It’s the birds, isn’t it?
No, it ain’t.
In the few years I’ve been enjoying this forum, I learned that for a considerable part of the subscribers the relevance of optics goes way beyond the object. Birds may have aroused our curiosity initially – and on occasion they still do - but something happened in the process: our optical instruments took on a relevance of their own. Instead of a simple means to an end, they became our objects of fascination, if not obsession.
Many times I’ve found myself surrounded by two, three, four binoculars (for fear of impairing my carefully constructed reputation I won’t go any further) with the only intention to have a look through them again, and again, and again. If the flowerpot on my neighbour’s balcony could talk…
Frankly spoken, I am fascinated by this strange behaviour. But the problem is, I’m unable to explain it properly. The psychology of optics, what’s it all about? What makes us, binocular geeks, tick?
Is it the magnification of reality we enjoy?
Or is it the opposite, the temporary isolation (only 8 deg. FOV!) from it? The escape from the inconveniences, obligations and cruelties of everyday life?
I found this last suggestion in Birders - Tales of a tribe, by the British writer Mark Cocker, who is unfortunately one of the very few writers I could find with a more than fleeting attention to the subject. But maybe there are more? Inside or outside the birding world?
Maybe you want your thoughts to share with me yourself? Your idea’s, feelings, suggestions, experiences, stories? Then tell me (us!). It’s much appreciated.
Renze de Vries,
[QUOTE=Renze de Vries;905679]It’s the birds, isn’t it?
No, it ain’t.
In the few years I’ve been enjoying this forum, I learned that for a considerable part of the subscribers the relevance of optics goes way beyond the object. Birds may have aroused our curiosity initially – and on occasion they still do - but something happened in the process: our optical instruments took on a relevance of their own. Instead of a simple means to an end, they became our objects of fascination, if not obsession.
Many times I’ve found myself surrounded by two, three, four binoculars (for fear of impairing my carefully constructed reputation I won’t go any further) with the only intention to have a look through them again, and again, and again. If the flowerpot on my neighbour’s balcony could talk…
Frankly spoken, I am fascinated by this strange behaviour. But the problem is, I’m unable to explain it properly. The psychology of optics, what’s it all about? What makes us, binocular geeks, tick?
Is it the magnification of reality we enjoy?
Or is it the opposite, the temporary isolation (only 8 deg. FOV!) from it? The escape from the inconveniences, obligations and cruelties of everyday life?
I found this last suggestion in Birders - Tales of a tribe, by the British writer Mark Cocker, who is unfortunately one of the very few writers I could find with a more than fleeting attention to the subject. But maybe there are more? Inside or outside the birding world?
Maybe you want your thoughts to share with me yourself? Your idea’s, feelings, suggestions, experiences, stories? Then tell me (us!). It’s much appreciated.
Renze de Vries,[/QUOTE]
- obsessive behaviour
- fetishism
- compensation (compensatory behaviour)
- compulsive behaviour
- wish to gain status (status symbol) / be accepted in a community of ....
....
-
[QUOTE=ThoLa;905684]- obsessive behaviour
- fetishism
- compensation (compensatory behaviour)
- compulsive behaviour
- wish to gain status (status symbol) / be accepted in a community of ....
....
-[/QUOTE]
lol. hahah