Ah, GSP... the greatest collection of cultural savants Kentucky has to offer... here to share their thoughts and feelings with each other... sharing through the art of communication...
I am absolutely certain that language is completely inadequate for the effective transfer of information from one person to the other.
GSP, just like anywhere else, was a haven of miscommunication. I discovered these inalienable rules of communication during my five weeks' attendance:
1.) RUMOR IS TRUTH
Although it resembles a Party slogan from 1984, it is truth
and not an excercise in doublethink. Think about this scenario: A rumor starts
going around that a certain teacher at your school, or a manager at your place of
employment is gay / lesbian / neuter / a hermaphrodite / a Scientologist / a Malthusian /
whatever. Although this rumor is not true, everyone will modify their behavior
either to:
a) not offend this person's supposed mindset,
b) try to offend this person because of their supposed mindset,
c) avoid this person.
Although this person is certainly no different from anyone else (and
even if they were, no one would probably notice nor care, as in the next point) it has
become subjectively true.
2.) TRUTH IS RUMOR
Let us take another character from your daily life, and let us assume
that he or she is really gay / lesbian / neuter / a hermaphrodite / a
Scientologist / a Malthusian / whatever and there is proof to this point. Most
people will shrug this off as just the kind of worthless slanderous gossip that debases
the speaker, the listener, and the subject. This is actually a good thing, because
it allows the extremities of our society to coexist with the kind of people who despise
them but at the same time are not willing to believe that their teacher / manager / friend
is one of THEM (gasp).
3.) THE INTELLIGENCE OF A GROUP IS INVERSELY
PROPORTIONAL TO ITS SIZE
To those without a basic algebraic background, this means that the
larger a group gets, the dumber it is. Like the movie Men In Black said, a
single person is intelligent and rational whilst a large group of intelligent, rational
individuals is a confused, emotional mob. As my GSP friend Corey said when our big
bunch of intelligentsia tried and failed to get all of us on the same wide-lens photo
shot: "We are a collection of Kentucky's best and brightest but we cannot even
take a group photo."
Historical example: Single people rebel against Nazi atrocities.
Large groups join the SA, SS, and cheer on the gloriously honorable war while
turning a blind eye to the mass murder of "undesirables."
4.) WHATEVER MAKES THE MOST SENSE WILL NEVER COME TO
PASS
Another Corey quote, this is truely true. Think about your life,
and think about all the times that something other than what happened would have made more
sense (which would practically be your entire life). Remember thinking "why
don't we do it this way" or "why are these people so stupid?" Well,
that proves this point.