Monday, July 05, 2010

Schoolmaster who lost his temper

Taidan kiinnittää huomiota ihan vääriin asioihin lukemissani kirjoissa, mutta tämä anekdootti Richard Dawkinsin kirjassa The Blind Watchmaker huvitti minua:

One of my schoolmasters was a cultured, courteous and usually gentle man, but he had occasional explosions of temper, as he himself was aware. When extremely provoked in class he would say nothing at first, but his face showed that something unusual was going on inside. Then, beginning in a quiet and reasonable tone he would say: ‘Oh dear. I can't hold it. I'm going to lose my temper. Get down below your desks. I'm warning you. It's coming.’ All the time his voice was rising, and at the crescendo he would seize everything within reach, books, wooden-backed blackboard erasers, paperweights, inkpots, and hurl them in quick succession, with the utmost force and ferocity but with wild aim, in the general direction of the boy who had provoked him. His temper then gradually subsided, and next day he would offer the most gracious apology to the same boy. He was aware that he had gone out of control, he had witnessed himself becoming the victim of a positive-feedback loop.


Tahtoisin nähdä tuon kuvattuna elokuvallisin keinoin. Minusta olisi taas aika tehdä joku 50-luvulle tai vastaavaan sijoittuva kouluelokuva semmoinen animal house tai Porky's tai joku vähän vakavampikin.