Fourth Wall Violation
In theater parlance, a character in a movie acknowledging the awareness of, or speaking to the audience directly, is known as "breaking the fourth wall". It's not what John Cusack did in High Fidelity or Steve Carell talking to the camera in "The Office", but instead one of the actors breaking character and addressing the audience at some point in the story when it's unexpected.
In real life, breaking character is a useful learning tool. One indication that I've done this, and done it well: after the fact, someone says to me, "Jim, that's so unlike you." It also challenges people to rethink their own assumptions.
Suggestion: go break your own personal fourth wall at least once this week.
P.S. I wrote a couple of months ago about how I buy copies of my favorite books at thrift stores and leave them around town in public places. (Often, people living on the streets will pick them up and read them, if for no other reason than to keep themselves occupied.) Yesterday, I saw a homeless man sitting on a bench reading one of those books. That felt like a small victory.
In real life, breaking character is a useful learning tool. One indication that I've done this, and done it well: after the fact, someone says to me, "Jim, that's so unlike you." It also challenges people to rethink their own assumptions.
Suggestion: go break your own personal fourth wall at least once this week.
P.S. I wrote a couple of months ago about how I buy copies of my favorite books at thrift stores and leave them around town in public places. (Often, people living on the streets will pick them up and read them, if for no other reason than to keep themselves occupied.) Yesterday, I saw a homeless man sitting on a bench reading one of those books. That felt like a small victory.