ain't it awful

Yesterday, contemplating the Hold-Their-Feet-to-The-Fire strategy, thought about the various layers, and varieties of that idea --


1)  Well, OK, you've said nice things about yourself, now demonstrate that they are true.  We have a deal -- let's all live up to it.  (international relations, etc.)


2)  And there's also the dynamic where you choose to believe one thing over another because of kindness, goodwill, long-term thinking, and maybe love.


3)  And the type of situation where people somehow sort of have to decide what they're going to agree to believe.  Or agree to officially say they believe.


The recent novel Gone Girl (written by Gillian Flynn) has an example of Item 3 - what will we choose to believe -- what are we going to say -- what will be the official story, the party line -- what will the public "buy"?















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The 1940s film The Philadelphia Story contains a sample of Item 2:








C.K. Dexter Haven --


How are the mighty fallen.  If I know Tracy, and I know her well...she'll remember little of this.  For the second time in her life she'll draw quite a tidy blank.  You don't believe it, then?


George Kittredge --


Believe what?


Haven --


Well, the implications of what you saw, let us say.






Kittredge --


What else am I to believe?


Haven --


That's entirely up to you.


Kittredge --


I got eyes, I got imagination, haven't I?






Haven --


I don't know.  Have you?


Kittredge --


Oh, so you pretend not to believe it.


Haven --


Yes, I pretend not to.




--  Then you don't know women.


--  That's possible.


--  And you're a fool.


--  That's quite possible.  You won't be too hard on her?






Kittredge --


I'll make up my own mind what I'll be!


Haven --


We're all only human, you know.


Kitredge --


You!  All of you, with your sophisticated ideas!


Haven --


Ain't it awful?













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