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The Psychology Thread

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This thread is not about medical advice

Talk about experiments, mental diseases, medications, researches, and other interesting things about human minds and behaviors.

I think I've seen at least few tropers who had something to do with psychology so I figured this would be useful to some degree.

Currently I am freshman who is majoring in Psychology (and English), and so far I like what I am learning (Psy 101).

One of the things about psychology that surprised and disappointed me the most is that it isn't more about couch and talk but more of a lot of research. Well, I certainly hope that I don't have to do a whole lot of math. I'd probably have to do some statistics, though. Hurrr....

Edited by lu127 on Dec 23rd 2024 at 2:18:05 PM

RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#2576: Nov 26th 2023 at 7:15:51 PM

[up][up]

"If anything, is there a way to treat ot deal with narcisist? I investigated a little and one woman who have it and was kinda sorta funtional describe as "you know that part that said other people are...well....people? you kinda dont have it, like they are NPC to a degree" and said constantly have to said in conversation if something is wrong that is probably is fault in order to counter it"

Yeah it helps if those people with narcissism are able to understand how differently they think of others and how they can't always think of themselves only, and make adjustments accordingly.

I've had to be creative with someone I knew who was narcissistic but was troubled by it. I'll PM you some details. We weren't really a long term relationship or anything, but I was charged with looking out for them in a certain capacity for about 4 weeks.

Edited by RedHunter543 on Nov 26th 2023 at 11:19:04 PM

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#2577: Nov 26th 2023 at 8:16:56 PM

NPD and BPD (borderline) are both very, very hard for other people to deal with. And I don’t mean in the “just adjust your expectations a bit” kind of way, I mean like, both types can put an incredible amount of pressure on those around them without intending to. They’re not the same as autism because it’s not just a different way for the brain to be wired. NPD and BPD mean the brain is wired in a way that is actively detrimental to the people stuck with it.

The ones dealing with heavy cases are difficult to deal with for others to the point of it being extremely bad for one’s mental health. There’s not really a way around that. How do you live with someone who has a really hard time understanding that you have your own wants and needs? I don’t mean in an empathic sense, I mean in a literal, logical sense. Even if it doesn’t get to the point of them being charged or formally labelled as abusive, it can very easily get into realms that are abusive but hard to explain.

Like, it’s not really legally abusive if someone is absolute shit at taking into account that you have you own wants and needs and literally always prioritizes their own, sometimes to your detriment. But if it goes on long enough, it can cause very severe trauma and depression because it means you're living your life without any control in it. And that’s really bad for people.

Edited by Zendervai on Nov 27th 2023 at 7:51:39 AM

DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#2578: Nov 27th 2023 at 4:38:51 PM

I had a close childhood friend whose mother was a full blown narcissist, and she made his life a living hell. She was simply incapable of not seeing every situation as being about herself, even if it was another person who was suffering or needed support. It was like she was looking in a mirror and couldn't look away.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
Nukeli Since: Aug, 2018
#2579: Nov 30th 2023 at 11:21:43 AM

How should i write the psychology of a character who's been held prisoner on a government black site for 15 years?

He's a scientist. When USA and one alien faction went to war with another alien faction, he joined the other faction. They lost and almost everybody was killed (he wrongly thinks his lover was too). He's kept alive for his technological and biological knowledge and forced to work for the government, and he escapes on the fifteenth year. He then immediately has to go on the run with an old friend and his family, his friend and the guy's wife are captured eventually, and he's left to protect the seven kids alone. Then he moves from getting a scifi prosthetic for the arm he lost 16 years ago to actively replacing his body parts with cybernetic grafts so he can fight the evil aliens and the government organization because he believes it's the only way he can protect the kids, defeat the organization and the evil aliens, and reveal truth to the worldnote . Not the best idea. Then the cybernetics start giving him a poisoning, and by the end he's actively dying. I haven't yet decided if he dies, or if he gets better and has to try to live a normal life afterwards.

There were other scientists from the same faction held in the same place, but i'm not sure how much interaction they were allowed to have or how long ago the others died. There were non-scientist prisoners from the same faction in the facility too, but they were kept separate.

Edited by Nukeli on Nov 30th 2023 at 10:08:08 PM

~*bleh*~
Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#2580: Nov 30th 2023 at 11:24:03 AM

I think this should go in World Building.

