While I do want to continue my series about the transformative power of art, I am currently awaiting some information that I really, really want for my next post on the subject. So, until then, back to the TED commentaries.
Nancy Etcoff discusses the science of happiness in the following talk:
Happiness is not the absence of misery. People can feel happy, even while feeling miserable. I have experienced this, being happy, even while in pain and under stress. It is also interesting to note that the pleasure and the reward pathways in the brain are not actually the same things.
Dan Gilbert gives a great talk about natural and synthesized happiness:
I find the free choice experiments very interesting, if not mind-blowing. There is another talk on TED about this, but I find this one more convincing.
The following talk is a more spiritual on the matter of happiness. At the very least, it has some beautiful images.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Art as a means of true social change
I've decided to talk a short break from sharing my favorite TED talks to share something that hit me while studying for an art history test 3 years ago. I have it posted it elsewhere, but I think it's time to share it here.
Take a look at this picture. Do you know why it is so important?
If you're an art student, you would probably answer with something like this:
One of the most admired frescos from the Arena Chapel done by Giotto, known as the "Father of Picturial Painting". It shows real emotion and human suffering. Uses focal points instead of symmetry, overlapping figures and shading. Done in Italo-Byzantine style, it breaks from the stylistic other-worldness of the Byzantine style of the Dark Ages, with its introduction of naturalism.
However, if you take into the account of the cultural and religious significance of this piece, it becomes so much more than the epitome of a style of painting.
To appreciate Giotto's work, you need to understand that in the Dark Ages, artists painted figures to look other-worldly to reflect the supernatural and unfathomableness of Christ and the saints. These were not persons who could be related to in a normal fashion. These were impersonal beings, who only interacted with we unworthy and insignificant humans out of supernatural mercy.
To this end, the populace were treated to paintings like the one to the left here. Faces that showed no emotions. Images that showed not connection to the things of this world. During the Dark Ages, God was not Love, but Power.
Look again at the Byzantine representation of Christ. Is the image a welcoming one? Does this look like someone who emanates love? Someone who had a personal interest in your salvation?
It doesn't to me.
On the other hand, look again at Giotto's Christ. Is there any doubt that the man lying there had a connection to those around him on a personal level? That they felt his love for them in their life?
To the best of my knowledge, Giotto was the first person to paint Christ in a personal way. Perhaps herding sheep as a child made Giotto feel a special kinship with Jesus Christ. Perhaps being chosen by the master painter Cimabue as a humble lad from the country, Giotto saw more of God's love in the world around him, instead of the power plays of rulers and religious leaders.
Whatever the reason, so moving and innovated was Giotto's works, that he was in high demand and other artists began to follow suit. Soon, many who could not read, much less have access to the Holy Scriptures, had a different insight into the nature of Christ - where they actually meant something to the universe and their Creator.
A description of Giotto from http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/giotto/
Giotto was short and homely, and he was a great wit and practical joker. He was married and left six children at his death. Unlike many of his fellow artists, he saved his money and was accounted a rich man. He was on familiar terms with the pope, and King Robert of Naples called him a good friend.
Rereading what I wrote, I realized that I need to explain that the rediscovery of humanism started at the same time that Giotto began his work. And, frankly, I think that his work was a main factor for its re-emergence.
Take a look at this picture. Do you know why it is so important?
If you're an art student, you would probably answer with something like this:
One of the most admired frescos from the Arena Chapel done by Giotto, known as the "Father of Picturial Painting". It shows real emotion and human suffering. Uses focal points instead of symmetry, overlapping figures and shading. Done in Italo-Byzantine style, it breaks from the stylistic other-worldness of the Byzantine style of the Dark Ages, with its introduction of naturalism.
However, if you take into the account of the cultural and religious significance of this piece, it becomes so much more than the epitome of a style of painting.
To this end, the populace were treated to paintings like the one to the left here. Faces that showed no emotions. Images that showed not connection to the things of this world. During the Dark Ages, God was not Love, but Power.
Look again at the Byzantine representation of Christ. Is the image a welcoming one? Does this look like someone who emanates love? Someone who had a personal interest in your salvation?
It doesn't to me.
On the other hand, look again at Giotto's Christ. Is there any doubt that the man lying there had a connection to those around him on a personal level? That they felt his love for them in their life?
To the best of my knowledge, Giotto was the first person to paint Christ in a personal way. Perhaps herding sheep as a child made Giotto feel a special kinship with Jesus Christ. Perhaps being chosen by the master painter Cimabue as a humble lad from the country, Giotto saw more of God's love in the world around him, instead of the power plays of rulers and religious leaders.
Whatever the reason, so moving and innovated was Giotto's works, that he was in high demand and other artists began to follow suit. Soon, many who could not read, much less have access to the Holy Scriptures, had a different insight into the nature of Christ - where they actually meant something to the universe and their Creator.
A description of Giotto from http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/giotto/
Giotto was short and homely, and he was a great wit and practical joker. He was married and left six children at his death. Unlike many of his fellow artists, he saved his money and was accounted a rich man. He was on familiar terms with the pope, and King Robert of Naples called him a good friend.
Rereading what I wrote, I realized that I need to explain that the rediscovery of humanism started at the same time that Giotto began his work. And, frankly, I think that his work was a main factor for its re-emergence.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Motivation
Dan Pink's talk on the surprising science of motivation is something anyone who deals with other people in an oversight capacity should watch. It's good for those in behavioral studies to watch it, too.
Nothing beats intrinsic motivation when it comes to tasks that need creativity. Which is probably why Tony Robbins is considered a motivational speaker, instead of how he describes himself - a why guy, who asks why you are doing what you do.
As you see from the video, what he is doing is helping people to figure out their intrinsic motivations, their internal drives - which empowers them to do their best.
Human needs as Robbins defines them:
1) Certainty
2) Uncertainty
3) Critical Significance
4) Connection and Love
5) Grow
6) To contribute beyond ourselves
Freud would call "certainty" life-instincts and "uncertainty" death instincts. Adlerian therapy stresses that people need goals and significance in their lives. Existential therapy deals with the need to grow and be unique. Family systems and group therapies deal with connections. Maslow's hierarchy contains all but the uncertainty. So, in spite of Robbins negative comments about us being a therapy society, he, himself, is using much of the basis of psychology.
Nothing beats intrinsic motivation when it comes to tasks that need creativity. Which is probably why Tony Robbins is considered a motivational speaker, instead of how he describes himself - a why guy, who asks why you are doing what you do.
As you see from the video, what he is doing is helping people to figure out their intrinsic motivations, their internal drives - which empowers them to do their best.
Human needs as Robbins defines them:
1) Certainty
2) Uncertainty
3) Critical Significance
4) Connection and Love
5) Grow
6) To contribute beyond ourselves
Freud would call "certainty" life-instincts and "uncertainty" death instincts. Adlerian therapy stresses that people need goals and significance in their lives. Existential therapy deals with the need to grow and be unique. Family systems and group therapies deal with connections. Maslow's hierarchy contains all but the uncertainty. So, in spite of Robbins negative comments about us being a therapy society, he, himself, is using much of the basis of psychology.
Success
UCLA coach and English professor, John Wooden, explains his definition of success:
"Peace of mind that comes from doing the best you are capable of," means a lot more with some of the examples he gives near the end.
This video underlines the capriciousness of fate, despite of merit, and job snobbery, which is rampant in our society. Unless you're a celebrity, it's what you do that gives you status.
My masters' advisor, Dr. Bryan Farha, is quoted by Gerald Corey about people focusing on doing to avoid the experience of being. He never mentioned it in the classes I had with him (probably because we students mentioned the reference ourselves), but you will find him in the chapter of existential therapy of Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychology (at least in the sixth and seventh editions). Anyway, this idea can be also applied to our society - we avoid facing ourselves through our works. Granted, it's not as bad as building monuments using slave labor, but in the United States especially, value in the corporate world means more than value in things like teaching and other pursuits. And it has been that way for a few centuries, at least, as evidenced by the Booker T. Washington quote: "No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem."
Though, in a way, several people have now given the poet the same status as the farmer, based on earnings, and not for the better. It seems to me that we now over-value things that are actually parasitical to our society, while dismissing that which truly feeds body and soul. Everybody wants luxury; some even to the neglect of the necessities.
Greatest part of this talk is stressing the part that we should make sure our ideas of success are truly our own. Also when he says that the nightmare part is that scaring people is best way to get work out of them. My next post will tackle that with some research.
"Peace of mind that comes from doing the best you are capable of," means a lot more with some of the examples he gives near the end.
This video underlines the capriciousness of fate, despite of merit, and job snobbery, which is rampant in our society. Unless you're a celebrity, it's what you do that gives you status.
My masters' advisor, Dr. Bryan Farha, is quoted by Gerald Corey about people focusing on doing to avoid the experience of being. He never mentioned it in the classes I had with him (probably because we students mentioned the reference ourselves), but you will find him in the chapter of existential therapy of Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychology (at least in the sixth and seventh editions). Anyway, this idea can be also applied to our society - we avoid facing ourselves through our works. Granted, it's not as bad as building monuments using slave labor, but in the United States especially, value in the corporate world means more than value in things like teaching and other pursuits. And it has been that way for a few centuries, at least, as evidenced by the Booker T. Washington quote: "No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem."
Though, in a way, several people have now given the poet the same status as the farmer, based on earnings, and not for the better. It seems to me that we now over-value things that are actually parasitical to our society, while dismissing that which truly feeds body and soul. Everybody wants luxury; some even to the neglect of the necessities.
Greatest part of this talk is stressing the part that we should make sure our ideas of success are truly our own. Also when he says that the nightmare part is that scaring people is best way to get work out of them. My next post will tackle that with some research.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Prediction - the hallmark of intelligence
Even if you're not into physics and math, the following video also talks about balance and beauty, with gorgeous visuals.
A long way to go to fit a pattern, don't you think? Why do we seek for patterns? It is a very human thing to do and it helps us predict future possibilities. Jeff Hawkins talk makes a very good argument of what intelligence actually is.
