Question Your Assumptions
The Things We Take as "Obviously True" Sometimes Aren't.
This is part of my “Art of Noticing” series, in which I learn, find, or discover the things around me that usually go unnoticed and turn them into an endless source of creative inspiration.
NOTE: The last of these “Noticings” blog posts will run on April 13th. I’m going to keep recording the 9-minute daily podcast on which these posts are based, though, so if you want to keep your dose of daily Noticings, be sure to subscribe to the Art of Noticing podcast here on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
(You could also listen here on Substack, but that’s a miserable way to listen to a podcast so I don’t recommend it. Do yourself a favor and use a podcast app so you can listen on your commute or at the gym or something.)
I was parked outside an ice cream shop with the parents of some of my daughter’s friends, waiting for the girls to emerge. There was a donut shop nearby, but it was advertising them the dumb way: as “doughnuts.”
I’ve never liked that spelling. Thought it was excessive, maybe a bit self-important, and characterized wonderful pastries as “nuts made out of dough.” (I’ll let that image sink in for a bit.)
But because I was just waiting, I decided to look it up after acting all word-elitist to the other parents. And what do you know: The dumb spelling is the right spelling. “Donut” is a bastardization of “doughnut” that’s come to be accepted, kind of like how people accept “brussel sprouts” when we all know it’s “Brussels.”
I got off my high horse and admitted that apparently I’ve always been wrong. What else might we — and our characters — be wrong about?
Here's how this "noticing" can influence my stories and art:
Researching Instead of Assuming
You don’t want to stereotype people and things, do you? That means a bit of research. Challenge your assumptions. Try to take less for granted, in other words. I know research sucks sometimes, but it can pay off other times. If you seek out primary sources and diversify your perspectives, you might knock “common knowledge” off its pedestal.
By investigating people, eras, and anything at all that’s different from our own experience, we learn new stuff like this whole “donut” debacle.” Doing so will help builds realistic, sensitive portrayals instead of stereotypes.
Challenging Preconceptions
This one’s fun: You could intentionally include historically inaccurate stuff in your stories, then have your characters realize their accepted “truth” is wrong. You get to upset the status quo and have a character moment.
No truth is absolute. The older I get, I think more and more that everything is subjective. That kind of realization can profoundly impact a character, and well-written stories can challenge readers' preconceptions in the same ways. Do that and you’re no longer just a storyteller. Now, you’re creating thought-provoking social commentary.
Cultivating an Open Mind
As writers, we need to stand guard against complacency. It’s not easy. "Facts" change, and even the experts disagree. Maintaining an attitude of humility (and curiosity) lets us keep learning and improving. When we catch ourselves making assumptions in stories, I’ll take that as a reminder to stay curious.
The world is complex. No one has all the answers, even about donuts (perish the thought). By questioning “knowns,” we can broaden our minds … and better reflect the intricacies of human experience.
Want to learn on the go?
Reading these posts is only one way to get these lessons. Every post here has a companion episode of my 10-minute, multi-times-weekly podcast, The Art of Noticing.
WANT MORE?
Members get extra posts like this one, bonus podcast episodes, and more every week … all for the price of a fancy coffee. Learn about membership here.
"Doughnut" was the original spelling, when it was invented. It became "donut" chiefly so that people making bakery and coffee shop signs could save a little bit on space.
We HAVE Dunkin' to thank.... no editing on comments.