Comments on: Thinking About Eric Bentley

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By: David W. Boles

David W. Boles — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:40:21 +0000

It is a difficult line between genius and getting along with the majority.

By: kathakali.chatterjee

kathakali.chatterjee — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:51:21 +0000

David,
With due respect to all the geniuses all over the world, I think each one of them should take a moment to understand the importance of the readers/ listeners/ viewers etc. – in one word, people who put some time and effort to appreciate them. Without the appreciation…they might intellectually feel satisfied for the creation but they are nobody.
If he/ she always put himself in a pedestal then he/ she should not participate in a public forum at all. I think I have a system problem with people who suffer from I-syndrome. I am pathetic at taking orders.

By: David W. Boles

David W. Boles — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:51:35 +0000

I think you’re right about the SuperGenuises. They really aren’t very warm or nice. I guess what was so off-putting about Bentley is that he sat down with a chip on his shoulder and appeared to be looking for a reason to talk down to us. Cold and aloof is fine with me; accusatory and slightly mean is not okay. We all knew Eric and his work and we’d read several of his books, but that wasn’t enoug for him. I think he wanted more idolatory — and we were actually prepared to give it to him if he’d been open enough to accept our offering. There were several times when he would answer a submitted question with, “Look it up in one of my books. I’ve already discussed it there.”

By: kathakali.chatterjee

kathakali.chatterjee — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:18:26 +0000

I think a “down to earth genuis” is an extremely rare combination, most of the time they are full of themselves and it’s just hard to enjoy any kind of personal interaction with them.
I understand Eric Bentley’s expectation from the audience to be “informed enough” but did he take a moment to explain why one should read him? And make the conversation intruguing enough so the first thing the audience does is to pick up his stuff fo reading after leaving the presentation? That would have been the mark of a genuis. Sorry if I didn’t sound respectful enough.

By: David W. Boles

David W. Boles — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:14:37 +0000

It was odd. Before he started he was in a raw mood.

By: Gordon Davidescu

Gordon Davidescu — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:17:00 +0000

That must have been a strange experience — knowing everything he has done and yet seeing such a cold figure.