That being said, probably extreme PTSD.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#2581: Nov 30th 2023 at 11:38:00 PM

"Prisoner" can mean a lot of things, ranging from "Nice town you can't leave" to "Solitary confinement", so you'll need to specify. The latter would probably lead to some psychological issues (not sure if PTSD or something else), the former is unlikely to.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#2582: Nov 30th 2023 at 11:40:43 PM

I'm gonna echo that this should go into world-building. Also that one should account for where in the range of prisons said imprisonment lies. Is it closer to Luxury Prison Suite or Hellhole Prison?

Disgusted, but not surprised
CalicoCaitSith Part Time Magical Girl Since: Jun, 2022 Relationship Status: Crazy Cat Lady
Part Time Magical Girl
#2583: Dec 1st 2023 at 3:44:24 AM

Nukeli: Considering how many people he lost, he's likely to have a deep-seated fear of losing anyone else and be highly protective of the kids, possibly even outright overprotective. But yeah, this seems like it fits Writer's Block or World Building better.

Red Hunter: Thanks for the support, it means a lot after all that.

Since we've established egocentrism is a problem, what can be done about it on a widespread scale? It's not just about people with full-blown NPD. I'm softening on this issue a little since reading a book that highlights how cruel and counterproductive it is to expect people to be completely selfless (and how these expectations fall mostly on women and ethnic minorities), but the fact is, excessive selfishness really is behind many of the world's problems.

Where's the line between reasonable self-regard and destructive selfishness? And how can we curb the latter?

Edited by CalicoCaitSith on Dec 1st 2023 at 11:45:17 AM

Kindness is the most important thing in the world, and also the rarest.
ShinyCottonCandy Everyone's friend Malamar from Lumiose City (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Everyone's friend Malamar
#2584: Dec 1st 2023 at 4:29:52 AM

Well, I'm not sure who would be in a position to make the change, but the bare minimum is people need to stop rewarding antisocial behavior.

My musician page
DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#2585: Dec 1st 2023 at 2:57:01 PM

"Where's the line between reasonable self-regard and destructive selfishness? And how can we curb the latter?"

Entire moral philosophies, along with libraries of books, have been devoted to answering that one question. I'm not sure that there is an objective answer, since such things as "reasonable" are inherently subjective.

At a minimum, I would say that everyone needs to establish a functional relationship with enough trusted family and/or friends that it becomes possible to get through life successfully and with one's social needs met (note that narcissism and sociopathy are notable because they hurt the people who have them).

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#2586: Dec 23rd 2023 at 5:49:29 PM

Ah, man.

For over half a year, I've been getting medications for both my ADHD and anxiety/depression. Last month, I thought I was doing pretty well for myself. Being rather overconfident, I asked my psychiatrist to decrease the dose for the latter, from 50 mg to 25 mg (I think).

Unfortunately, while I'm pretty sure it's not the only reason, holy crap I've been an utterly nervous wreck for past few weeks, suffering from multitudes of symptoms. So I went to my psychiatrist yesterday and increased the anxiety medications dose back to 50.

I guess I'm gonna be on medications for a bit longer than I expected/hoped. XP

Continuously reading, studying, and (hopefully) growing.
Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#2587: Dec 23rd 2023 at 5:53:37 PM

A lot of the time, medications basically need to be permanent. No shame in that though.

dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#2588: Dec 23rd 2023 at 5:59:46 PM

A lot of the time, medications basically need to be permanent.

Oww, man. That sucks because of inconvenience, if nothing else, especially because how my country has a very strong stigma against mental disorders in general.

Continuously reading, studying, and (hopefully) growing.
DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#2589: Dec 23rd 2023 at 6:48:33 PM

Ah, human experimentation, the high risk approach to dosage control. Gotta love it. Esp. on oneself.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#2590: Dec 23rd 2023 at 6:55:44 PM

[lol][tup]

Continuously reading, studying, and (hopefully) growing.
dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#2591: Jan 18th 2024 at 6:14:10 PM

Yet another rambling about ADHD.

So, for the past few months, I found myself being curious and interested about many, many different topicsnote .

And apparently curiosity and inquisitiveness could be a potential positive side effects of ADHD, according to studies like The positive aspects of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a qualitative investigation of successful adults with ADHD, Sedgwick, J. A., Merwood, A., & Asherson, P. (2019).