A long way to go to fit a pattern, don't you think? Why do we seek for patterns? It is a very human thing to do and it helps us predict future possibilities. Jeff Hawkins talk makes a very good argument of what intelligence actually is.
Interesting alternative views
These are two videos that offer a different way of looking at things. Granted, most TED talks do, but I don't really have much to say about these talks because they are a bit outside my areas of knowledge, so I'm still processing their content. However, I do think they are worth considering.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Hidden worlds
The underwater "flying turkey" creeps me out, but the squids and octopi are way cool. I especially like how male squids will split their coloring to show a potential mate his "softer" side, while still showing aggression towards potential rivals.
I never realized that the canopy of the redwood forest was once considered a "desert", devoid of other life. This video corrects that belief in spades. And I never knew that redwoods can grow back into themselves.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Engineering, art and nature
This is another example of using a perspective that is based on usefulness. The artist considers his sculptures to be alive. That belief obviously helps him to create this fascinating moving structures.
Now this video keeps me glued to the screen every time. I love how he explains that evolution works on the "just good enough" principle and the extreme constraints of living organisms. Being inspired by nature tells us more than bio-mimicry. And who could not be fascinated by the robots they developed?
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Deconstructing and Interacting with Art
As with the exception to parenting I mentioned a few blog posts ago, I only partially agree with Dr. Pinker in his discussion of art and beauty. Classic beauty is probably a human constant and modern art does tend to reject it, but there is a purpose for the exploration of deconstruction and minimalization. The problem is, in my opinion, that many "progressive" artists stop at the deconstruction and never finish the journey to reconstruction. Therefore, making their own label an oxymoron because they never complete the process to allow true progress.
Golan Levin, on the other hand, does. As an engineer and artist, during the second half of his talk, he shows the progression from simplicity of gaze to one very engaging robot eye.
I see no problem with merging art and engineering. Di Vinci was an excellent example of an artist and engineer. Michelangelo and other artists were also scientists. So, again, we see the creative cycle of divergence and the convergence.
Going back to the first half of Levin's talk, he gives examples of mixing sensory inputs. Evan Grant also works on making sound visible, through the science of cymatics.
Sound does have form and affects matter. There is still much data hidden in nature for us to find.
What happens in a prison-like environment
I really should have added this to the post on brain damage and the environment, after Dr. Pinker's talk on violence, but I had temporarily forgotten it. This video shows how quickly normally good people can turn into monsters if the conditions are right, even if they don't have a genetic predisposition to do so. I have one very morbid friend who thinks the experiment should have been continued; however, there is no need for that. All one has to do is read up on prisons, and especially prisoners of war, to see where it would have led. We've always had tons of data on that front. The data missing was what type of people were the guards before they fell into this mindset. Once the mindset was achieved, there was nothing new to gain by continuing the experiment. (And, of course, it would have been extremely unethical.)
I wouldn't be surprised if something similar happens in some groups that use hazing. The only difference is that once the initiate lives through the hazing period, they get to become part of the "guards".
Creative Environments
Not a TED.com video, but still a wonderful example of a creative workplace.
It is a shame that not all engineers are like Golan Levin, who I will discuss in the post after the next one. I admire the BMW design team's sensitivity to their engineering colleagues; however, it really irritated me that the engineers at BMW couldn't think outside their own box. It seems to me that, while the communication part is very important, that the engineers themselves could use a good dose of Google's environment.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Creativity and play
The 30 circle test reminds me a little of when I did figures in my Drawing I class in college. We first did several drawings of our instructor with only 30 seconds per pose. Then we did a few drawing with a minute per pose. The last two poses for 5 and 10 minutes, respectively. What the exercise did was force us to just draw what we saw, without pausing to edit. Obviously, we only got basic forms at first. But this carried on to the longer drawings and I have to admit that I did much better drawing of human than I had in any other art class before. So, getting past the self-critiques (and external critiques) for a period of time does more than increase creativity, it also improves skills. Creative writing works much better if you wait to edit until after you've written the story. Starting to edit in the midst of creating will deaden the creativity and stunt the work. Editting happens after the creative period, no matter what you are working on. Or in Tim Brown's terms, the convergence period happens after the divergence period.
This next talk is also by a Brown - Stuart Brown:
It amazes me how much we have weeded out adult playfulness in the past couple of centuries. My son did a report of historical children's games last year and we were both surprised to find old books full of adult-too games. In fact, it was hard to find written resources of children-only games before the 1900s. A side-effect of the Industrial Revolution, I suspect.
Both videos underscore the need for kinistetic activity in problem solving. Though I didn't use it in my capstone, I did find a study on how swinging one's arms helps one to solve problems with a swinging element, while researching how the right and left brain function cognitively.
Back to the talk - while the meeting suits are fun, I can imagine all sort of sexual harrassment potential. But I can't deny that it is creative.
The hold of creativity
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi discusses creativity, fulfillment, and flow in this following video:
In it, he tries to describe the paranormal feeling felt in midst of being creativity - basically, that the mind is so focused that it leaves no room in the mind for the monitoring of self or other distractions. He also lists seven attributes of being in creative "flow":
A perfect example of being in creative flow is Adam Savage's talk about his creative obsessions:
If the humor is not enough, it is an incredible example on how creative people need research and knowledge to feed their creativity.
And as he says: "Achieving the end of the exercise was never the point of the exercise to begin with."
In it, he tries to describe the paranormal feeling felt in midst of being creativity - basically, that the mind is so focused that it leaves no room in the mind for the monitoring of self or other distractions. He also lists seven attributes of being in creative "flow":
- focused and concentrated
- a sense of estacy
- great inner clarity
- knowing that it can be done
- a sense of serenity
- timelessness
- the process is its own reward
A perfect example of being in creative flow is Adam Savage's talk about his creative obsessions:
If the humor is not enough, it is an incredible example on how creative people need research and knowledge to feed their creativity.
And as he says: "Achieving the end of the exercise was never the point of the exercise to begin with."
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Cultivating the creative mind
Elizabeth Gilbert suggests a different way to look at creative genius in the following video:
In some ways, I should probably post this video after discussing the research on the creative mind and the creative process. However, I think it fits in well with the posts of perception I have recently posted. If a perception helps someone use their talents and relate to their genius in a healthy way, can we truly label it as false?
Most of my life, my rule of thumb has been if it works, then that is the bottom line. As such, can I deny the perception of another, which allows them to create beauty and makes the world better for others? Perhaps it is not my truth, but what right do I have to say it is false for a person who it works for?
Among most counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists, there is a belief that as long as a behavior or belief does not interfer with functioning in life, it's not something to worry about. For no one really has the right to impose their idea of truth onto another human being. Nor do they have the right to ridicule it.
That's not to say that they can't debate their ideas and search for data. I am a research addict, myself. However, I have found that it is always good to step back for a moment and ask myself how much the data actually proves, versus what it suggests. I believe many people make the mistake of treating the concepts suggested by a body of data as if they are carved in stone facts. Obviously, many people can do this, make it part of their identity and still function in their daily lives. I can't. I have to live with my own truths, which means that I have to accept that I might be wrong at times. (Though I must point out that I have a habit of making declarative statements, which give the impression that I am more firm on a matter than I really am.) Luckily for me, research has shown that being willing to be wrong is one of the key element of being creative. Sir Ken Robinson has a wonderful talk on this very subject:
You can't create something new, if all your concepts are in stone. Still, even a creative person needs a stone foundation in their life. Sometimes, you just have to be willing to rebuild it, after it cracks, into something stronger.
In some ways, I should probably post this video after discussing the research on the creative mind and the creative process. However, I think it fits in well with the posts of perception I have recently posted. If a perception helps someone use their talents and relate to their genius in a healthy way, can we truly label it as false?
Most of my life, my rule of thumb has been if it works, then that is the bottom line. As such, can I deny the perception of another, which allows them to create beauty and makes the world better for others? Perhaps it is not my truth, but what right do I have to say it is false for a person who it works for?
Among most counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists, there is a belief that as long as a behavior or belief does not interfer with functioning in life, it's not something to worry about. For no one really has the right to impose their idea of truth onto another human being. Nor do they have the right to ridicule it.
That's not to say that they can't debate their ideas and search for data. I am a research addict, myself. However, I have found that it is always good to step back for a moment and ask myself how much the data actually proves, versus what it suggests. I believe many people make the mistake of treating the concepts suggested by a body of data as if they are carved in stone facts. Obviously, many people can do this, make it part of their identity and still function in their daily lives. I can't. I have to live with my own truths, which means that I have to accept that I might be wrong at times. (Though I must point out that I have a habit of making declarative statements, which give the impression that I am more firm on a matter than I really am.) Luckily for me, research has shown that being willing to be wrong is one of the key element of being creative. Sir Ken Robinson has a wonderful talk on this very subject:
You can't create something new, if all your concepts are in stone. Still, even a creative person needs a stone foundation in their life. Sometimes, you just have to be willing to rebuild it, after it cracks, into something stronger.
Brain Abnormalities and Environment: from the Curious to the Dangerous
A continuation of how some brains can perceive things like Capgras syndrome (impaired facial recognition), phantom limbs with learned paralysis, and synesthesia.
I want to point out that Dr. Ramachandran stresses that these perceptual abnormalities do not impaired the rest of their brain functioning. In other words, a perceptual abnormality does not mean there are problems with their ability to analyze and think logically. Truth is, most of us have some form of neurological screwiness in our brains. And most of the time, we can make it work for us, allowing us to specialize in tasks, while other people specialize in other tasks.
So for most people, these differences can actually improve society and humanity in general, if they are not squashed and demonized. I will not deny that there are mental abnormalities that are dangerous. However, from the research I have read, it takes more than the abnormality by itself to cause the danger part. It it is a combination of genetics, brain damage, environment, and development to trigger these behaviors that we have every right to fear, as shown in the following video:
It is interesting that Dr. Fallon's father and three uncles were all conscientious objectors in WWII, after so many generations of killers in the family tree. Before this talk, I had always seen conscientious objections as a personal moral and/or religious choice. However, knowing the family history of Dr. Fallon's dad, I believe that in their case especially, it was a matter of not only personal safety, but public too.
