The Cartesian time of year

Stagiaire Fash

CarolS’s comment that pretty soon all anyone will see of her outfits will be outerwear brought to my twisted mind this little (mis)reading of Rene deCarte’s Meditations:

I call this the Cartesian time of year, from when deCartes wrote that he had just looked out the window and seen men walking across the square, or at least he thought he saw men, but all he really saw were hats and coats. This essay has all sorts of brilliant points about existence and what it means—“I think therefore I am”, etc, but this is the part that gets me. We don’t know if we see bodies at all. We just see hats and coats. At least in the Cartesian time of year.

Can you relate?

3 years ago

Dressing

9 replies

Latest reply was from Stagiaire Fash

approprio

(website)

Veteran

Um - no. That’s because I am a Spinozist, and not a Cartesian.

3 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

I have historically existed ONLY in Cartesian time, but recent weeks have seen rather high humidity here. I truly do not understand humidity. How can the reading be 93%, yet it doesn’t feel like Florida - is not hot, but is still too clammy for a coat? It’s cold, but I still must use ice water for the bread?

3 years ago

CarolS

Veteran

Yes! That about sums it up.

3 years ago

Sally

Veteran

I tend to stay just in my coat throughout the really cold months of winter, even in my classroom as it is quite cold and I get cold easily. It's at that time I wonder why I put any effort into wearing anything special underneath. Thats why I often feel I need to change my coat just for variety. One year I bought a caramel coloured long wool coat with hood (are they called anoraks? - they have narrow wooden buttons that fit into loops) when I was living in Wellington (which is cold and windy in winter) and wore that to my job throughout the winter and it was often too cold to take it off inside. One colleague remarked in spring that I was unrecognisable without the anorak. In jest I know but ....I could kind of see her point.

3 years ago

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Are you all saying it’s all relative?
You think you’re cold, therefore you are?

Sally, that’s a reversal of the thing swimmers sometimes blurt out running into each other away from the pool—“I didn’t recognize you with your clothes on”.

3 years ago

Sally

Veteran

Stagiaire I think it is an individual thing. I think for me I get a really cold back because I don't carry much fat there, and maybe you are right, I keep telling myself (and anyone who will listen) that its cold. One of my colleagues wears shorts in winter, maybe she doesn't feel the cold as much. I was in a coat and another colleague was in a singlet. She said there was a way to beat the cold by having a real hot shower and layering your body with baby oil...apparently, it keeps in the heat.
lol - funny about the swimmers. I once didn't recognise my yoga teacher in normal clothes

3 years ago

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran