Older, but no wiser

This is an advertising slogan for the magazine “The Economist” that I passed on a billboard this morning. It set a train of thought going that went something like this:

Thought 1 – Good Question!

Thought 2 – Most of us wouldn’t even make it onto video

Thought 3 – Why not?

Thought 4 – Given that plenty of films get made about “ordinary”people and their lives, what makes such films interesting, even inspiring? It needn’t be excitement or some dramatic event. Maybe a heartwarming film with the “feelgood factor”; maybe a demonstration of some human characteristic we admire or aspire to such as courage, determination, love, selflessness.

Thought 5 – Would you expect an expert film-maker to be able to make a good film of any of our lives? Does the interest derive more from perspective - how you identify significant events; how you weave the thread of a story from daily existence - than it does from content?

And would it be a Good Thing to try and see our lives in film-worthy terms? Would such a change of perspective cause us to behave differently? And would the difference be for the good?

Thought 6 – Does it matter?