I also think this video explains the mindset of violence in areas like Ireland, the Middle East, Africa, and any other place where deep historical hatred seems to have a life of its own. The question is: can these concentrations of violence be diluted? I believe they can, based on how most of humanity has been becoming less violent over the centuries. Steven Pinker gives an excellent summary of this decline in the following video. Be prepared to have several common beliefs challenged.
The last seven or eight minutes gives possible reasons why violence can decline. It's perhaps ironic that Dr. Pinker shows in this talk how environment can change behavior, while in his TED talk about his book, The Blank Slate, he appears to make the argument that genetic aspect is a stronger force. I believe the point really is, that when environmental factors are not strongly stressful, genetics will usually have the upper hand. Sort of like how some people make fruits look like art by placing them into forms to shape them as they grow to maturity. People can be shaped by child abuse and other extreme stressors, in ways that either suppresses or triggers genetic tendencies. Without these extreme forces, a person will develop into their own behaviors and talents, regardless of parental behavior, as explained by the elderly pediatrician who counselled me as a new mother with these words: "The most important thing a parent can do is love their child. Any mistakes they may make will work out fine as long as the child knows they are loved."
I want to point out that Dr. Ramachandran stresses that these perceptual abnormalities do not impaired the rest of their brain functioning. In other words, a perceptual abnormality does not mean there are problems with their ability to analyze and think logically. Truth is, most of us have some form of neurological screwiness in our brains. And most of the time, we can make it work for us, allowing us to specialize in tasks, while other people specialize in other tasks.
So for most people, these differences can actually improve society and humanity in general, if they are not squashed and demonized. I will not deny that there are mental abnormalities that are dangerous. However, from the research I have read, it takes more than the abnormality by itself to cause the danger part. It it is a combination of genetics, brain damage, environment, and development to trigger these behaviors that we have every right to fear, as shown in the following video:
It is interesting that Dr. Fallon's father and three uncles were all conscientious objectors in WWII, after so many generations of killers in the family tree. Before this talk, I had always seen conscientious objections as a personal moral and/or religious choice. However, knowing the family history of Dr. Fallon's dad, I believe that in their case especially, it was a matter of not only personal safety, but public too.
I also think this video explains the mindset of violence in areas like Ireland, the Middle East, Africa, and any other place where deep historical hatred seems to have a life of its own. The question is: can these concentrations of violence be diluted? I believe they can, based on how most of humanity has been becoming less violent over the centuries. Steven Pinker gives an excellent summary of this decline in the following video. Be prepared to have several common beliefs challenged.
The last seven or eight minutes gives possible reasons why violence can decline. It's perhaps ironic that Dr. Pinker shows in this talk how environment can change behavior, while in his TED talk about his book, The Blank Slate, he appears to make the argument that genetic aspect is a stronger force. I believe the point really is, that when environmental factors are not strongly stressful, genetics will usually have the upper hand. Sort of like how some people make fruits look like art by placing them into forms to shape them as they grow to maturity. People can be shaped by child abuse and other extreme stressors, in ways that either suppresses or triggers genetic tendencies. Without these extreme forces, a person will develop into their own behaviors and talents, regardless of parental behavior, as explained by the elderly pediatrician who counselled me as a new mother with these words: "The most important thing a parent can do is love their child. Any mistakes they may make will work out fine as long as the child knows they are loved."
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Syncrinicity
Several of my recents posts have been about preception and how the brain works. So, it is very fortunate that recently TED.com has posted an excellent video on how the brain interprets visual data.
As the video reminds us, our brains are not wired for "truth"; they are wired for usefulness.
As the video reminds us, our brains are not wired for "truth"; they are wired for usefulness.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
My Google Reader Feed
For those who need more stuff to read.
Mostly contains psych articles, art, some science and the occasional news item. Occasionally stuff from various blogs that I read from there. (I recently moved some of them from my LJ friends list to the RSS reader.) I have stuff from both sides of the political spectrum, so don't get all weirded out if you see some conservative, libertarian, or liberal.
Mostly contains psych articles, art, some science and the occasional news item. Occasionally stuff from various blogs that I read from there. (I recently moved some of them from my LJ friends list to the RSS reader.) I have stuff from both sides of the political spectrum, so don't get all weirded out if you see some conservative, libertarian, or liberal.
Electroshock Therapy
This TED talk is about one surgeon's personal experience with electroshock therapy. Please be advise that foul language is used, but it's only like four or five times.
For the record, electroshock therapy is for very severe depression. If you take only ONE thing away from this video, let it be that people can return from the depths of non-function and psychological pain. That they can regain their abilities again.
If you need more proof, I present Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor:
Her progress is better laid out in her book, My Stroke of Insight. Quoting my capstone paper again: "Five years after Dr. Taylor's stroke, she was able to do division and other simple mathematical problems. Two years after that, she was teaching Gross Anatomy again. As of 2006, she was a consulting neuroanatomist at the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute, helping stroke survivors neurologically rehabilitate themselves. (Taylor, 2006)"
Never underestmate a person's ability to recover and function.
Taylor, J. B. (2006). My stroke of insight: a brain scientist's personal journal. New York : Viking.
For the record, electroshock therapy is for very severe depression. If you take only ONE thing away from this video, let it be that people can return from the depths of non-function and psychological pain. That they can regain their abilities again.
If you need more proof, I present Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor:
Her progress is better laid out in her book, My Stroke of Insight. Quoting my capstone paper again: "Five years after Dr. Taylor's stroke, she was able to do division and other simple mathematical problems. Two years after that, she was teaching Gross Anatomy again. As of 2006, she was a consulting neuroanatomist at the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute, helping stroke survivors neurologically rehabilitate themselves. (Taylor, 2006)"
Never underestmate a person's ability to recover and function.
Taylor, J. B. (2006). My stroke of insight: a brain scientist's personal journal. New York : Viking.
How We Read Each Other's Minds
I found out that the embed codes from the TED site doesn't work with my Google Reader, so I went back to the YouTube version.
Probably the most "stunning" part of Rebecca Saxe's talk is how moral judgments can be affected by magnetic fields. It decreases the desire to blame for intentional acts and increases the desire to blame in accidental acts. As she tried to explain, it takes a noticable magnetic field to actually do anything. Pay attention to the video excerpt, where she is zapped by the equipment - there is a physical and visual response. Let me repeat - there is a physical and visual response. And the effect is TEMPORARY. Of course, if you are attached to your tinfoil hat, far be it from me to deny you another reason to sport it.
Now the question is - what about those people who already put more blame for accidental acts? Obviously they aren't constantly affected by a magnetic field, so it is possible that some brain circuitry gone haywire. Of course, brain circuitry can often be affected by repetitive thoughts and actions.
Another interesting study shows that when the right hemisphere of the brain is similarly stimulated, there is a gender difference in how that stimulation is perceived. To quote my capstone paper: "The creativity of the left hemisphere is evident in how men and women perceive the over-stimulation of the right hemisphere differently. To men it will feel like an alien presence or a source outside of themselves. To women, who are more sensitive to the stimulation, it will most likely take the form of a physical manifestation (i.e. dizziness, spinning, spatial displacement, etc.) from a source inside them. (Persinger, 2003) It is interesting to note that the left hemisphere will also cause delusions to compensate for right hemisphere damage. (Wood, 2009)"
Persinger believes that this is an example of male egotism. Some may say it explains all religious experiences. However, the question is then - what is causing the stimulation of the right brain in those cases? Some we can account for. Others we can't. So while it may give some people warm fuzzies to learn of this, it still doesn't actually prove or disprove anything theological. There is just not enough research and data. Our physical senses can give us weird stuff that aren't accurate and yet most of what they give us is considered accurate. Many of us have hypnogognic hallucinations and delusions. It is not an indication of our sanity or lack thereof.
The following video from TED is about Charles Bonnett hallucinations:
In the cases of Charles Bonnett and hynagognic hallucinations, we know the stimulus sources. Perhaps one day we will know all sources, until then an analytical critical mind will have to be willing to accept abiguity on the matter and be willing to accept that a difference of opinion doesn't necessitate a judgment of insanity on the other person's part. (Insanity is a legal issue, not a medical issue, anyway.)
Persinger, M. (2003, January). The sensed presence within experimental settings: implications for the male and female concept of self. Journal of Psychology, 137(1), 5. Retrieved December 1, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.
Woods, L. (2009, January). Association between delusions and consistent pattern of brain injury. Medical News Today. Retrieved May 21, 2009, from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/135434.php
Probably the most "stunning" part of Rebecca Saxe's talk is how moral judgments can be affected by magnetic fields. It decreases the desire to blame for intentional acts and increases the desire to blame in accidental acts. As she tried to explain, it takes a noticable magnetic field to actually do anything. Pay attention to the video excerpt, where she is zapped by the equipment - there is a physical and visual response. Let me repeat - there is a physical and visual response. And the effect is TEMPORARY. Of course, if you are attached to your tinfoil hat, far be it from me to deny you another reason to sport it.
Now the question is - what about those people who already put more blame for accidental acts? Obviously they aren't constantly affected by a magnetic field, so it is possible that some brain circuitry gone haywire. Of course, brain circuitry can often be affected by repetitive thoughts and actions.
