An arrow never really moves parallel and level, and its penetration is jagged. It is not evenly plotted, though plots conspire to pin down, provide position, categorize.
Categorization is the new imperative.
The test balloon serves the pollster's whimsy. One goes to the Hallmark store to seek out the exact sentiment for that exact occasion, staving off any potential accusation of having said too much or not enough. The self is subjugated, eradicated and finally reduced to a set of meteorological projections, football scores, and race and gender pigeonholing on job applications. Even recollections about the baby's first tooth or it's controlled bowel movement are commonly upheld as being formative. The self must move beyond this.