This is beautiful. I love it, and thank you for sharing it.
Fancy Believing in the Goblin King (2017)
11–19 of 19 posts
Re: Fancy Believing in the Goblin King (2017)
#12The ultimate "hack" is to hack your own brain. It's how the metaphorical man riding the elephant [1] gets the most mileage out of his efforts, figuring out how to manipulate the elephant any way necessary. The intelligent, rational part of the brain sneers derisively at the invisible mask. It's obviously not there. It obviously can't do anything. It is, in its own way, entirely correct. Yet the elephant does not thin…
Interesting metaphor.
Any links you can share on taming the elephant?
Re: Fancy Believing in the Goblin King (2017)
#13@mods title is incorrect. It's a post by someone else that was re-blogged by Neil.
Yes. We've changed it now, and changed the URL from https://neil-gaiman.tumblr.com/post/166082106996/my-friend-t... to the original source.
Re: Fancy Believing in the Goblin King (2017)
#14Amazing! But not Neil Gaiman. Follow the tumblr chain long enough and you find the original source: http://lifeonmagrs.blogspot.com/2017/10/fancy-believing-in-g... This is an absolutely lovely story. Thank you for sharing it. I choose to believe it's true.
Changed from https://neil-gaiman.tumblr.com/post/166082106996/my-friend-t.... Thanks!
Re: Fancy Believing in the Goblin King (2017)
#15Interestingly I've heard this mask meme before - but from a different fantasy author, Terry Pratchett, in Maskerade . I wonder if there's a common origin. Either way it's a lovely story and empowering for some who hear it.
Definitely shades of Bowie's 'the mask' routine from his mime days https://vimeo.com/249177125
Re: Fancy Believing in the Goblin King (2017)
#16The ultimate "hack" is to hack your own brain. It's how the metaphorical man riding the elephant [1] gets the most mileage out of his efforts, figuring out how to manipulate the elephant any way necessary. The intelligent, rational part of the brain sneers derisively at the invisible mask. It's obviously not there. It obviously can't do anything. It is, in its own way, entirely correct. Yet the elephant does not thin…
Interesting metaphor. Any links you can share on taming the elephant?
Years ago, in possibly Thailand, I went for an elephant ride through the jungle with my early teenaged daughter. She was very much into “how things work”. The guide sat up on the elephant’s neck and drove by touching her behind the ears with his feet. We sat further back in a pair of seats. At one point the guide got down and ran backwards in front to video my daughter sitting on the elephant’s neck and driving. Being who she was she decided actually drive and put her foot against one of the elephants ears just like the guide. Without missing a step the elephant reached around with her trunk, looped around my daughter’s leg and placed it gently back on her shoulder. (The elephant’s shoulder.)
Ok, this isn’t a lot of practical help on taming an elephant, except that maybe “befriending” or “establishing a working relationship with” would be better words than taming.
Re: Fancy Believing in the Goblin King (2017)
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
Interesting metaphor. Any links you can share on taming the elephant?
Years ago, in possibly Thailand, I went for an elephant ride through the jungle with my early teenaged daughter. She was very much into “how things work”. The guide sat up on the elephant’s neck and drove by touching her behind the ears with his feet. We sat further back in a pair of seats. At one point the guide got down and ran backwards in front to video my daughter sitting on the elephant’s neck and driving. Bein…
Nice parable :)
Re: Fancy Believing in the Goblin King (2017)
#18The ultimate "hack" is to hack your own brain. It's how the metaphorical man riding the elephant [1] gets the most mileage out of his efforts, figuring out how to manipulate the elephant any way necessary. The intelligent, rational part of the brain sneers derisively at the invisible mask. It's obviously not there. It obviously can't do anything. It is, in its own way, entirely correct. Yet the elephant does not thin…
I tell myself that often as well. Just had my second child. And remember telling myself, after having my first son, at a moment when I was seriously doubting my ability to care for a child, in a sleep derived, frustrated, scared close-to-panicing state: ”most people, many of which where a lot less able, have gotten through this, surely I will too”.
It helps.
Re: Fancy Believing in the Goblin King (2017)
#19Great story. And really great of David Bowie to do such a thing.