Another interesting study shows that when the right hemisphere of the brain is similarly stimulated, there is a gender difference in how that stimulation is perceived. To quote my capstone paper: "The creativity of the left hemisphere is evident in how men and women perceive the over-stimulation of the right hemisphere differently. To men it will feel like an alien presence or a source outside of themselves. To women, who are more sensitive to the stimulation, it will most likely take the form of a physical manifestation (i.e. dizziness, spinning, spatial displacement, etc.) from a source inside them. (Persinger, 2003) It is interesting to note that the left hemisphere will also cause delusions to compensate for right hemisphere damage. (Wood, 2009)"
Persinger believes that this is an example of male egotism. Some may say it explains all religious experiences. However, the question is then - what is causing the stimulation of the right brain in those cases? Some we can account for. Others we can't. So while it may give some people warm fuzzies to learn of this, it still doesn't actually prove or disprove anything theological. There is just not enough research and data. Our physical senses can give us weird stuff that aren't accurate and yet most of what they give us is considered accurate. Many of us have hypnogognic hallucinations and delusions. It is not an indication of our sanity or lack thereof.
The following video from TED is about Charles Bonnett hallucinations:
In the cases of Charles Bonnett and hynagognic hallucinations, we know the stimulus sources. Perhaps one day we will know all sources, until then an analytical critical mind will have to be willing to accept abiguity on the matter and be willing to accept that a difference of opinion doesn't necessitate a judgment of insanity on the other person's part. (Insanity is a legal issue, not a medical issue, anyway.)
Persinger, M. (2003, January). The sensed presence within experimental settings: implications for the male and female concept of self. Journal of Psychology, 137(1), 5. Retrieved December 1, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.
Woods, L. (2009, January). Association between delusions and consistent pattern of brain injury. Medical News Today. Retrieved May 21, 2009, from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/135434.php
Thursday, October 01, 2009
The Brain in Love
This video inspired the poem that follows it.
A Geek's Valentine Poem
by A. Doerr
I love you from the core of my lizard brain.
You are the addiction I can't contain.
Your eyes are gravity wells that captured my soul,
With a gentleness that warms me like anthracite coal.
Your brilliance with the magnitude of Sirius A,
Mesmerize me with the thoughts you display,
Expanding the fabric of my universe with the possibilities
Generated within the bounds of our theories.
You are the greatest collaborator a person can find--
So, my heart's desire, please be my Valentine.
A Geek's Valentine Poem
by A. Doerr
I love you from the core of my lizard brain.
You are the addiction I can't contain.
Your eyes are gravity wells that captured my soul,
With a gentleness that warms me like anthracite coal.
Your brilliance with the magnitude of Sirius A,
Mesmerize me with the thoughts you display,
Expanding the fabric of my universe with the possibilities
Generated within the bounds of our theories.
You are the greatest collaborator a person can find--
So, my heart's desire, please be my Valentine.
Theories of Morality
I'm going to cheat on this TED talk and just give excepts from a class paper I did on moral development after the video.
. . . If finding out the early lives of Kohlberg and Gilligan is hard, finding information about someone as young as Jonathan Haidt is pretty much an exercise in futility. All that can be said for certain about his background is that he is a social psychologist who teaches at the University of Virginia and is currently a Research Fellow at the University of California Santa Barbara until the end of 2008. By all reports, he is an excellent teacher, who believes in positive psychology. (The Leigh Bureau, 2008) However, in an interview for Vox Day, a Christian libertarian opinion columnist (2007), Haidt states that he is an atheist, but one who believes that religion is an adaptation that generally works well in societies.
Well-versed in Kohlberg's and Gilligan's theories, Haidt notes that Kohlberg's cross-cultural research was focused on finding support for Kohlberg's own construct and did not address the local cultures' belief systems. Haidt and Craig Joseph desired to go beyond other moral theorists and search for the psychological systems that create moral codes. So instead of creating a moral theory based on the observation of a relatively homogeneous group of subjects and determining a cognitive development theory, they researched the moral codes and institutions of cultures across the world and through history to find constants. They also researched several moral theories, including Shweder's three ethics, which claims that Kohlberg's and Gilligan's theories only constituted one ethic--the ethic of autonomy--while ignoring the ethics of community and divinity. (Haidt, 2007) While Haidt's Moral Foundations Theory is not a developmental model, it does go beyond the Western Judeo-Christian value system, as well as the ethic of autonomy. The five psychological moral systems proposed by Haidt are listed on the Moral Foundations homepage as the following:
1) Harm/care, related to our long evolution as mammals with attachment systems and an ability to feel (and dislike) the pain of others. This foundation underlies virtues of kindness, gentleness, and nurturance.
2) Fairness/reciprocity, related to the evolutionary process of reciprocal altruism. This foundation generates ideas of justice, rights, and autonomy.
3) Ingroup/loyalty, related to our long history as tribal creatures able to form shifting coalitions. This foundation underlies virtues of patriotism and self-sacrifice for the group. It is active anytime people feel that it's "one for all, and all for one."
4) Authority/respect, shaped by our long primate history of hierarchical social interactions. This foundation underlies virtues of leadership and followership, including deference to legitimate authority and respect for traditions.
5) Purity/sanctity, shaped by the psychology of disgust and contamination. This foundation underlies religious notions of striving to live in an elevated, less carnal, more noble way. It underlies the widespread idea that the body is a temple which can be desecrated by immoral activities and contaminants (an idea not unique to religious traditions). (Haidt et al, 2008)
. . .
VI. Discussion
An observation made in the graduate level human development class, attended by the author of this paper, is the fact that hypothetical dilemmas cannot truly predict real life decisions. The lack of time, knowledge and resources may affect what someone might actually do in a situation. It was also pointed out that people will act at different moral stages depending on circumstances or priorities. Viktor Frankl's recollections from his imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps, in his book Man's Search for Meaning, is a perfect example of how people's moral can be changed by their circumstances. When people, due to external circumstances, physical illness or mental distress, are forced to a lower level of Maslow's hierarchies of needs, operating at a lower moral stage is to be expected. By linking morality to cognitive development, neither Kohlberg's and Gilligan's theories properly take into account this fluidity of moral decision making.
Based on Haidt's work, Kohlberg's and Gilligan's theories concentrate mostly on liberal values, setting some key conservative concerns at lower stages. Universities have long been considered bastions of liberalism, so this focus can hardly be a surprise. Unfortunately, as Haidt points out in his presentation at the 2008 TED conference, society cannot survive on liberalism alone. Both liberal and conservative forces are needed to keep a civilization viable. So to discount the conservative values in moral judgments is not only inaccurate, but creates unnecessary tension between different segments of society. While it is true that Haidt does not directly address the fluidity of moral decision making, his work does open the door by breaking down moral values into historic cross-cultural constants, instead using the moral preferences of the researchers. The main weak part of Haidt's research, based on the interviews done for this paper, is the belief that respondents will answer from their personal standards and not what they expect from others. Both Brett and the author of this paper share the belief that other people should not be held to their value system. The difference in their answers was based on the fact that while Brett answered as if judging other people, the author answered judging only herself. Haidt's questionnaire also doesn't take into account if someone considers resisting a particular value or two to be a high priority, as in the case of Elena, who is rebelling against the strict values of her adopted country and its religion-based government.
VI. Conclusion
Kohlberg's stages of morality, while still partially useful for most Westerners, is more accurate for liberal males than any other population. Even though Gilligan's theory mirrors Kohlberg's to some extent, it is difficult to use when there are no ethic of care considerations mentioned. Both theories lack real world moral predictive qualities, though they might give one an idea of a person's cognitive development. The idea that higher cognition leads to greater morality seems implausible when one considers that there are intelligent people with no morals at all, as well as very moral people with impaired cognition. Higher cognition may help make more effective moral choices, but it doesn't make a person more moral. That said, it is easy to see why someone who highly values education, like Kohlberg or Gilligan, would emphasize cognition. Indeed, it can be successfully argued that it is the duty of a moral person to check their facts and reasoning before making a decision. Such behavior falls under being prudent. Yet, as Haidt points out, a major percentage of people act like lawyers--making justifications for their actions after the fact, instead of considering the consequences before doing them. (Haidt, 2007)
Haidt's theory appears to be more predictive of behavior, since it focuses on types of values instead of a cognitive path or two of developing moral values. Possibly because of the biases of his predecessors, Haidt has been more vigilant in challenging his own biases and has worked to understand the "other side". It is not an easy thing to do, but the work of Haidt and of other theorists, such as Shweder, is a good start. Moral psychology and moral development theories still have a long ways to go before they can achieve the reliability of physical developmental models. Despite their shortcomings, however, these theories have provided frameworks on which moral thought can be discussed and studied.
Resources
Day, V. (2007). Interview with Jonathan Haidt. Retrieved on October 11, 2008 from http://voxday.blogspot.com/2007/11/interview-with-jonathan-haidt.html
Haidt, J. (2008). The real difference between liberals and conservatives. TED 2008 Conference. Retrieved September 16, 2008 from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jonathan_haidt_on_the_moral_mind.html
Haidt, J., Ditto, P., Graham, J., Iyer, R., Joseph, C., Koleva, S., and Nosek, B. (2008). Moral Foundations Theory homepage. University of Virginia. Retrieved October 11, 2008 from http://faculty.virginia.edu/haidtlab/mft/index.php
Haidt, J., & Graham, J. (2007, March). When Morality Opposes Justice: Conservatives Have Moral Intuitions that Liberals may not Recognize. Social Justice Research, 20(1), 98-116. Retrieved September 28, 2008, doi:10.1007/s11211-007-0034-z
The Leigh Bureau (2008). Jonathan Haidt - bio. Retrieved October 11, 2006 from http://www.leighbureau.com/speaker.asp?id=410
. . . If finding out the early lives of Kohlberg and Gilligan is hard, finding information about someone as young as Jonathan Haidt is pretty much an exercise in futility. All that can be said for certain about his background is that he is a social psychologist who teaches at the University of Virginia and is currently a Research Fellow at the University of California Santa Barbara until the end of 2008. By all reports, he is an excellent teacher, who believes in positive psychology. (The Leigh Bureau, 2008) However, in an interview for Vox Day, a Christian libertarian opinion columnist (2007), Haidt states that he is an atheist, but one who believes that religion is an adaptation that generally works well in societies.
