Warm Fuzzy
A Warm Fuzzy is a feeling we get when something “looks” or “feels” correct. We could consider this mental ability a superstition, delusion, intuition, fantasy, confidence builder, falsehood, or misconception. Of course, we know warm fuzzies do not exist, but we still use this intuition to get us through the day. A warm fuzzy's biological purpose is to give a person confidence in the absence of logic or reason. “Take the left path.” “Sounds good.”
I recall watching an interview of a committee member deciding which fighter aircraft would become the new F35. Lockheed and Boeing both submitted designs, and Lockheed got the contract. The member commented, “If it looks right, it will fly right, and that Boeing design didn’t look right.” A multi-billion dollar decision based on a warm fuzzy? Yup.
Do characters get warm fuzzies? For example, a character might say, “The left path is giving me a warm fuzzy.” This means the character is confident about their decision based on undescribed or illogical reasons. Yet, an author would never describe the mental warm fuzzy process because readers (while they can relate) cannot follow irrational chaos.
What brought me to this blog topic? I have been working on removing dry rot from my deck, and I needed to decide which task to do next. So, I thought about it and started nailing in boards. As I was hammering away, I thought, “This decision is giving me a warm fuzzy.” More hammering. “Do characters get warm fuzzies?” More hammering. “Hmm. Something to think about.” It is a miracle that I did not smack my hand with the hammer while my mind drifted.
Humans are quirky, funny, and illogical. We actually have a biological “circuit” to provide confidence. And we are smart enough to know this feature exists. Plus, we gave it a cute name. Yet, this esoteric process is too wonky for a character. “Why did the character decide to take the left path?” Readers need information.
Let me explain my thought process for deciding how to end this blog… I cannot. I made the judgment call concluding that I had thoroughly covered this topic. Is there any logic to this process? My process was, “Umm, looks good.” Three edits. “Umm, looks good.” Final edit, grammar check, and one last inspection. “Umm, looks good.” And there you have it. This blog has warm fuzzies.
You’re the best -Bill
September 14, 2022
I recall watching an interview of a committee member deciding which fighter aircraft would become the new F35. Lockheed and Boeing both submitted designs, and Lockheed got the contract. The member commented, “If it looks right, it will fly right, and that Boeing design didn’t look right.” A multi-billion dollar decision based on a warm fuzzy? Yup.
Do characters get warm fuzzies? For example, a character might say, “The left path is giving me a warm fuzzy.” This means the character is confident about their decision based on undescribed or illogical reasons. Yet, an author would never describe the mental warm fuzzy process because readers (while they can relate) cannot follow irrational chaos.
What brought me to this blog topic? I have been working on removing dry rot from my deck, and I needed to decide which task to do next. So, I thought about it and started nailing in boards. As I was hammering away, I thought, “This decision is giving me a warm fuzzy.” More hammering. “Do characters get warm fuzzies?” More hammering. “Hmm. Something to think about.” It is a miracle that I did not smack my hand with the hammer while my mind drifted.
Humans are quirky, funny, and illogical. We actually have a biological “circuit” to provide confidence. And we are smart enough to know this feature exists. Plus, we gave it a cute name. Yet, this esoteric process is too wonky for a character. “Why did the character decide to take the left path?” Readers need information.
Let me explain my thought process for deciding how to end this blog… I cannot. I made the judgment call concluding that I had thoroughly covered this topic. Is there any logic to this process? My process was, “Umm, looks good.” Three edits. “Umm, looks good.” Final edit, grammar check, and one last inspection. “Umm, looks good.” And there you have it. This blog has warm fuzzies.
You’re the best -Bill
September 14, 2022
