I think the idea of surrendering to others’ narratives can either positive or negative. We really have no choice but to surrender to some other narratives because we interact with so many people on a daily basis. But you (and Murakami) are right that there is some threshhold where this becomes dangerous to the individual. I tend to believe that threshhold is very deep within one’s consciousness so that most people would never really get there, but thorough self-awareness is not probably as widespread as I might think, I suppose.

Don’t worry, I didn’t.

Anyway, Murakami = good. I’d forgotten about this one… must look for it.

Driving to work today, which is where I do most of my thinking, I thought my current post-holiday blah problem was a lack of narrative, and I thought about how this was a chronic problem. Then I realized that in itself was another narrative. My misanthropy, my this, my that – all these images I have of myself are my narrative, to which I cling for a sense of self.