Well-versed in Kohlberg's and Gilligan's theories, Haidt notes that Kohlberg's cross-cultural research was focused on finding support for Kohlberg's own construct and did not address the local cultures' belief systems. Haidt and Craig Joseph desired to go beyond other moral theorists and search for the psychological systems that create moral codes. So instead of creating a moral theory based on the observation of a relatively homogeneous group of subjects and determining a cognitive development theory, they researched the moral codes and institutions of cultures across the world and through history to find constants. They also researched several moral theories, including Shweder's three ethics, which claims that Kohlberg's and Gilligan's theories only constituted one ethic--the ethic of autonomy--while ignoring the ethics of community and divinity. (Haidt, 2007) While Haidt's Moral Foundations Theory is not a developmental model, it does go beyond the Western Judeo-Christian value system, as well as the ethic of autonomy. The five psychological moral systems proposed by Haidt are listed on the Moral Foundations homepage as the following:
1) Harm/care, related to our long evolution as mammals with attachment systems and an ability to feel (and dislike) the pain of others. This foundation underlies virtues of kindness, gentleness, and nurturance.
2) Fairness/reciprocity, related to the evolutionary process of reciprocal altruism. This foundation generates ideas of justice, rights, and autonomy.
3) Ingroup/loyalty, related to our long history as tribal creatures able to form shifting coalitions. This foundation underlies virtues of patriotism and self-sacrifice for the group. It is active anytime people feel that it's "one for all, and all for one."
4) Authority/respect, shaped by our long primate history of hierarchical social interactions. This foundation underlies virtues of leadership and followership, including deference to legitimate authority and respect for traditions.
5) Purity/sanctity, shaped by the psychology of disgust and contamination. This foundation underlies religious notions of striving to live in an elevated, less carnal, more noble way. It underlies the widespread idea that the body is a temple which can be desecrated by immoral activities and contaminants (an idea not unique to religious traditions). (Haidt et al, 2008)
. . .
VI. Discussion
An observation made in the graduate level human development class, attended by the author of this paper, is the fact that hypothetical dilemmas cannot truly predict real life decisions. The lack of time, knowledge and resources may affect what someone might actually do in a situation. It was also pointed out that people will act at different moral stages depending on circumstances or priorities. Viktor Frankl's recollections from his imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps, in his book Man's Search for Meaning, is a perfect example of how people's moral can be changed by their circumstances. When people, due to external circumstances, physical illness or mental distress, are forced to a lower level of Maslow's hierarchies of needs, operating at a lower moral stage is to be expected. By linking morality to cognitive development, neither Kohlberg's and Gilligan's theories properly take into account this fluidity of moral decision making.
Based on Haidt's work, Kohlberg's and Gilligan's theories concentrate mostly on liberal values, setting some key conservative concerns at lower stages. Universities have long been considered bastions of liberalism, so this focus can hardly be a surprise. Unfortunately, as Haidt points out in his presentation at the 2008 TED conference, society cannot survive on liberalism alone. Both liberal and conservative forces are needed to keep a civilization viable. So to discount the conservative values in moral judgments is not only inaccurate, but creates unnecessary tension between different segments of society. While it is true that Haidt does not directly address the fluidity of moral decision making, his work does open the door by breaking down moral values into historic cross-cultural constants, instead using the moral preferences of the researchers. The main weak part of Haidt's research, based on the interviews done for this paper, is the belief that respondents will answer from their personal standards and not what they expect from others. Both Brett and the author of this paper share the belief that other people should not be held to their value system. The difference in their answers was based on the fact that while Brett answered as if judging other people, the author answered judging only herself. Haidt's questionnaire also doesn't take into account if someone considers resisting a particular value or two to be a high priority, as in the case of Elena, who is rebelling against the strict values of her adopted country and its religion-based government.
VI. Conclusion
Kohlberg's stages of morality, while still partially useful for most Westerners, is more accurate for liberal males than any other population. Even though Gilligan's theory mirrors Kohlberg's to some extent, it is difficult to use when there are no ethic of care considerations mentioned. Both theories lack real world moral predictive qualities, though they might give one an idea of a person's cognitive development. The idea that higher cognition leads to greater morality seems implausible when one considers that there are intelligent people with no morals at all, as well as very moral people with impaired cognition. Higher cognition may help make more effective moral choices, but it doesn't make a person more moral. That said, it is easy to see why someone who highly values education, like Kohlberg or Gilligan, would emphasize cognition. Indeed, it can be successfully argued that it is the duty of a moral person to check their facts and reasoning before making a decision. Such behavior falls under being prudent. Yet, as Haidt points out, a major percentage of people act like lawyers--making justifications for their actions after the fact, instead of considering the consequences before doing them. (Haidt, 2007)
Haidt's theory appears to be more predictive of behavior, since it focuses on types of values instead of a cognitive path or two of developing moral values. Possibly because of the biases of his predecessors, Haidt has been more vigilant in challenging his own biases and has worked to understand the "other side". It is not an easy thing to do, but the work of Haidt and of other theorists, such as Shweder, is a good start. Moral psychology and moral development theories still have a long ways to go before they can achieve the reliability of physical developmental models. Despite their shortcomings, however, these theories have provided frameworks on which moral thought can be discussed and studied.
Resources
Day, V. (2007). Interview with Jonathan Haidt. Retrieved on October 11, 2008 from http://voxday.blogspot.com/2007/11/interview-with-jonathan-haidt.html
Haidt, J. (2008). The real difference between liberals and conservatives. TED 2008 Conference. Retrieved September 16, 2008 from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jonathan_haidt_on_the_moral_mind.html
Haidt, J., Ditto, P., Graham, J., Iyer, R., Joseph, C., Koleva, S., and Nosek, B. (2008). Moral Foundations Theory homepage. University of Virginia. Retrieved October 11, 2008 from http://faculty.virginia.edu/haidtlab/mft/index.php
Haidt, J., & Graham, J. (2007, March). When Morality Opposes Justice: Conservatives Have Moral Intuitions that Liberals may not Recognize. Social Justice Research, 20(1), 98-116. Retrieved September 28, 2008, doi:10.1007/s11211-007-0034-z
The Leigh Bureau (2008). Jonathan Haidt - bio. Retrieved October 11, 2006 from http://www.leighbureau.com/speaker.asp?id=410
Friday, September 25, 2009
Seeing May Be Believing, But It Isn't Always Proof
In the following video, Taryn Simon shows photographs from two themes in her work. The first half of the video shows part of a collection of photos of "secret sites", stuff most of humanity never sees. The second half is a series of portraits of innocent people who were convicted through the (mis)use of photographs.
My comments today are going to focus on the second half of this video. In 1988, a study by A. Rattner found that in reviewing 205 cases of wrongful convictions, 52% contained mistakened identification by eyewitnesses. In fact, according to G.L. Wells (1993), eyewitness mistakes are the most prevelent factor in wrongful convictions. There are two reasons why this occurs: mishandling by police officers and the nature of memory.
Going into my forensic psychology text by Lawrence Wrightman (2006), I found many possible ways that eyewitness testimony can be compromised. I also found a list of ways of how to make eyewitness information more reliable. The latter is a much shorter list and includes: slowing down questioning, re-creating the original context, tailor questions specific to the witness, have the interview witness-centered*, recognize the differences between accurate and inaccurate answers (as in how the witness says things, not whether or not it fits what the investigator thinks is so), and being careful of the temptation to form premature conclusions.
*Special note about witness-centered interviews. This means that the witness should be encouraged not to edit their thoughts, but to share all of them. Unfortunately, most investigators use control and intimidation to get information, even from cooperative witnesses (Fisher, Geisman, & Raymond, 1987). Very recent research has proven that forcing answers ruins the accuracy of the information gained. Be it intimidation or outright torture or other source, a person's memory can becomes distorted or even destroyed from stress.
I considered summarizing how memory works, but that would seriously take more time than I want to devote to in something that is just supposed to be commentary. So instead, I will give you another video about how our brains are wired to show that we don't always see what we think we see.
To be honest, this TED video is not a favorite of mine. The professor who taught my intro to psychology class, Dr. Melvyn G. Preisz, is not only a practicing psychologist, but also an amatuer magician. His lecture on preception and the mind is far more mind-blowing and informative.
My comments today are going to focus on the second half of this video. In 1988, a study by A. Rattner found that in reviewing 205 cases of wrongful convictions, 52% contained mistakened identification by eyewitnesses. In fact, according to G.L. Wells (1993), eyewitness mistakes are the most prevelent factor in wrongful convictions. There are two reasons why this occurs: mishandling by police officers and the nature of memory.
Going into my forensic psychology text by Lawrence Wrightman (2006), I found many possible ways that eyewitness testimony can be compromised. I also found a list of ways of how to make eyewitness information more reliable. The latter is a much shorter list and includes: slowing down questioning, re-creating the original context, tailor questions specific to the witness, have the interview witness-centered*, recognize the differences between accurate and inaccurate answers (as in how the witness says things, not whether or not it fits what the investigator thinks is so), and being careful of the temptation to form premature conclusions.
*Special note about witness-centered interviews. This means that the witness should be encouraged not to edit their thoughts, but to share all of them. Unfortunately, most investigators use control and intimidation to get information, even from cooperative witnesses (Fisher, Geisman, & Raymond, 1987). Very recent research has proven that forcing answers ruins the accuracy of the information gained. Be it intimidation or outright torture or other source, a person's memory can becomes distorted or even destroyed from stress.
I considered summarizing how memory works, but that would seriously take more time than I want to devote to in something that is just supposed to be commentary. So instead, I will give you another video about how our brains are wired to show that we don't always see what we think we see.
To be honest, this TED video is not a favorite of mine. The professor who taught my intro to psychology class, Dr. Melvyn G. Preisz, is not only a practicing psychologist, but also an amatuer magician. His lecture on preception and the mind is far more mind-blowing and informative.
The life of a former Narcissistic PD enabler
For those of you who prefer more personal views on the subject:
HOLDING THE MIRROR
http://www.angelfire.com/home/mirandashaw/
The journal, reflections, and studies of an abused enabler of a narcissist.
