3 Ideas in 2 Minutes on Anticipation

Waiting for Godot, Shepard Tone & Paraprosdokian

Dawn, Yellow Waters, Kakadu NP, Australia

I. Waiting for Godot

When was the last time you were pointlessly waiting for something to happen? A parcel to arrive, a promotion to occur, or a friend to come by? You put off everything else just to be ready when it happens. The only problem is that it doesn’t happen — and possibly never will. So you thought... And you were probably right.

Waiting for Godot has become a metaphor for such events. The expression originates from a tragicomedy of the same name written by Samuel Beckett. The absurd play revolves around the two protagonists, Vladimir and Estragon, who are waiting for the mysterious Godot. Neither does anyone know who he is. Nor does anybody know if or when he’ll drop by.

This leaves the two in a strange spot as they waste their time with silly talk. Not much happens in the rather anticlimactic masterpiece. Beckett’s classic ends the same way everyone’s wait for metaphorical Godot ends.

I’ve written more about this phenomenon in Waiting for Godot: When Tomorrow Never Comes.

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II. Shepard Tone

A Shepard Tone is an auditory illusion designed to give listeners the sense of a rising yet endless tension. It was named after cognitive scientist Roger Shepard. You may have noticed its intense effect of anticipation in Christopher Nolan’s WWII film Dunkirk (2017).

Here’s Australian filmmaker Mike Nayna making the connection between the idea of the Shepard Tone and social media use:

Mike Nayna @MikeNayna

Social media is a Darwinian machine selecting for the strongest emotional resonance. Having an endless stream of events worldwide to shift collective focus to means tension never abates. Living on Twitter is like having a Shapard tone in your ears (SOUND ON). 1/3

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III. Paraprosdokian

A Paraprosdokian is a figure of speech that plays with your expectations. It usually consists of a sentence or phrase that ends on an unexpected, humorous, or anticlimactic note:

If I could just say a few words…I'd be a better public speaker.

—Homer

Paraprosdokian comes from Greek and translates to something approximating ‘against expectations’. It’s no surprise that the above quote is from non-other than famed poet Homer Simpson.

In case you’re interested, I’ve previously written about similar linguistic oddities. 🐘

Have a great week,

Chris
themindcollection.com