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For my special Hokey Home v. 2 layout in February, I had a banner that I asked my visitors to interpret. Only one person submitted an interpretation, and by some stroke of luck, this person happened to have the correct answer. Congrats, Tom P.! The banner is shown below:


Tom's answer:
"I know what your banner means!! I believe that the real meaning occurs when your sister says, 'I forgot my lines,' thus representing that love, or at least our notion of love, is intertwined in social scripts that each of us have embedded in us by society. Such as asking someone to marry you, the social script is to get on your knees, say something romantic, and then ask the question."

My comments:
Tom basically hit the nail on the head and then continued hammering around the general region of the nail. He even used the bonus phrase "social scripts," which is exactly what I was thinking when I made the banner. The example he gives, the marriage proposal, is not exactly what I happened to be thinking of, but it is still a relevant example.

I was thinking along the lines of automatic replies. For instance, when someone asks "How are you?" the general answer is "Fine" or perhaps "Good." Unless you happen to know the person well, you probably won't list every single thing that's ailing you, even though such a list would give the person a better idea of how you are. Another example would be if your friend made some comment about dieting or feeling fat. The social script would be to reassure him that he is not fat or that there is no reason to diet.

In relationships, our behavior is incredibly scripted. If your significant other said "I love you," you would be expected to say it back. And apparently, according to teen girl magazines, there are rules for the gifts that you can give to a boy, depending on how long you have been dating. My point is that people should try to break free of social scripts. Be more honest, have your own expectations, and stop following the guidelines of other people. (This would turn social psychology on its head, but I'm tired of scripts.)

Go on, everyone! Forget your lines!