Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Social Contract


One of the only TV shows I have managed to stay loyal to for several years has been House, MD. I like this show for many reasons, the most recent being the addition of Olivia Wilde to the cast (when will she get rid of Foreman?!). I think that a lot of the episodes make good social points, and I love House's surly demeanor.

Last nights episode was no exception to this rule, and really made me examine what it is I like most about House (both the character and the show). In this episode a man has frontal lobe disinhibition (Similar to Phineas Gage) and goes from being a mild mannered, loving husband and father to... well... House. It really explored (as much as one can in an hour) the ways that people censor or inhibit themselves to remain socially acceptable. The episode was, appropriately, called Social Contracts. Apart from the governmental meanings of this phrase, it is interesting to consider how this applies in everyday life. What kind of contracts do we make with our employers, our friends, our families? If we have thoughts, but hide them, what kind of person are we -- the person we pretend to be, or the person on the inside? This then comes down to who decides what is socially acceptable, your relationships with people, etc.

For instance, I definitely censor myself at work. I don't think my personal views on religion, politics, abortion or gay marriage have any pertinence to my job. This means that my employer could think that I am an entirely different person than I actually am. I still think and feel the same way I always do, I just supress my usually vocal stances on certain topics.

With friends it definitely comes down to how long I've known you, or what kind of situation we meet in. Whenever I meet Twenty's friends they always get a huge dose of what I am actually like, because I know her so well and have no inhibitions around her. On the other hand if I am meeting a stranger for the first time at Yoga or at a bar I'll present myself in a more subdued manner.

I'm not really going anywhere specific with this, I just thought it was an interesting show that sparked some interesting thoughts. I feel that in the coming days I will pay closer attention to my interactions with people and when I do feel the need to make myself more "socially acceptable".

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