Response to Thinking as a Hobby

Throughout my life, the phrase, “Why can’t you think?” or anything of similar connotation has never been uttered to me. One of the reasons for this is because the environments that I have surrounded myself with have often times been constructive environments. Specifically in my oh-so-loving and sensible household, phrases such as, “You’re so smart!”(praising talent as opposed to hard work), or “Life’s not fair, just deal with it” (causing feelings of neglect), were essentially never spoken. “Why can’t you think?” fits into this category of never used phrases as it shames your ability to make logical conclusions which can easily lead to insecurity, self-hate, and many academic, and emotional setbacks. Another reason for this is because I have always been categorized as, “Intelligent” or “logical” by parents and teachers alike. Humans heavily appreciate consistency, and often times will change what they would normally say in order to maintain this consistency. Because of this need to keep me in the, “can actually think” category I would often get away with many things, or find that they say things very kindly and lightheartedly toward me. In “Thinking as a Hobby” William states, “I must have been an unsatisfactory child for grownups to deal with.”; this combined with his frequent visits to the headmaster’s study showcase his categorization into the “Incompetent Children’s Group”. Children who are categorized as such are often repeatedly told these insensitive, and unsensible phrases. Due to my fortune in these areas, I have not yet been told: “Why can’t you think”. Although if this were said to me now, I know that I would be able to think well enough to not make a big deal out of such a supposedly trivial phrase.