The Wind Chill Factor

In David Mamets 'Three Uses of the Knife: On the Nature and Purpose of Drama' Mamet puts forward the notion that drama is an inherent part of the human condition. It is what he calls 'the wind chill factor'. Even though the temperature in winter might only be
-10 degrees we dramatize it with the sinister wind chill factor creating an unbelievable -25 degree day. It is our nature, Mamet contests, to crave drama even where there is none. Yesterday in Toronto the temperature hit 34 degrees celcius but it wasn't dramatic enough so the weather was reported as 44 degrees with the 'humidex'. I guess we need the counterpart to the wind chill. It made me laugh - we are a melodramatic lot.

There are some who defy this intrinsic nature. You know the one - he corners you at a party and has stories without purpose or point - anecdotes without anecdotes.