Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Karasten 03-14-07, 04:15 PM	Considering that 'mind is a terrible thing to waste' and that most of modern psychology is based upon psychoanalyzing, I think that this aspect of the Game should be considered. Our behaviour is guided through sub-mind, and I think that Subpsionics feat should give more benefits, or be an intorduction to much, MUCH greater span of feats and abilities. What do You think?
Tempest Stormwind 03-14-07, 05:18 PM	Considering that 'mind is a terrible thing to waste' and that most of modern psychology is based upon psychoanalyzing, I think that this aspect of the Game should be considered. Our behaviour is guided through sub-mind, and I think that Subpsionics feat should give more benefits, or be an intorduction to much, MUCH greater span of feats and abilities. What do You think? Speaking as a psychologist, this statement could not be further from the truth. It only seems that way because the general public hasn't bothered to look past Freud's theories, as odd as they were. Hell, even Freud's students rebelled against psychoanalysis as a general theory of psychology. Pretty much the only place where it's routinely used anymore is in treatment, and in most cases where it could be used, cognitive-behavioural therapy can accomplish similar effects. Thus, it's merely a matter of personal taste that psychoanalysis is even used in therapy. (There are some advantages to it as a therapudic technique, but that's about all I can say on it that's positive.) For an example of an alternative, let's bust out the parable of the ant, from Herbert Simon. Imagine, if you will, an ant walking along a beach. The beach has little dips and curves and stones and waves and so on that the tiny ant must navigate around. "Viewed as a geometric figure, the ant’s path is irregular, complex, hard to describe. But its complexity is really a complexity in the surface of the beach, not a complexity in the ant.” Complex behaviour emerges from simple agents due to their interaction with the environment. This is not readily apparent to a human observer, who tends to attribute any and all complexity to the agent itself, even if it's extremely simple (like an ant). Indeed, he may attribute any surprises to some non-measurable, indeterminate, uncontrollable "subconscious", would he not? There's a hell of a lot more going on in the mind than people think, and it's deliciously deep and interesting -- far, FAR beyond what the general public and pop psychology suggests. I highly suggest taking a gander at more modern material than Freud... oddly enough, many good psychologists also happen to have very good communication skills, so the material is rather readable at that.
PrinceCurtis 03-14-07, 05:30 PM	Wow psychology even finds it's way to me here... Maybe i should take classes...
WinterPsionic 03-14-07, 06:13 PM	.... i thought it was "The mind is a terrible thing to waste"...
Lycanthromancer 03-14-07, 09:20 PM	This > :) < is your brain. This > :coolcthul < is your brain on psionics. Any questions?
WinterPsionic 03-14-07, 09:55 PM	This > :) < is your brain. This > :coolcthul < is your brain on psionics. Any questions? :eek: MY BRAIN GOT COOL!!!!!:D :D :D MORE PSIONICS!!!!:P
Rageheart 03-14-07, 11:14 PM	This > :) < is your brain. This > :coolcthul < is your brain on psionics. Any questions? OMFG! that was so great!:rofl: http://images.cafepress.com/product/36369205_240x240_Front.jpg (http://www.cafepress.com/buy/Cthulhu/-/pv_design_prod/p_storeid.36369205/pNo_36369205/id_9362274/opt_/pg_/c_/fpt_) http://images.cafepress.com/product/80555150v8_240x240_Front.jpg (http://www.cafepress.com/buy/cthulhu+2008/-/pv_design_prod/p_397491.80555150/pNo_80555150/id_6087011/fpt_/opt_/c_360/pg_1)
PrinceCurtis 03-16-07, 04:31 PM	LMAO guys. that's hiliarious.
Doomed_Penguin 03-16-07, 05:08 PM	Speaking as a psychologist, this statement could not be further from the truth. It only seems that way because the general public hasn't bothered to look past Freud's theories, as odd as they were. Hell, even Freud's students rebelled against psychoanalysis as a general theory of psychology. Pretty much the only place where it's routinely used anymore is in treatment, and in most cases where it could be used, cognitive-behavioural therapy can accomplish similar effects. Thus, it's merely a matter of personal taste that psychoanalysis is even used in therapy. (There are some advantages to it as a therapudic technique, but that's about all I can say on it that's positive.) For an example of an alternative, let's bust out the parable of the ant, from Herbert Simon. Imagine, if you will, an ant walking along a beach. The beach has little dips and curves and stones and waves and so on that the tiny ant must navigate around. "Viewed as a geometric figure, the ant’s path is irregular, complex, hard to describe. But its complexity is really a complexity in the surface of the beach, not a complexity in the ant.” Complex behaviour emerges from simple agents due to their interaction with the environment. This is not readily apparent to a human observer, who tends to attribute any and all complexity to the agent itself, even if it's extremely simple (like an ant). Indeed, he may attribute any surprises to some non-measurable, indeterminate, uncontrollable "subconscious", would he not? There's a hell of a lot more going on in the mind than people think, and it's deliciously deep and interesting -- far, FAR beyond what the general public and pop psychology suggests. I highly suggest taking a gander at more modern material than Freud... oddly enough, many good psychologists also happen to have very good communication skills, so the material is rather readable at that. Complex behavior isn't only caused from multiple simple agents, it can also come from confusion and/or overanalyzing a simple cituation. Say you have a guy (typical nerd) who has a crush on a girl (cute and fairly popular). Said girl says something innocent; like "You want to go to the movies?". Said guy can (and will) overanalyze every single possible thing that that phrase could mean, even the possibilities that would make no sense whatsoever in the context of the cituation. While the girl provided a single, simple agent (an invitation to see a movie); the guy will almost definitely come up with extremely complex behaviors in response, running through a wide range of emotions from suspicious to excited to nervous, etc. Not to mention people who are generally paranoid will often take simple agents and respond with complex behaviors. Sorry this is so off topic, just caught my attention.
Tempest Stormwind 03-16-07, 07:08 PM	I didn't mention that complex behaviour was exclusively the province of the interaction of simple agents, although if you reduce things far enough -- to the neuronal level, say -- a case could certainly be made for that. That's what makes this field so interesting. I'll post more when I'm not on a borrowed network.
Argo 03-17-07, 04:18 AM	For an example of an alternative, let's bust out the parable of the ant, from Herbert Simon. There's just something about "busting out a parable" that makes me smile in my deep inside-me place.