My thoughts on existentialism
How did I come to this world? Why was I not consulted? All these absurd questions actually have simple answers. Your parents gave birth to you. Now you ask, why then did you let me be born in this world? I didn't ask for it. In reality you have been consulted. However, at that time you only have the intelligence of two cells, (sperm + egg).
Death. It's inevitable. However, people fear death because they say they fear something that we cannot comprehend. Its all crap. Death is when our cognitive ceases to function thus the physical body stops functioning. All people have experienced a zero cognitive state; when we were infants. However, why don't we remember any of it? Simple, memories are one branch of the cognitive. Thus why do we fear death now?
"You are most alive as you die" That is crap. If that is true, you would have feared death. This is because you are approaching the biggest fear, the final test. Thus it becomes a significant event. In reality, when you die, you do not cease to exist. You existence is permanent. Even though people might forget about you, the fact that you have lived will always be there. Thus why do we fear death so much? Is it because of greed? Greed in desiring to do things before you die. Is it because it is so unpredictable? No, people fear death because death is like a dead end. Death implies that this is it. It is over. People cannot accept that fact. Thus God is created.
God. The idea of God is all false. God is created by humans in an image of man. Why? God presents is a role-model for man. Religion then is formed as a moral guideline for man to follow. This keeps people from killing each other off as each person seeks acceptance form others. However, God is also a scapegoat. An image we can always blame and turn to in times of need. This is a form of alienation as people turn away from each other.
Why then do we all experience a feeling of being separate, lost, confused etc? It is simple. With our little knowledge, we try avoid the facts by creating subjective reasons. For example, you and your friends have different interests. You then give reasons like other people might like the same stuff as me. Those people are trying to avoid me. Etc. Etc. It's all crap. The simple fact was you people do not have the same interest. Period.
What is happiness? It is to be happy. Wrong. Happiness is a comparison of a bad event to a good one. However, happiness does not make a person happy. Why? A happy person needs a balance of despair, anxiety, angst as well as happy moments. Thus we are able to make comparisons and feel content.
Am I simply a small speck in the universe in a world that has no meaning? Yes. You are just a speck. The world by itself doesn't mean anything. Its just a ball with mass floating in the universe. However, humans tries to make it complicated and tried to put meanings to the world.
I agree with Satre.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
What have I learnt from this video
I learnt that pigeons learns to pick a reward which best fit its actions. If the bird only have to peck once, the bird, in my opinion, thus think it doesn't have to work hard for a quick reward. As a result, the bird learns that pecking red is more rewarding than pecking green and wait 5 seconds for twice the reward. However, forcing the bird to peck 15 times, the bird has worked harder and might have learnt that green with its 5 second delay but giving twice the food is more promising than red. Thus proves the ablilty that animals can think. Humans, being an animal too, must be able to think too.
I also learnt that one stimuli can have multiple UCSs. These UCSs can even be the shut down of the immune system. This proves that psychological attributes like fear can kill you.
I also learnt that experimenting like the case of Little Albert is now ban. This is because it is every unethical to hurt animals or put fear in little children.
I learnt that pigeons learns to pick a reward which best fit its actions. If the bird only have to peck once, the bird, in my opinion, thus think it doesn't have to work hard for a quick reward. As a result, the bird learns that pecking red is more rewarding than pecking green and wait 5 seconds for twice the reward. However, forcing the bird to peck 15 times, the bird has worked harder and might have learnt that green with its 5 second delay but giving twice the food is more promising than red. Thus proves the ablilty that animals can think. Humans, being an animal too, must be able to think too.
I also learnt that one stimuli can have multiple UCSs. These UCSs can even be the shut down of the immune system. This proves that psychological attributes like fear can kill you.
I also learnt that experimenting like the case of Little Albert is now ban. This is because it is every unethical to hurt animals or put fear in little children.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
What was the historical and cultural context of the learning perspective?
The learning perspective evolved from behaviorism from influences of historical and cultural contexts of the 20th century. Behaviorism began in America with Ivan Pavlov at the turn of the century. Unlike behaviorism, the learning perspective takes in influences of the biological and cognitive perspective. The learning perspective also adopted some basic assumptions from its predecessor. The philosophy of empiricism is adopted. Empiricism argues that knowledge is gained from the environment through via senses. Learning, in the mind of learning perspective psychologist, is associating events with rewards or punishments. Watson, Thorndike, and Skinner, assumed that all behaviors are learned from the environment from birth. From Watson’s own mouth, he bragged, “give me a dozen healthy infants…I’ll guarantee to … train him to become any type of specialist I might select.” Moreover, these psychologists assumed that freewill is merely an illusion. Thus abuses of power, like inducing a fear in little Albert, in the behaviorist approach brought on ethical issues. Consequently it caused the behaviorist approach to be abandoned. As a result, picking off after behaviorism, the learning perspective aims to be more ethical through means like animal experimentation.
