The Patina of Culture

Oh, that's SO Jungian.

Of course in CountryName social norms are just completely different.

Well the [Post-Modernists/Medieval ruling classes/Oneida Community Members/Basically any other movement-era-group-schoolofthought] were generally much likelier to [pick your blanket statement] than we are today.

I'm not the only one who bullshits this way, am I?

I think I'm a fairly informed person; I read (some of) my New York Times--even when it hasn't appeared in my facebook feed--and I've ticked the boxes next to several dozen "classic" works of literature. I'm not-fluent, but minimally dinner-party-conversant, in many major philosophies and/or zeitgeists. Perhaps most importantly, I care about knowing--or seeming to know--the things an educated person "ought" to. Sort of. Unless it means I have to actually read Kant.

GOD that stuff is dry-dactic.

But sometimes--by which I mean the vast majority of the time--I feel like I'm skating on a VERY thin surface of knowledge skimming over deep, DEEP waters of ignorance.

Some of this is things I maybe-once-knew but then 99% forgot (in this bin: all philosophical texts/movements, most important national and world history, and anything about any sport ever).

More of it is things I've never bothered to actually read/watch/culturally consume, and so have only ever managed to cobble together the flimsiest of ideas about.

"Briefly sounding kinda smart" is worth it, right?

It's the old "I'm a fraud" syndrome. Except it's definitely real--pretending I have any right to talk about most of the things I talk about is absolutely a lie. A pretentious lie at that.

I try to console myself with the idea that we're all doing this most of the time; there's just way too much STUFF out there for any one person to get to (at least without a generous patron and access to all social networks and/or Bravo TV blocked...at which point you will become way less culturally literate in Housewives trivia and whatever happens next that will TOTALLY BLOW YOUR MIND).

But then I get into a conversation about something I think I maybe sorta know, and the other person is just way more informed than me. I've read none of those books. I've heard none of those seminal albums. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT RELIGION IS.

Guys, PLEASE tell me I'm not alone about this.

If you do, I promise I won't throw in some totally half-baked "insight" next time we chat!

Though that will leave us with an extremely Doctor Who-centric conversation. But only the new seasons. I'm only "conversant" with the earlier incarnation...