What I get from that story of Charlie's is how he has a strong grasp of his own self. He is living and watching his life at the same time. Many artists can draw inspiration from the banalities of life to make an interesting observation, perhaps a statement even. I think Charlie Kaufman's stories are so rich and memorable because he has this ability to look inward as well as out.

Who am I to argue with Charlie Kaufman? Not sure. But I think if you saw that happen on film, your attention would be drawn, not to Charlie, but to the other jogger and you would be asking- What's up with that?

In other words, I find Charlie's reaction perfectly normal. And if his reaction is perfectly normal, why would I care about his reaction? What interests me is the other character- why is he behaving the way he is?