Well, I'm gonna take whichever silver linings I can find. [lol]

Continuously reading, studying, and (hopefully) growing.
Rabbitearsblog Movie and TV Goddess from United States Since: Jan, 2014 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
Movie and TV Goddess
#2592: Jan 23rd 2024 at 7:17:06 AM

So, back to parasocial relationships. I honestly never like the idea of parasocial relationships with celebrities or big name content creators because it's like whenever said big name person did something wrong, even if it's something as little as wearing an ugly dress, the fans start throwing shade at that person without any real concrete evidence of that person's wrongdoing. It just feels like parasocial relationships makes communication between people even worse because said person is willing to jump to conclusions without any proper evidence and make the situation even worse for said big name person.

I love animation, TV, movies, YOU NAME IT!
LoneCourier0 The Wandering Geek from A Diverse Land (Unitroper) Relationship Status: How YOU doin'?
The Wandering Geek
#2593: Jan 24th 2024 at 12:56:16 PM

Speaking of parasocial, I was shown a video today about a Spanish influencer getting interviewed alongside a CG version of himself, namely both are asked the same question but the real one answers in a more intimate and casual way yet the CG version portrays himself as a cool and serious person who lives the high life.

The video is a about the fact that most influencers have to put up a persona on social media likely out of pressure or expectations, which can color the audience view on them and create such parasocial tendencies.

Do you think it's an accurate observation of how people tend to make persona on social media?

"Cynicism is not realistic and tough. It's unrealistic and kind of cowardly because it means you don't have to try."
Risa123 Since: Dec, 2021 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#2594: Jan 25th 2024 at 3:41:53 AM

Arguably, we are all putting up a certain person in our interaction. So the question is what do we mean by authentic ?

Florien The They who said it from statistically, slightly right behind you. Since: Aug, 2019
The They who said it
#2595: Jan 25th 2024 at 1:33:33 PM

Also who's to say the persona isn't authentic? Everyone's changing things about themselves all the time. It's kind of like saying a shapeshifter has a "true form", it doesn't really make sense, what defines a persona as more or less real than a hypothetical default state?

Tremmor19 he/him (Y2: Electric Boogaloo)
he/him
#2596: Jan 28th 2024 at 9:17:14 AM

that is a cool sci-fi idea tho. like fully creating a robot version of a celebrity that just completely embodies their PR persona. no real person to get in the way

Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#2597: Jan 28th 2024 at 12:11:10 PM

[up] That's like, a Black Mirror premise.

Rabbitearsblog Movie and TV Goddess from United States Since: Jan, 2014 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
Movie and TV Goddess
#2598: Jan 29th 2024 at 8:00:59 AM

The scary thing about having a robot celebrity not making any mistakes like a human being would is that they would be void of any emotions that some celebrities could show. It's like some fans just look at the celebrity as a thing to admire rather than a human being who is capable of making mistakes.

I love animation, TV, movies, YOU NAME IT!
Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#2599: Jan 29th 2024 at 8:05:29 AM

[up] I think that it's more just that it'd be a really amazing way to make a copy of a celebrity and then just totally ignore the real person and discard them completely.

If you could make a robot celebrity copy that couldn't be immediately distinguished, the idea of "no emotion" starts getting pretty academic and difficult to pin down.

Altris from the Vortex Since: Aug, 2019 Relationship Status: Not caught up in your love affair
#2600: Jan 29th 2024 at 9:31:28 AM

[up] x3 It is actually a Black Mirror episode.

The episode itself has Ashley's (think Hannah Montana) brain being cloned and downloaded into cute, merchandiseable Ashley Too robots that are marketed to her fans, while the real Ashley is comatose. This is explicitly a stopgap until her evil music producer can create "Ashley Eternal", a hologram version of Ashley that can write/record its own music and generally replace the real Ashley, whereupon the evil music producer will pull the plug on the latter.

The Ashley Too robot is treated more or less as the real person by the protagonists, because it has Ashley's brain. I believe at the end of the episode it even sings with the protagonists and original Ashley onstage. A large part of the comedy in the episode is the protagonists reacting to such a cute robot swearing and being the opposite of Ashley's public image, but the robot is still treated as a person.

(Also, the robots get recalled at some point and get sent to landfills. Now that I think about it, that's pretty screwed up.)

So, let's hang an anchor from the sun... also my Tumblr

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