HOLDING THE MIRROR
http://www.angelfire.com/home/mirandashaw/
The journal, reflections, and studies of an abused enabler of a narcissist.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Illness or Character Flaw?
I've seen a lot of posts on the Narcissist Personality Disorder on my Google Reader recently. However, I've notice that most of them are not going off of recent research. The information in this paper is two years old. It is not the final format, but all the material is here.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Illness or Character Flaw?
Written by Amanda D. Barncord Doerr
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
Initial shock
Walking out of a therapist's office after being told that their loved one is exhibiting the symptoms of a Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), a person is forced to consider the implications of this diagnosis. There is confusion about how this diagnosis affects their view of their loved one, whether the NPD should be pitied or scorned. There is curiosity about the disorder itself and the affect, if any, it would have on the self view of the one diagnosed. And then there are worries about what the diagnosis means to the therapist treating the loved one and what is the prevailing thought on the Narcissistic Personality Disorder among mental health professionals.Two views
In the literature available to the general public, there can be found two very diverse views of the Narcissistic Personality Disorder. The more accessible sources appear to portray the disorder as a character flaw or a label for difficult people. Popular author and psychiatrist, M. Scott Peck (1983) said in his book People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil that evil people could appropriately be classified as a variant of the narcissistic personality disorder. On a website that approaches the disorder from a layperson's perspective, Joanna Ashmun (2004) points out that in the clinical literature NPD is usually discussed as a "character disorder".
On the other hand, the inclusion of Narcissistic Personality Disorder into the DSM, would strongly suggest to many people that it is an illness. Indeed many online "psychology" sites call it just that. Though to some laypeople it is more likely to suggest that the psychology field is trying to explain away a set of character flaws by suggesting that the "sufferer" is not responsible for their actions. Of course, the laypeople who cling to this notion of irresponsibility in the mental health field rarely believe in the need to view the sets of behavior that comprise an NPD in an objective and scientific manner.
Self-proclaimed NPD sufferer and author of Malignant Self Love : Narcissism Revisited, Sam Vaknin (1997) confuses the matter further with his views on whether or not narcissistic personality disorder sufferers can help themselves on his website. He first convinces the reader that a narcissist cannot help themselves and then goes on to show that the essential ingredients to remission is for the narcissist to be humble and take responsibility for his own actions.
Professional questions
All of this leads to the following questions. What is the professional view of the Narcissistic Personality Disorder? What data supports this view? Does treating NPD as a illness give any relief to the life impairment caused by it? What are the alternatives for narcissistic personality disorder sufferer and those who must interact with them?
CHAPTER 2. DIAGNOSIS
Background and history
Narcissism may be one of the most commonly recognised character flaws. The word itself comes from the Greek myth of Narcissus, a young man who fell in love with his own image in a pool and then was turned into a daffodil by the gods for punishment for his hubris. Ellis and Nacke first introduced the term into psychiatry at the end of the 1800s, but it took Freud and Rank in the 1910s to describe the disorder. Reich an Horney expanded on the concept some in the 1930s. Then for about 40 years the issue laid practically dormant until the 1970s, when Kohut and Kernberg connected the developmental processes of self to the formation of pathological narcissism. It was their work that introduced the Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) into the DSM. (Rivas, 2001)
Symptomology
According to the research of Dimaggio, Semerari, Falcone, Nicolò, Carcione, & Procacci (2002, December), NPDs often display vague sensations of emptiness, boredom and emotional anesthesia. Their emotional state is not available to their consciousness. This cognitive deficit is a form of alexithymia. Alexithymia is the inability to link the physical response to words, fantasies, and feelings to the expression thereof. An example is when an NPD shows facial expressions of annoyance, but when asked about the annoyance, they will deny feeling anything and may even start looking confused when the questioner continues to probe the matter. This lack of self-awareness makes self-reflection very difficult for the NPD. To compensate, they rely on having a rigid set of values to help make decisions and judgments. However, unable to recognise the internal signals that guide most people when there is conflict between their beliefs and actions, NPDs will often act in counterproductive ways.
One side effect of the value system reliance is that NPDs usually display two main states of mind; admiration and contempt. The overt admiration state involves disdainful grandiosity, fantasies of wealth, power, physical attractiveness, and invulnerability. The covert contempt state involves an out-of-place sensitiveness, a sense of inferiority, insignificance and fragility, and a search for glory. It is usually during the therapeutic process that other states, such as anger, envy, fear and confusion are displayed.
The rigid value system also creates many interpersonal problems when compounded with other aspects of the disorder, such as a sense on entitlement and a haughty demeanor. Unable to reflect upon their own actions, NPDs also lack the ability to emphasize with others, seeing them instead as "self-objects". This deficit in object relations has been recognised in NPDs since the works of Kohut and Kernberg. When speaking to others, NPDs tend to be rhetorical, vague and evasive in their speech, with an egocentric view of reality. It has been noted that while NPDs transmit nonverbal signals, they do not receive them. And while they may not be able to reflect on their feelings, they can use them as an engine for social action.
Despite the NPD's belief that they should only associate with other special people, they are threatened by "kindred spirits" and will treat anyone who may be their equal as competition, instead of as a compatriot. The fragile self-esteem of the NPD does not allow for true peers. Nor does it allow for narcissistic damage in the form of insult or loss of esteem. Robert Simon (2002) noted that the actions caused by such damage resembled PTSD, without the flashbacks. This would include the outbursts of anger and other antisocial acts associated with narcissistic rage.
According to Phebe Cramer (1999), NPDs are more likely than other personality disorders to seduce their environment to meet their needs. When this fails, they will fall back on rationalization as a defense, resorting to fantasy and complete denial when that fails.
DSM criteria
For a patient to be diagnosed with having a narcissistic personality disorder, five of the following nine criteria must be met: a grandiose sense of self; a preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love; the belief that the patient is special and can only be understood by other special people; a need for excessive admiration; a strong sense of entitlement; a pattern of taking advantage of other people to met their own needs; a lack of empathy; a sense of envy towards others or the belief that others envy them; arrogant behavior. (APA, 2000)
Prevalence
According to the American Psychiatric Association (2000), the prevalence of NPD is less than 1% of the general population and 2 to 16% in the clinical population. In 1999, Rivas (2001) pointed out that the Narcissistic Personality Disorder was removed from the tenth revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, leading some researchers to believe that maybe NPD was a cultural disorder, specifically an American one. However, studies supported by by the National Project of Mental Health of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy (Dimaggio et al, 2002), have since given a great deal of insight into this disorder.
CHAPTER 3. VALIDITY
Character disorder
It is not without good reason that researchers like Joanna Berg (1990) and others refer to NPD as a "character disorder". Some of the more noted aspects of this disorder is a high sensitivity to criticism, grandiosity, a sense of entitlement, a lack of empathy, envy and a need for excessive praise. All of these are considered character flaws in Western civilization. In fact, if we were to compare the traditional seven deadly sins with the criteria for NPD, we would be easily be able to match three - envy, pride and greed to the DSM-IV's list. Add narcissist rage to match with wrath, and we have over half the deadly sins. Compare the diagnostic criteria with any established religious code and one might begin to wonder why the NPD is seeing a therapist instead of a religious advisor. After all, Cramer (1999) said that the NPD does have a remnant of a moral conscience. Why is a deficiency of morals being addressed in in a manual for mental disorders in the first place?
The answer is quite simple. These people have behavioral problems that need to be treated and most of them do not have the ability to acknowledge their own faults. But still, it is interesting to note that Links & Stockwell (2002) found that some pathological narcissism can be cured through real life accomplishments. If able to achieve a major real life accomplishment, a NPD can be helped to reflect on their success. Once this reflection occurs, the NPD often ends up with a more realistic view of themselves and no longer needs to hold on to the fantasies of success, wealth and power they had been previously clinging to.
Another example of a successful treatment of NPD comes from Nicolò, Carcione, Semerari & Dimaggio (2007). It requires the therapist to time when they are caring towards the NPD to coincide when the NPD is willing to accept the idea that it is okay to be flawed. Then the therapist's help is seen as an enrichment, instead of an insinuation that the NPD is fatally flawed. In the case study given, the female NPD patient found acceptance for being helped through her own childhood memories of helping elderly strangers in a public restroom.
The two ways listed in this paper of affecting NPD in a positive way does reflect the adage that for a NPD to be cured, they must first learn humility. Then, as Sam Vaknin (1997) said, they must take responsibility for their actions. One cannot miss the fact that humility and responsibility are considered positive character traits in this culture, calling to mind the question again, should character flaws be grouped with mental disorders?
Cognitive deficits
But is NPD really a set of behaviors caused by a lack of moral fiber? Or the results of cognitive defects? The evidence of alexithymia, the inability to reflect on their own actions, not being able to receive conversational cues, and the disturbances in object relations all suggest that there is something going on inside the mind of the NPD that has nothing to do with moral turpitude. Stevens et al (1984) reported that NPDs felt a great deal of discomfort while experiencing considerable excitement. And what of Simon's finding that narcissistic damage resembled PTSD in many ways? Perhaps the problem isn't the character, but the cognition of the sufferer.
Kohut and Kernberg both believed that NPD was a product of developmental problems (Stevens et al, 1984). In Kohut's self-psychology theory, the NPD is created through a deficit of parental mirroring or parental rejection at the infancy stage. Unable to develop a bond with their primary caregiver, the NPD holds on to the idealization of their own ability to affect their environment, until they can develop a bond with the therapist, which allows them to learn the developmental skills denied them as children. In Kernberg's theory of pathological narcissism, the same lack of parental warmth causes the creation of a grandiose self, which is unable to care for anyone else. For years, these two theories were referenced almost exclusively in NPD studies.
A proposed integrated narcissism model set forth by Dimaggio et al (2002) has through research and study, outlined a complex set of cognitive processes and the means by which the disorder perpetuates itself. While Kohut and Kernberg's work are still at the model's foundation, the model focuses more on the immediate meta-cognitive defect of the NPD instead of the developmental processes that created it. Since therapists rarely deal with the NPD at the time of their developmental disruption, this model is probably far more useful in treating those in practice.
