Mood: Pat Monahan and others
Quote: "If only we could stop trying to be happy we could have a pretty good time." -Edith Wharton
Best Things:
- Getting free stuff at restaurants
- Getting entirely unexpected and joyful flatteries
- People remembering your name
- Finding that most of your observations aren't just you
Blog: As I sat in English today amongst the intelligent, irritating, awesome, and the interesting, a topic came up, Daisy in The Great Gatsby. In the novel Daisy understands everything that goes on, she knows her husband is cheating on her but she chooses to act oblivious, and idiotic. In fact she goes so far as to desire that her daughter grows up to be a "pretty little fool", someone who is unaware of everything that goes on.
I have noticed this, to some extent amongst people, mostly girls, who wander the halls of my school. Many intelligent girls who are intelligent and quick witted, but they choose instead to be percieved as dull and ditzy. I began noticing this my freshman year and have been even more aware of it in recent events (if you read the post about my sister). A few of those girls are in my class, and it continually frustrates me, forcing me one step closer to a cliff. Are there not a thousand others who would gladly take inherit their natural gifts? Are there not an endless number of souls who crave intelligence? Natural ability? But these selected individuals throw it away, or at least disguise it, destroy it.
So, I raised my hand. And in a much more polite fashion related Daisy to these girls who I have so oft seen. That is when I learned the most fantastic information. It wasn't just me (and my friends who I pointed it out to), but a plethora of others who have written books, books, and done psychological studies, actual studies. It was the most liberating feeling, it wasn't just me, there were others who noticed the neuropsychological plague. The greatest feeling of all, was that it had a name. The Ophelia Complex.
"The Ophelia Complex describes adolescent girls who are concerned with acceptance and obedience and become unhealthy mentally due to their concern about how others perceive them." (http://www.case.edu/orgs/sigmataudelta/submissions/baus-ophelia.htm)
Of course this also affects men, but it has a greater occurance in those of the female sex. Who would have thought that my ideas would have a name?
I am not alone.
3 comments:
That's high school. Guys are jerks and try to be macho, and girls act ditzy. Of course, sometimes, it can extend into later life.
I was so proud of myself for figuring that out about myself before we talked about it in english. Too bad I'm "one of those girls", isn't it? And funny that we both write about our english class. We're nerds.
The Ophelia Complex. Its really sort of annoying, isn't it? I wish it was more easily controlled.
PS-any time you want anymore joyful/unexpected flatteries, you know who to call ;)
I don't think you have The Ophelia Complex, but it is definitely annoying.
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