Recently I've heard a lot of people using the term "naval-gazing" in reference to the blogosphere. As is typical, the majority of people who use the term don't really seem to know exactly what it means.
In order to help them out, I have defined the term and posted my findings on Wikipedia for others to reference as research. (The term for this is "reverse researching," but I will leave it up to one of my readers to post that on Wikipedia.)
As a service to my readers who either have not heard of Wikipedia or who are banned from the site, I have included the entry material below:
Naval-gazing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval-gazing]
Naval-gazing, as both a term and an activity, originated in Ancient Greece and Rome. The wisest and best-informed person in the Ancient World was a woman named Oracle, and she lived at Delphi. (Needless to say, if Ms. Oracle were around today, she would be blogging.)
From her home in Delphi, the Oracle would issue decrees and directives on the big ideas and issues of her day. Her reputation for this increased to the point that many considered her to be divinely inspired, and she was hailed as a prophet.
Because so many people came to Delphi from around the ancient world to seek Oracle's advice, Delphi came to be known as the naval, or belly-button, of the world. (The scientists of the Ancient World considered the Earth to be in the shape of an orange.)
As travellers would gaze upon this beautiful city and home of the Oracle, "naval-gazing" came to mean "seeking out the answers and solutions to the big ideas and issues of the day."
For an example of a modern form of naval-gazing, please see the popular blog: http://sokratesplace.blogspot.com/.
A truly archetypical blog about the big ideas
Blog Archive
2 comments:
Maybe the Oracle was contemplating the navies of Athens and Sparta?
Your etymology of the word naval-gazing is appreciated and insightful, but I think you sell The Oracle of Delphi short. You note that she was the "wisest and best-informed person in the Ancient World." Clearly, this is an understatement if there ever was one. The Oracle was not just some ancient world Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein or Bill O'Reilley. The Oracle was omniscient (all knowing) and impotent (all powerful). The Oracle not only knew who "The One" was, but The Oracle also could shape the future. As the prophetic Morpheus explained, The Oracle told some people what the truth was and told others what "they needed to hear." By so doing, The Oracle did not affect the future--she wrote it.
Post a Comment