Traits versus contextual
Hummelen and Rokx (2007) discussed that one problem with personality disorders is that people display consistent personality traits on an inconsistent basis, depending on the context these traits occur in based on many variables. Therefore, it is possible that an individual could display non-pathological traits in the therapist's office, while displaying very pathological behaviors with neighbors who are not available for interviews. Likewise, an individual may display previously unknown pathological traits in an office due to abnormal fears and stress of meeting with a "shrink", much like a person whose blood pressure rises whenever he is examined by a physician.
Relying on the DSM
Hummelen and Rokx also criticized the syndromal approach of the DSM, with its highly ambiguous definitions based on often unobservable behaviors. Such definitions lead to generalizations and the expectation that certain behavior will always be present. There is almost no consideration of the context of the behavior. After all, a world class soccer player would legitimately be able to say he is the best in his field and be used to entitled treatment from others, but unless the person treating him followed the sport, they might doubt the patient's claims.
The DSM (APA, 2000) itself admits that the Cluster B personality disorders resemble each other. NPD can also resemble the obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, the schizotypal personality disorder, the paranoid personality disorder, and manic or hypomanic episodes. Using the DSM alone for identifying this disorder is an exercise in eliminating other possibilities.
Using the MMPI and MCMI
Chatham, Tibbals, & Harrington (1993) state in their study that NPDs only show a significant difference on the hypomanic scale using the MMPI. This means that MMPI could not differentiate between a NPD and a legitimately talented person experiencing a mild case of mania. The MCMI was even less clear, scoring the NPD high not only on the hypomanic scale, but also the histrionic, narcissistic, and antisocial scales too. Chatham et al concluded that more data was needed for diagnosing NPD than was provided by these tests.
Using the Rorschach Inkblot test
Surprisingly, one of the tests that has consistently been able to designate NPDs from other disorders has been the Rorschach Inkblot test. Harshly criticized in the 1990s, Ganellen (2001) and others have successfully defended the test, stating that it is just as accurate as the MMPI in overall use, as long as it was used for the purposes it was originally intended for - a diagnostic test based on perception alone, with little attention paid to the projections. Weiner (1996) gives four examples of successful applications for the Rorschach: differentiating personality variables; measuring developmental changes in children and adolescents; monitoring improvement during psychotherapy; and identifying experienced distress in war veterans with PTSD. There is also evidence in at least 48 studies that the Rorschach can detect cognitive complexity, reality testing, general psychological stress, disordered or psychotic thinking, and disturbances in object relations. Published longitudinal studies have shown that the Rorschach variables were steady over time.
The disturbances in object relations is of particular interest in regards to the NPD. Both Kohut and Kernberg were object relations theorists and their theories of pathological narcissism depended in disruptions in the development of self and object relations. In Kohut theory, NPDs had arrested development. In Kernberg's theory, they were created through a developmental aberration. (Stevens, Pfost & Skelley, 1984) Therefore, it stands to reason that the Rorschach test would be a better instrument to detect pathological narcissism. In studies done by Hilsenroth, Fowler, Padawer and Handler (1997), the four variables usually elevated in NPDs are reflection responses, personalized responses, idealized responses and the egocentric index. Of these four, two - reflection and idealized responses, were found to be empirically comparable to the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria.
In an earlier study by Hilsenroth, Hibbard, Nash & Handler (1993), borderline and narcissistic personality disorders showed several differences using the Rorschach. Ironically, borderline personality disorders (BPDs) tend to show higher grandiosity than NPDs, while NPDs were more egocentric. BPDs were also more aggressive and used more primitive emotional defense mechanisms than other PDs. This might explain the findings of Hummelen & Rokx (2007), where neuro-imaging scans show BPD patients to consistently have a smaller and hyper-reactive amygdala.
While the Rorschach can be defended as a diagnostic tool, it is still open to misuse in clinical settings. As Weiner (1996) pointed out, it was never meant to be used for everything, nor was it meant to be used by those not thoroughly trained in evaluating it. One hopes that now the ability to diagnose NPDs through object relations has been proven that a less subjective test can be devised for it.
CHAPTER 4. CONCLUSION
Based on studies using the Rorschach test, other psychometric instruments and documented case studies, the current prevailing professional view of the narcissistic personality disorder would be that it a deficit of meta-cognition, probably caused by a disruption of self-development in infancy. While it is not treated with medication, approaching NPD as a disorder is very important because it easier to be less emotionally hurt by the sufferer's actions. This emotional distance is necessary when dealing with NPDs, since it allows one some control over how they are seen by the NPD. To get anywhere with an NPD requires the individual to be seen as admirable.
Cognitive therapy is the only course so far that has shown any success in treating NPDs. Confronting a NPD and calling them to repentance is pointless in most cases. The narcissistic defence system is far too sophisticated to be dismantled by such tactics. At best, the NPD will retreat into a depressive state and cycle through emptiness and fear until they latch onto their grandiose self and return to their pathology when the immediate threat of shame is past. A more successful approach is to guide the NPD to a point of real achievement, in either the present or the past, and help them to realize that not being powerful all the time is nothing to be ashamed of.
It is very easy to see how a lay person would question the diagnosis of NPD as a mental disorder, based on the literature and websites available to them. Upon seeing the criteria for NPD, many would understandably declare its sufferers as difficult people who should just straighten up their acts. However, as we look closer at the studies of NPD, it becomes apparent that the narcissist is suffering from a cognitive defect, which uses a rigid value system as a coping mechanism. Because of this coping mechanism, NPDs will have character flaws, but the treatment of the disorder is not in the flaws, but in the cognitive deficits. In his confusing way, Sam Vaknin is correct about his disorder. It is something that the NPD suffer cannot completely control, however, through humility and responsibility they can overcome their cognitive deficits. In a way, it is not much different than a bipolar patient who must manage their symptoms. The jury is still out as to whether NPD can be completely cured. It is tricky enough just to get the patient into the therapist office in the first place.
REFERENCES
American Psychiatric Association. (2000) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, (4th ed.), Text revision. Washington D.C.
Ashmun, J. M. (2004). Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) : DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria. Retrieved September 02, 2007, from http://www.halcyon.com/jmashmun/npd/dsm-iv.html#npd
Berg, J. (1990, December). Differentiating ego functions of borderline and narcissistic personalities. Journal of Personality Assessment, 55(3), 537-548. Retrieved September 5, 2007, from PsycINFO database.
Chatham, P., Tibbals, C., & Harrington, M. (1993, April). The MMPI and the MCMI in the evaluation of narcissism in a clinical sample. Journal of Personality Assessment, 60(2), 239-251. Retrieved September 5, 2007, from PsycINFO database.
Cramer, P. (1999, June). Personality, personality disorders, and defense mechanisms. Journal of Personality, 67(3), 535-554. Retrieved September 5, 2007, from PsycINFO database.
Dimaggio, G., Semerari, A., Falcone, M., Nicolò, G., Carcione, A., & Procacci, M. (2002, December). Metacognition, states of mind, cognitive biases, and interpersonal cycles: Proposal for an integrated narcissism model. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 12(4), 421-451. Retrieved September 5, 2007, from PsycARTICLES database.
Ganellen, R. (2001, August). Weighing Evidence for the Rorschach's Validity: A Response to Wood et al. (1999). Journal of Personality Assessment, 77(1), 1-15. Retrieved September 22, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Hilsenroth, M., Fowler, J., Padawer, J., & Handler, L. (1997, June). Narcissism in the Rorschach revisited: Some reflections on empirical data. Psychological Assessment, 9(2), 113-121. Retrieved September 5, 2007, from PsycARTICLES database.
Hilsenroth, M., Hibbard, S., Nash, M., & Handler, L. (1993, April). A Rorschach study of narcissism, defense, and aggression in borderline, narcissistic, and Cluster C personality disorders. Journal of Personality Assessment, 60(2), 346-361. Retrieved September 5, 2007, from PsycINFO database.
Hummelen, J., & Rokx, T. (2007, December). Individual-context interaction as a guide in the treatment of personality disorders. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 71(1), 42-55. Retrieved September 9, 2007, from PsycINFO database.
Illness. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved September 02, 2007, from Answers.com Web site: http://www.answers.com/topic/illness
Links, P., & Stockwell, M. (2002). The role of couple therapy in the treatment of narcissistic personality disorder. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 56 (4), 522-538. Retrieved September 5, 2007, from PsycINFO database.
Nicolò, G., Carcione, A., Semerari, A., & Dimaggio, G. (2007, February). Reaching the covert, fragile side of patients: The case of narcissistic personality disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 63(2), 141-152. Retrieved September 5, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.
Peck, M. S. (1983). People of the lie: the hope for healing human evil. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Rivas, L. (2001, January). Controversial issues in the diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder: A review of the literature. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 23(1), 22-35. Retrieved September 5, 2007, from PsycINFO database.
Simon, R. (2002, January). Distinguishing trauma-associated narcissistic symptoms from posttraumatic stress disorder: A diagnostic challenge. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 10(1), 28-36. Retrieved September 5, 2007, from PsycINFO database.
Stevens, M., Pfost, K., & Skelly, R. (1984, March). Understanding and counseling narcissistic clients. Personnel & Guidance Journal, 62(7), 383-387. Retrieved September 5, 2007, from PsycINFO database.
Vaknin, S. (1997). Can the narcissist help himself? Retrieved on September 02, 2007, from http://samvak.tripod.com/narcissismselfhelp.html
Weiner, I. (1996, June). Some observations on the validity of the Rorschach Inkblot Method. Psychological Assessment, 8(2), 206-213. Retrieved September 22, 2007, from PsycARTICLES database.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Once Upon a School
Okay, this is a long video (25 minutes), but I promise you will enjoy this--especially if you are interested in education:
Dave Eggers' brilliant idea of mixing writers and students needing tutoring is only exceeded by the genius of its implimentation. A tutoring center behind a pirate supply store, with a publishing company in the back. Its success is a wonderful example of creativity begetting creativity and learning. And the spin-offs of a super hero supply store in NYC, the time-traveler's convenience store in LA, and others, show the repeatability of this model.
