.

Check out the whole article and see what you think.

Jackie Fox on the complicated psychology of trauma

I don't know much if anything about the Jian Gomeshi case, and I'm fortunate that I've never been the victim of a violent crime, but I found this to be an amazingly well-written piece on the complicated psychology of trauma and how people don't understand how and why victims process things the way they do in the aftermath of their attacks. Jackie Fuchs, aka Jackie Fox of the 1970's girl band The Runaways (who went public last year with her story of being raped by the band's manager) discusses What the Jian Gomeshi acquittal can teach us about victim blaming.

Like I said, I'm not knowledgable about this case so I can't say whether or not the acquittal was warranted, or if a serial rapist just got away with his crimes. But the idea of having been raped, then having to sit in a courtroom with your attacker just a few feet away and be ripped to shreds in front of everyone by a lawyer whose job isn't to defend the innocent, but to keep their client out of jail - guilty or not - must be beyond agonizing. Not to mention adding horrifying insult to an already decimating injury. And then to have to sit there and see them set free...I can't imagine what that must do to a person, both emotionally and psychologically. It's just beyond words. And that's on top of the trauma of the attack itself. No wonder victims are reluctant to come forward, or wait years to do so. Who wants to set themselves up to be victimized again?

Definitely take the time to read Jackie's post. It makes so many astute observations that I can't even begin to list them all here without just copying and pasting the whole thing. Really amazing stuff.