I thought that when I switched subjects in grad school, I’d finally be able to go to parties and talk about what I do and not have blank and/or confused looks. You expect that with hard science. Normal people just don’t get it, or they don’t care to, or they’re just overwhelmed by the vocab. “Public affairs will be different,” I thought, “people will be interested and involved!”
Oh ho. not so. I went to a party with friends from undergrad a couple of weeks ago, and somebody asked me about what I’m doing now. I started talking about international governance and who runs the world and the UN and international development, and my friend gave me this “Max, still at it,” kind of look like “I love you but I never understand what you say.” It was disappointing. I was hoping to move toward mainstream appeal.
I’m sure it doesn’t help that I’m coming from grad school parties where all we do is eat and sit around discussing politics and economics and the world at large. What you mean that normal people don’t want to do cost/benefit analysis of socialism over their beers? Crazy! Who ISN’T interested in how the US should respond to the hurricane/volcanoes of the world? Global public goods! Collective action! Accountability of states! None of these are recommended topics of conversation at a college party. Don’t try it.
I don’t think anyone in our family will ever have ‘mainstream appeal’. [shrug]
You lost me at “mainstream appeal” still laughing hysterically. Amanda’s right, no one in this family will achieve it.
Frankly I don’t think people enjoy listening to other people talk passionately about anything that they aren’t passionate about. It’s the same phenomenon that happens when people try to talk about their kids to people who don’t know their kids, or when I try to talk to people about music education and how incredibly undervalued it is. I mean seriously it’s one of the only subjects teaching cooperative creation and no one cares to hear about it! (Right now I’m guessing that you also don’t care to hear about it. Humpf.)
yeah, like your blog!