22 July 2011

persona(el)

palace suite by McBeth
palace suite, a photo by McBeth on Flickr.


The personal life of every individual is based on secrecy, and perhaps it is partly for that reason that civilized man is so nervously anxious that personal privacy should be respected.

-- Anton Chekhov
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3 comments:

cybergabi said...

If you'd ask me, the fear of personal disadvantages is a stronger driver for people to seek privacy than an inherent need to have secrets. If you could be sure that your boss wouldn't think badly of you if they knew you sleep until 11 on a Saturday, don't do the dishes, and hang out in your jammies all day with a sixpack of beer and a family-sized bowl of popcorn next to you on the sofa, watching cheesy 1950s flicks on DVD; or your neighbors won't badmouth you if they knew about your sexual practices and the way your little toe is shaped weirdly; or that this client would still order his stuff with you if he knew you like to lick the plate after a yummy dinner or like to pick your nose while sitting on the john, there wouldn't be any need for privacy.

More than being watched, we fear the consequences of being watched. At least that's what I think.

Other than that, I love your photo.

July 22, 2011 1:04 PM
mcbeth said...

I just realized I neglected to post the quote's author, so there we go and that's fixed.

A secret is a thing I purposefully, willfully create. Or if I happen not to create it I remain complicit to it. I wonder if it was his modesty, or something(?) which gives the word "secrecy" that fairly specific *nobody must see this* flavor. Maybe we can replace 'secrecy' with 'fear of judgment'?

July 22, 2011 4:24 PM
cybergabi said...

Ha. Thanks for the heads-up!

July 22, 2011 5:40 PM

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