Think you don’t have a choice? Think again
One of the most famous (and most obnoxious) observations of the existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre concerns a waiter in a cafe, whose bearing is somehow a bit too, well, waiterish. “He comes toward the patrons with a step a little too quick. He bends forward a little too eagerly; his voice, his eyes, express an interest a little too solicitous.” He seems to be playing a part, with a surfeit of enthusiasm.
Why? To deceive himself, Sartre concludes. The waiter throws himself into the role because he wants to persuade himself he has no choice – that he’s “some kind of automaton”, whose very essence condemns him to be a waiter. That’s more comfortable than facing the truth, which is that he’s choosing to be a waiter and is free to make a different choice – though you can’t help wondering how Sartre, who basically lived in cafes, would have coped had the waiters of Paris all acted on his advice.
Continue reading...
0 comments :
Post a Comment