After watching it, I had to ask myself what would work in OKC. I think we would have to avoid the cowboys and indians bit; it wouldn't be whimsical enough for this region that has deep cultural roots with those groups. Possible ideas I've had:
THE INTERGALACTIC BARREL: something like a Cracker Barrel for space travelers. Filled with lots of travel games, gifts, and other touristy stuff for aliens visiting Earth. And instead of a restaurant, a vending wall or two of dehydrated fruits and meals in a tube, aka "astronaut" food, with a dining room. Could use "Diner" to avoid upsetting Cracker Barrel - or perhaps could talk Cracker Barrel into being a sponser.
THE CAVEMAN FASHION OUTLET: Select the finest in (faux) fur and leather loin clothes, tunics, vests and capes. Not to mention bone and rock jewelry, footwear, and blinged out clubs. Everything for the sophisticated caveman.
And slightly related, THE DINOSAUR FEED STORE: Everything for feeding and caring for your prehistoric animals. Could alternatively be a mythical creature feed store.
Anyway, I encourage you to visit http://www.onceuponschool.org and see what others have done.
Dave Eggers' brilliant idea of mixing writers and students needing tutoring is only exceeded by the genius of its implimentation. A tutoring center behind a pirate supply store, with a publishing company in the back. Its success is a wonderful example of creativity begetting creativity and learning. And the spin-offs of a super hero supply store in NYC, the time-traveler's convenience store in LA, and others, show the repeatability of this model.
After watching it, I had to ask myself what would work in OKC. I think we would have to avoid the cowboys and indians bit; it wouldn't be whimsical enough for this region that has deep cultural roots with those groups. Possible ideas I've had:
THE INTERGALACTIC BARREL: something like a Cracker Barrel for space travelers. Filled with lots of travel games, gifts, and other touristy stuff for aliens visiting Earth. And instead of a restaurant, a vending wall or two of dehydrated fruits and meals in a tube, aka "astronaut" food, with a dining room. Could use "Diner" to avoid upsetting Cracker Barrel - or perhaps could talk Cracker Barrel into being a sponser.
THE CAVEMAN FASHION OUTLET: Select the finest in (faux) fur and leather loin clothes, tunics, vests and capes. Not to mention bone and rock jewelry, footwear, and blinged out clubs. Everything for the sophisticated caveman.
And slightly related, THE DINOSAUR FEED STORE: Everything for feeding and caring for your prehistoric animals. Could alternatively be a mythical creature feed store.
Anyway, I encourage you to visit http://www.onceuponschool.org and see what others have done.
Ants, Mushrooms, and the Internet
After posting about the TED talk that explains how the Internet works in easy to visualize metaphors, I remembered this other talk about how ant colonies function and realized it is very similar. So for your edification:
Pay particular attention to how data is sent from ant to ant and acted upon without a central decision center.
Mushroom researcher, Paul Stamets, believes that the Internet is a natural system, which is patterned after other natural systems:
As interesting as his comparison is, I find his research and work with fungi to be far more fascinating and full of potential for improving the world in general.
Pay particular attention to how data is sent from ant to ant and acted upon without a central decision center.
Mushroom researcher, Paul Stamets, believes that the Internet is a natural system, which is patterned after other natural systems:
As interesting as his comparison is, I find his research and work with fungi to be far more fascinating and full of potential for improving the world in general.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Geeks can be cute too
The following videos are not being put up for their content - even though that was why I watched them - but for the reaction I got from my daughter when I insisted on watching the latest one.
Several weeks ago, I saw that Brain Cox had done a talk on what went wrong with the Large Hadron Collider. I wanted to watch it, because I hadn't bothered to read the news posts on it when it happened (doing graduate work sort of saps up your time). So, I downloaded it to my laptop and decided to watch it in the evening, before I turned in. However, my 17 year old daughter was bored and wanted us to do something together. We watched a few old TED talks and then I insisted on watching this one. She rolled her eyes and sighed an "okay".
Less than a minute into the talk, I hear a delighted squeal of "he's cute!" behind me. Not used to such talk coming from my child, I asked her to repeat it. She admitted that she thought Brian Cox was really cute. She ended up watching the video several more times, so she could draw a portrait of him.
Taking advantage of her enthusiasm, I showed her his first talk on the Large Hadron Collider:
Then I looked for him on Wikipedia, where we found out that he used to be part of a band and was only four years younger than me. It gave her mixed feelings, but who knows - maybe she actually knows something about the Large Hadron Collider now?
Okay, maybe not. But it did make me, geek mother that I am, happy to see my daughter having a crush on a physicist. I tried to get her to watch Brian Greene's talk on string theory, but she informed me that he was more my type than hers.
Well, at least I learned stuff from the talks. And my daughter doesn't have a problem with geeks and nerds.
Several weeks ago, I saw that Brain Cox had done a talk on what went wrong with the Large Hadron Collider. I wanted to watch it, because I hadn't bothered to read the news posts on it when it happened (doing graduate work sort of saps up your time). So, I downloaded it to my laptop and decided to watch it in the evening, before I turned in. However, my 17 year old daughter was bored and wanted us to do something together. We watched a few old TED talks and then I insisted on watching this one. She rolled her eyes and sighed an "okay".
Less than a minute into the talk, I hear a delighted squeal of "he's cute!" behind me. Not used to such talk coming from my child, I asked her to repeat it. She admitted that she thought Brian Cox was really cute. She ended up watching the video several more times, so she could draw a portrait of him.
Taking advantage of her enthusiasm, I showed her his first talk on the Large Hadron Collider:
Then I looked for him on Wikipedia, where we found out that he used to be part of a band and was only four years younger than me. It gave her mixed feelings, but who knows - maybe she actually knows something about the Large Hadron Collider now?
Okay, maybe not. But it did make me, geek mother that I am, happy to see my daughter having a crush on a physicist. I tried to get her to watch Brian Greene's talk on string theory, but she informed me that he was more my type than hers.
Well, at least I learned stuff from the talks. And my daughter doesn't have a problem with geeks and nerds.
Changed the template of my blog
Decided to make it easier for more people to read. Turns out I got a few bonuses with the decision. Not only can we now search this blog, but I like how the archives in the sidebar are handled. It's much easier for me to find information in my own posts.
In other news, I need a job. Feel free to visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/amandadoerr and suggest something here. If you go to the full profile, you can even read some of my larger academic papers.
In other news, I need a job. Feel free to visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/amandadoerr and suggest something here. If you go to the full profile, you can even read some of my larger academic papers.
How the Internet Works
How the Internet Works
Actually, I've been wanting to write commentaries on my favorite talks at TED.com and I've finally decided to just jump into it. I'll probably be doing these in spurts.
The talks I am focusing on in this post deal with how the Internet works from a very social standpoint. This first one explains many geeks views on resource sharing:
(If the video doesn't work, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P65XdTlk4vA )
When I first watched it, I giggled a lot because it reminded me of the days when I visited local computer boards (BBSes) and conversed with people through WWIVNet. Back in 1992, it took a few days to get packets from Florida to Texas, because you had to rely on certain BBS sysops to make long distance calls (at their own expense), once or twice a day, to send and receive the packets. When I watched the video a second time, with my daughter, I realized that there are many people today, who don't understand the underlying mindset of those who were/are part of the creation and maintenance of the Internet. So I ask you to watch this video and share it, so that more people understand why computer geeks give such bemused looks when people talk about controlling internet access.
Speaking about controlling the Internet, leads us to this next video:
(If the video doesn't work, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hFk6FDrZBc )
When I first saw the title "How the Internet strengthens dictatorships", I was more than a bit sceptical of its content. After watching it, I realized that Evgeny Morozov formalized something that I had always realized was going on--not only on the Internet, but in mass media and with many institutions. I just had never truly connected it all. I appreciate this video, because knowing about how things are spun is the best way not to get sucked into it. But at the same time, you have to realize how very, very prevalent it is and don't get too down on yourself if you occasionally get caught up in a spin cycle. If there is one thing I've learned in life, it's that insisting you can't be fooled is practically a guarantee that you will be. Better to accept the possibility and cope with it.
Actually, I've been wanting to write commentaries on my favorite talks at TED.com and I've finally decided to just jump into it. I'll probably be doing these in spurts.
The talks I am focusing on in this post deal with how the Internet works from a very social standpoint. This first one explains many geeks views on resource sharing:
(If the video doesn't work, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P65XdTlk4vA )
When I first watched it, I giggled a lot because it reminded me of the days when I visited local computer boards (BBSes) and conversed with people through WWIVNet. Back in 1992, it took a few days to get packets from Florida to Texas, because you had to rely on certain BBS sysops to make long distance calls (at their own expense), once or twice a day, to send and receive the packets. When I watched the video a second time, with my daughter, I realized that there are many people today, who don't understand the underlying mindset of those who were/are part of the creation and maintenance of the Internet. So I ask you to watch this video and share it, so that more people understand why computer geeks give such bemused looks when people talk about controlling internet access.
Speaking about controlling the Internet, leads us to this next video:
(If the video doesn't work, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hFk6FDrZBc )
When I first saw the title "How the Internet strengthens dictatorships", I was more than a bit sceptical of its content. After watching it, I realized that Evgeny Morozov formalized something that I had always realized was going on--not only on the Internet, but in mass media and with many institutions. I just had never truly connected it all. I appreciate this video, because knowing about how things are spun is the best way not to get sucked into it. But at the same time, you have to realize how very, very prevalent it is and don't get too down on yourself if you occasionally get caught up in a spin cycle. If there is one thing I've learned in life, it's that insisting you can't be fooled is practically a guarantee that you will be. Better to accept the possibility and cope with it.
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