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The Conviction of Idiocy: From Socrates to the Internet

August 30, 2021

Philosophy, Society

idiocy, ignorance, social masses, social media, society

Quite a leap, isn’t it? From idiocy and Socrates to the internet. Of course, the real issue here – the keyword, in a sense – is idiocy. Is it timeless, and therefore the common denominator? The answer is yes; there have always been idiots. Indeed, the word “idiot” is Greek. However, there’s a difference, too: Idiocy has evolved.

Nowadays, stupidity (I will use the terms interchangeably) is of a different kind. Understanding its characteristics might, just perhaps, help us better confront it.

At the same time, however, I must emphasize my pessimism. As I have stated before (see my posts on ignorance, Dunning-Kruger, and the failure of democracy), I really don’t see humanity being able to overcome its collective stupidity. The problem with idiocy (as Socrates perhaps would’ve agreed) is that those who should urgently question their thought processes rarely do.

Still, if we managed to at least marginalize idiocy, to the extent historical examples have shown possible, we could perhaps allow a glimmer of hope.

idiocy Socrates
Idiocy in Socrates’s time and the one we face today share a common characteristic: Conviction and certainty. Still, there are crucial differences, too, having to do with the rate of propagation
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Are Story Dice Worth It? Yes, With an Important Caveat

August 23, 2021

Writing

creativity, fiction, imagination, writing

Story dice are dice (either physical or digital) that have not numbers but icons. Options vary, but usually they are objects, characters, abstract ideas, and other such depictions. How do you use story dice as a writer? Simple: You roll them, then you try to come up with a story containing the icons you see.

Obviously, it’s your creativity and imagination that do virtually all of the work. Though story dice are essentially writing prompts, they can’t provide you with an actual story (duh!)

So, here’s the question of the post title: Are story dice worth it for a writer? The answer is (again, echoing the title) yes, story dice are worth it – but with an important caveat.

If you’re perceptive enough, you’ve surely realized what that is: You! Since story dice depend on the user’s creativity to “function”, they are as good or bad as the person rolling them. Still, it’s not quite as black-and-white. To put it another way, you can learn to use them better.

And so, in this post we’ll take a look at story dice and how to use them as a writer, to get intriguing new ideas for your stories. I’ll also have a little surprise for you at the end of this post!

story dice
Storytelling dice come in many forms, but the basic idea is the same: You get a set of random images and your creativity concocts a story
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Holistic Creativity: How To Support Your Writing with Other Forms of Art

August 16, 2021

Writing

art, creativity, imagination, writing

Chances are, if you’re a Home for Fiction friend you’re likely interested in literature and writing. Perhaps you are a writer yourself. In any case, you have perhaps realized the effect of holistic creativity, that is, a creative force that spans across art forms.

If you write, you likely also like music or perhaps painting. Maybe you play guitar or piano, or perhaps you like coming up with creative DIY solutions for your home. Bottom line, you are creative in several areas in your life.

Think of famous actors who were also photographers and singers, or of musicians who were also painters and designers. Creativity is very, very rarely limited in one field alone.

This is something you, as a writer, must exploit.

In this post I’ll share some of my own experiences in holistic creativity, showing you how you can help your writing using your other artistic interests. The bonus, of course, is that this is a two-way street: Your other artistic paths can also be helped by your writing!

holistic creativity
Photography-as-art requires a certain understanding of narrative flow. Being a writer helps my photography, which, in turn helps my writing by helping me have enhanced visuality.
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