My wife and I recently rewatched the 1995 miniseries of Pride and Prejudice, which we both find to be the best, most-faithful version of Jane Austen’s celebrated novel. It was a delightful experience because we invited one of our sons to join us, and he happily agreed. That was a big deal. I often try to share things I love with him, and he doesn’t always accept my invitations.

In this case, he watched all six episodes with us. Then I told him that I had devoted an entire Cinematic Chiasmus article to it, which he was eager to read. His appreciation for the miniseries deepened after he read that article.

Now my wife and I are rereading the book, and it brings me such joy to visit it once more. It’s like an old friend imparting words of wisdom. One passage in particular struck me this time.

Elizabeth’s Wise Words

In chapter 18 of Pride and Prejudice, during the infamous Netherfield Ball, Elizabeth Bennet dances with Mr. Darcy, whom she detests at that time. As they dance, Elizabeth tells Mr. Darcy many profound things, starting with this gem: “We are each of an unsocial, taciturn disposition, unwilling to speak, unless we expect to say something that will amaze the whole room, and be handed down to posterity with all the éclat of a proverb.”

I strive to follow those wise words of Miss Elizbeth. I’ve realized that this manifests in just about every way I interact with people.

• My jokes need to be funny on at least two levels to be worth sharing
• My Deja Reviewer articles often help people see movies from a new angle
• Blog posts I write for work approach familiar topics from an unexpected direction so I don’t say the same things every time
• Conversations I share with my wife and other people often produce insights we hadn’t considered before

In short, I love seeing things in different ways that delight my readers/listeners.

The Dangers of Going Too Far or Not Far Enough

It’s important to note that my pursuit of interesting ideas can lead me into territory where I come across as foolish. There are times when I think I’m discovering something no one else has thought of, but I discover that my connections were noticed by everyone long ago. That was true of my Incredibles vs. Watchmen article. People thought that was boring because the comparison was so obvious. There are other times when I stretch things too far and start making unwarranted connections, like my Aladdin article. That one helped me avoid taking my analogies too far in the future.

My point is that it’s a balancing act saying “something that will amaze the whole room.” I come up with lots of ideas, but not all of them wind up as Deja Reviewer articles. They need that special bait of something new, but sometimes I have to reel them back in a bit so I don’t go overboard.

Thank you to my wonderful readers for watching this tightrope act I walk each week. It’s a scary yet exhilarating experience to put my work out there, made more acute because I have a somewhat “unsocial, taciturn disposition.” Sharing my thoughts can lead to wonderful discussions, or it can lead to me putting my foot in my mouth. Either way, I’ll keep trying to share something that’ll make people say, “Wait, what?” for better or worse.

This is the Deja Reviewer bidding you farewell until we meet again.

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