I think by definition enthusiasm is unintentional, I won’t look it up, because that would somehow seem to defeat the purpose of this piece. The idea of intentional enthusiasm, to me at least is fake, insincere. It evokes images of red coat wearing Butlin’s employees singing cliched songs, or the perma-smiling air hostesses you see on trans-Atlantic flights. I tolerate it professionally, but I’d be uncomfortable with it in most environments.
My pessimistic friends often label me an optimist, conversely my optimistic friends do the opposite. I would consider myself a realist... I mean, I do consider myself a realist, but then doesn’t everybody else? Is the glass half empty? Does it matter? What’s in this glass anyway? What do my pessimistic friends think? Do they think they’re pessimists? Who gives a shit about a glass anyway, Live at the Apollo is on BBC1?
But I digress.
I shouldn’t be looking at the definition of Enthusiasm, but rather the definition of ‘Unintentional Enthusiasm’. If I were to have coined the phrase, I think I would apply it to situations where enthusiasm is not expected or the person experiencing the enthusiasm had consciously planned not to experience it.
I often find myself in this situation.
And this is how far I’ve gotten in 43 minutes. I mean I haven’t yet filled a page, on a project I am enthusiastic about. Would I convey more enthusiasm if I double spaced and upped the font size a couple? I doubt it.
American History X taught me I should always finish an essay with a quote. I wouldn’t consider this finished, but fuck it, a quote will flesh this “effort” out a little more.
“A noble man compares and estimates himself by an idea which is a higher than himself and a mean man, by one lower than himself. The one produces aspiration; the other ambition, which is the way in which a vulgar man aspires”
Marcus Aurelius
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