I learnt today that I am a favored victim of Gedanken experiments. I sit in a room, there is an interesting story being narrated by someone; there is a powwow session going on among some people; there are one or two of those smart-alecky folks trying out their wisecracks on a very amused audience - I am usually that audience! In fact, I am the "willing" stooge in all these scenarios.

The advantage of being a stooge is that you are under no pressure to make sense. You, the seeker of knowledge from the giver, take the subservient stance. All you need to do is be obtuse and inquisitive, which I am in every respect!

Here is how it works. Your "theorist" friend has had a little too much to drink, and is feeling bladdered and excitable. He decides to make the most of this state of mind to pontificate about such things as "existence" and the "why"s of things! He takes a life scenario like falling in love, managing an intern, throwing ugly recycled shoes at a politician and relates it vaguely to some philosophy or scientific theory he may have encountered through his work or in some other way. All you have to do is sit through his fascinating hypotheses and speculate who the moron in the conversation is --- you for listening or your friend for thinking you are a moron who is willingly sitting through his tripe. But, in general, if the answer is "both you and him", it means that you have both had a swell few hours and look forward to having many more swell few hours. I can say I have and look forward to many more.

Over the next few days, I will list out some of my favorite Gedanken Theories and "catch words" that turn up in usual conversations with friends. I’ll begin tomorrow after spending the night pondering over these theories and putting my parents through some of them over dinner! They will be MY stooges for a change :)