What are pillows really stuffed with? Not physically, but symbolically? The question occurred to me with the photos in the news and social media from the 50cities around the world that staged public celebrations for International Pillow Fight Day.
What
are
pillows
really
stuffed
with
?
Not
physically
,
but
symbolically
?
The
question
occurred
to
me
with
the
photos
in
the
news
and
social
media
from
the
50cities
around
the
world
that
staged
public
celebrations
for
International
Pillow
Fight
Day
.
Armed with nothing more than bring-our-own sacrificial cushions, strangers struck heavily each other in playful feather from Amsterdam to Atlanta, Warsaw to Washington DC.
Armed
with
nothing
more
than
bring-our-own
sacrificial
cushions
,
strangers
struck
heavily
each
other
in
playful
feather
from
Amsterdam
to
Atlanta
,
Warsaw
to
Washington
DC
.
But why? Is there anything more to this delightful celebration?
But
why
?
Is
there
anything
more
to
this
delightful
celebration
?
As a cultural sign, the pillow is deceptively soft.
As
a
cultural
sign
,
the
pillow
is
deceptively
soft
.
Since at least the 16th Century, the humble pillow has been given unexpected meanings.
Since
at
least
the
16th
Century
,
the
humble
pillow
has
been
given
unexpected
meanings
.
The Chinese playwright Tang Xianzu who tells a famous story about a wise man who meets a depressed young scholar at an inn and offers him a magic pillow filled with the most vivid dreams of a seemingly more fulfilling life.
The
Chinese
playwright
Tang
Xianzu
who
tells
a
famous
story
about
a
wise
man
who
meets
a
depressed
young
scholar
at
an
inn
and
offers
him
a
magic
pillow
filled
with
the
most
vivid
dreams
of
a
seemingly
more
fulfilling
life
.
When the young man awakens to discover that his happy 50-year dream has in fact come and gone in the short space of an afternoon's nap, our impression of the pillow's power shifts from wonder to terror.
When
the
young
man
awakens
to
discover
that
his
happy
50-year
dream
has
in
fact
come
and
gone
in
the
short
space
of
an
afternoon
's
nap
,
our
impression
of
the
pillow
's
power
shifts
from
wonder
to
terror
.
Subsequent writers have likewise seized upon the pillow.
Subsequent
writers
have
likewise
seized
upon
the
pillow
.
When the 19th-Century English novelist Charlotte Brontë poetically observed "a ruffled mind makes a restless pillow", she didn't just change the expected order of the adjectives and nouns, but instead she made it unclear the boundaries between mind and matter-the thing resting and the thing rested upon.
When
the
19th-Century
English
novelist
Charlotte
Brontë
poetically
observed
``
a
ruffled
mind
makes
a
restless
pillow
''
,
she
did
n't
just
change
the
expected
order
of
the
adjectives
and
nouns
,
but
instead
she
made
it
unclear
the
boundaries
between
mind
and
matter-the
thing
resting
and
the
thing
rested
upon
.
It's a trick perhaps Brontë learned from the Renaissance philosopher Montaigne, who once insisted that.
It
's
a
trick
perhaps
Brontë
learned
from
the
Renaissance
philosopher
Montaigne
,
who
once
insisted
that
.
On Montaigne's thinking, intelligence and happiness confront each other forever in a pillow fight that only one can win.
On
Montaigne
's
thinking
,
intelligence
and
happiness
confront
each
other
forever
in
a
pillow
fight
that
only
one
can
win
.
With the words of Tang, Brontë, and Montaigne, we can perhaps more easily measure the attraction of the global pillow fight.
With
the
words
of
Tang
,
Brontë
,
and
Montaigne
,
we
can
perhaps
more
easily
measure
the
attraction
of
the
global
pillow
fight
.
Like a ritual of release, the annual international pillow fight amounts to a kind of cleansing, a brushing off of daily worries: an emptying of the world's collective mind.
Like
a
ritual
of
release
,
the
annual
international
pillow
fight
amounts
to
a
kind
of
cleansing
,
a
brushing
off
of
daily
worries
:
an
emptying
of
the
world
's
collective
mind
.
Rather than a launch-pad for weightless rest, the pillow is a symbol of heavy thought: an anchor that drags the world's soul down-one that must be lightened.
Rather
than
a
launch-pad
for
weightless
rest
,
the
pillow
is
a
symbol
of
heavy
thought
:
an
anchor
that
drags
the
world
's
soul
down-one
that
must
be
lightened
.
What are pillows really stuffed with? Not physically, but symbolically? The question occurred to me with the photos in the news and social media from the 50cities around the world that staged public celebrations for International Pillow Fight Day. Armed with nothing more than bring-our-own sacrificial cushions, strangers struck heavily each other in playful feather from Amsterdam to Atlanta, Warsaw to Washington DC. But why? Is there anything more to this delightful celebration?  As a cultural sign, the pillow is deceptively soft. Since at least the 16th Century, the humble pillow has been given unexpected meanings. The Chinese playwright Tang Xianzu who tells a famous story about a wise man who meets a depressed young scholar at an inn and offers him a magic pillow filled with the most vivid dreams of a seemingly more fulfilling life. When the young man awakens to discover that his happy 50-year dream has in fact come and gone in the short space of an afternoon's nap, our impression of the pillow's power shifts from wonder to terror.  Subsequent writers have likewise seized upon the pillow. When the 19th-Century English novelist Charlotte Brontë poetically observed "a ruffled mind makes a restless pillow", she didn't just change the expected order of the adjectives and nouns, but instead she made it unclear the boundaries between mind and matter-the thing resting and the thing rested upon.  It's a trick perhaps Brontë learned from the Renaissance philosopher Montaigne, who once insisted that. On Montaigne's thinking, intelligence and happiness confront each other forever in a pillow fight that only one can win.  With the words of Tang, Brontë, and Montaigne, we can perhaps more easily measure the attraction of the global pillow fight. Like a ritual of release, the annual international pillow fight amounts to a kind of cleansing, a brushing off of daily worries: an emptying of the world's collective mind. Rather than a launch-pad for weightless rest, the pillow is a symbol of heavy thought: an anchor that drags the world's soul down-one that must be lightened.