As I talked with a friend and classmate today, I speculated on the way I think. We share several classes together, and as I was complaining about the lofted, convoluted discussions we share in one theories-based class and how confusing and convoluted the debates can get, she said, "I think you do yourself a disservice. You should be included in that group of intelligent talkers too."
Now, I don't see myself as a snooty "academic" type. I know I tend to talk in circles and my funny stories aren't usually "funny" because I get too caught up in the details to remember the punchline. I use big words, and I often try to make meaning in a conversation by connecting things together that don't actually share anything. But, I'm not using that language just because I like to appear smart or want to be condescending--like "See here? I can connect what you're saying with this theory from _insert theorist's name here._ "
In a class, I'm not having those big lofty thoughts. I'm not plotting responses and drafting comments. I've come to realize that I'm actually playing dress up!! I use my imagination to create metaphors and to create entertaining scenes that involve the subject matter being discussed. (I know, I know, some psychologist would say that this technique is proven to improve memory and the recall of learned material, and the strategy often involves people "filing" information away into their own little scenarios or filing system. One suggestion I've heard is to build a visual castle in your mind and insert important objects to be remembered into a specific room of your mind's castle, so that you can recall it in detail later.)
But no, I think my thinking involves little men running and getting all the applicable information (by topic, by color, by theory, by experience, by personal memories, etc) and they play dress up with it! Say I'm in a class discussing font choice for an advertisement. My little oompa-loompas (because now I've given them a definite visual identity) run and get a hat that is my past experience using Times New Roman to write papers. Another gets one shoe that's about academic papers and one shoe that's my memory of creating an ad for my tutoring job. Then there's a shirt that's all about the types of advertisements I like, while a vest goes over top that wonders what about those ads appeals to me. The pants are a big question about how each font type is received. By this time (like a few seconds?) the teacher has asked a question, and I'm ready to go with my interpretation!
The cool part, though, is that as the class discussion goes on, the little oompa-loompa is throwing off shirts and shoes and hats like nobody's business! He runs and gets new ones and tries those on to see how they influence the outfit as a whole. By the end of it all, I have some weird outfits and therefore weird connections to share with my teacher/class/friend/boyfriend that can seem WAY out of left field, or seem right on target and really insightful.
It's kind of hit-or-miss. I'm not consciously planning those thoughts so I come out with the best of all thoughts. Sometimes they're really just half-formed, and I have to go into an elaborate metaphor (involving oompa-loompas and clothes) to explain what the hell I mean and how I got there.
If you had to come up with a metaphor, how would you say you think?
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