"How can he possibly justify bragging about his natural gifts and earned sexual competence so overtly?" the reader asks himself.
"It can't be done. I mean, I guess it is possible to recover. If he were a super-intelligent Casanova-type, he would reveal some seemingly-embarrassing bit of personal history that both undermines the reader's stereotypical first impression while simultaneously continuing to advertise his gifts, and ideally more overtly. If he were really smart, it would signal openness to experience and liberal/libertine values at the same time, filtering out any women who would make bad personality fits. Reality not being fiction, what are the chances he has such a story?"
"Ok, he managed it."
"Still, he's obviously not super-intelligent. If he were, he would find a way to pique the curiosity of his nearby female readership, fish for more Joes, and make clear his availability for more conventional job opportunities including those requiring the considerable talent with words the very narrative would also implicitly advertise - a strategy that maximizes many goals simultaneously, the path to each buttressing the other in a golden braid worthy of Joe's fascinated contemplation. Reality not being fiction, this isn't actually possible."
"How can he possibly justify bragging about his natural gifts and earned sexual competence so overtly?" the reader asks himself.
"It can't be done. I mean, I guess it is possible to recover. If he were a super-intelligent Casanova-type, he would reveal some seemingly-embarrassing bit of personal history that both undermines the reader's stereotypical first impression while simultaneously continuing to advertise his gifts, and ideally more overtly. If he were really smart, it would signal openness to experience and liberal/libertine values at the same time, filtering out any women who would make bad personality fits. Reality not being fiction, what are the chances he has such a story?"
"Ok, he managed it."
"Still, he's obviously not super-intelligent. If he were, he would find a way to pique the curiosity of his nearby female readership, fish for more Joes, and make clear his availability for more conventional job opportunities including those requiring the considerable talent with words the very narrative would also implicitly advertise - a strategy that maximizes many goals simultaneously, the path to each buttressing the other in a golden braid worthy of Joe's fascinated contemplation. Reality not being fiction, this isn't actually possible."
"Ok, he managed it."
This is one of the best comments I've ever received :) <3
This is a tiny, flawless crystal of tragic yet heartwarming weirdness.