Sobriquet 53.19
Well, I have about two more pages to read before bed and then I will feel fairly comfortable saying I have finally finished the ridiculous amount of preparatory work I decided I needed to complete before finishing up the section of the dissertation I am currently writing. At the root of this whole week-long jaunt is my sense of obligation. Among the people I know writing their dissertations at various institutions around the world, quite a few have alluded to the fact that, a my dissertation is not a book, the writer really need not do as much research as I have been doing, which I find rather difficult to accept. I mean, isn't a dissertation supposed to demonstrate one's expertise, supposed to distinguish a scholar as an expert in his or her field? Perhaps this is just another instance of an idealist working in a cynically pragmatic environment but, hell, I want to at least be able to look at myself when this thing is done and say, "Nice job, Erik. You really couldn't have done a better job." I mean, really, if you're gonna spend years on something, it's going to be a massive part of your individual history, right? Might as well make it as satisfying a memory as possible, I reckon.
For tomorrow: Plan or write.
Comments
Honestly, those people trying to dictate to you what you should or shouldn't be doing with your dissertation have an awful lot of nerve. You chose your approach for a reason that is your business, not theirs. If your goal was shabby work, I'm sure you'd be doing just that; but you want to do a good, thorough job. If your approach is yielding that result for you, then the naysayers can just suck it.