The world view of Americans at the turn of the century is optimistic with an idea that science can solve great problems with parsimony. The learning perspective, through psychologists like, Garcia and Seligman, focuses on scientifically experimentations. Americans in the 20th century are fond on the Occam’s razor. Occam’s razor describes that the most parsimonious solutions are the best. Consequently, Watson and others kept their explanation parsimonious by focusing on only observable stimuli and responses. As a result, thought and feelings which originated from the mind are ignored. Culturally, Americans have a guide line of “reform, efficiency, and progress.” From the start, the unconscious, from Freudian theory, cannot be observed. As a result, it cannot be scientifically studied. Little Hans’s Oedipus ‘complex’ lacks parsimony. Thus, Freud’s unfalsifiable psychodynamic approach is rejected because Freudian theory lacked efficiency and progress.
The learning perspective evolved from behaviorism from influences of historical and cultural contexts of the 20th century. Behaviorism began in America with Ivan Pavlov at the turn of the century. Unlike behaviorism, the learning perspective takes in influences of the biological and cognitive perspective. The learning perspective also adopted some basic assumptions from its predecessor. The philosophy of empiricism is adopted. Empiricism argues that knowledge is gained from the environment through via senses. Learning, in the mind of learning perspective psychologist, is associating events with rewards or punishments. Watson, Thorndike, and Skinner, assumed that all behaviors are learned from the environment from birth. From Watson’s own mouth, he bragged, “give me a dozen healthy infants…I’ll guarantee to … train him to become any type of specialist I might select.” Moreover, these psychologists assumed that freewill is merely an illusion. Thus abuses of power, like inducing a fear in little Albert, in the behaviorist approach brought on ethical issues. Consequently it caused the behaviorist approach to be abandoned. As a result, picking off after behaviorism, the learning perspective aims to be more ethical through means like animal experimentation.
The world view of Americans at the turn of the century is optimistic with an idea that science can solve great problems with parsimony. The learning perspective, through psychologists like, Garcia and Seligman, focuses on scientifically experimentations. Americans in the 20th century are fond on the Occam’s razor. Occam’s razor describes that the most parsimonious solutions are the best. Consequently, Watson and others kept their explanation parsimonious by focusing on only observable stimuli and responses. As a result, thought and feelings which originated from the mind are ignored. Culturally, Americans have a guide line of “reform, efficiency, and progress.” From the start, the unconscious, from Freudian theory, cannot be observed. As a result, it cannot be scientifically studied. Little Hans’s Oedipus ‘complex’ lacks parsimony. Thus, Freud’s unfalsifiable psychodynamic approach is rejected because Freudian theory lacked efficiency and progress.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Neo-Freudians
Sigmund Freud’s theories inspire many psychologists, these psychologists, so called neo-Freudians like Erik Erikson and Carl Jung studied with, criticized and attempted to prove that not all of the theories of Freud are correct. Erik Erikson and Carl Jung, both neo-Freudians, split off from Freud and developed their own theories with the same foundations but with different roofs. Erik Erikson’s theories are based on social interactions and conflicts. Carl Jung’s theories added another layer to Freud’s unconsciousness theory. These theories modifies the original Freudian theory. Erikson has made many contributions to understand human behavior.
Sigmund Freud’s theories inspire many psychologists, these psychologists, so called neo-Freudians like Erik Erikson and Carl Jung studied with, criticized and attempted to prove that not all of the theories of Freud are correct. Erik Erikson and Carl Jung, both neo-Freudians, split off from Freud and developed their own theories with the same foundations but with different roofs. Erik Erikson’s theories are based on social interactions and conflicts. Carl Jung’s theories added another layer to Freud’s unconsciousness theory. These theories modifies the original Freudian theory. Erikson has made many contributions to understand human behavior.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
What I learnt from this essay
Every word counts. Making an exageration can cost a grade point. Stating false facts can also be lethal. Words like prove and discovered is a no no for psychology. I have just learnt that the grading citeria for HL psychology is very tough. I must avoid using words that convey a too strong meaning. I need more transitional sentences to link the intro, the body and the conclusion.
Every word counts. Making an exageration can cost a grade point. Stating false facts can also be lethal. Words like prove and discovered is a no no for psychology. I have just learnt that the grading citeria for HL psychology is very tough. I must avoid using words that convey a too strong meaning. I need more transitional sentences to link the intro, the body and the conclusion.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
My impressions of Freud and Little Hans
I'm stunned on how good Freud was. He did not even need to confront his patient to examine them. Moreover, all those symbols and metaphors that little Hans used, with Freud's help, all fell in place. Freud was able to understand the fantasies and and thought of an abnormal 5 year old boy! It is amazing on how accurate Freud was. He linked all the problems to its origin. Thus curing Little Hans. I feel that psychologist and psychotherapy can pinpoint the fundamental cause of neurosis, unless it is biological, however it is up to the individual to heal themselves. The reason why we need psychologist, might be because our defence mechnism of repression, which causes the mind to produce symbols, is actually blocking us from knowing our true thoughts.
I'm stunned on how good Freud was. He did not even need to confront his patient to examine them. Moreover, all those symbols and metaphors that little Hans used, with Freud's help, all fell in place. Freud was able to understand the fantasies and and thought of an abnormal 5 year old boy! It is amazing on how accurate Freud was. He linked all the problems to its origin. Thus curing Little Hans. I feel that psychologist and psychotherapy can pinpoint the fundamental cause of neurosis, unless it is biological, however it is up to the individual to heal themselves. The reason why we need psychologist, might be because our defence mechnism of repression, which causes the mind to produce symbols, is actually blocking us from knowing our true thoughts.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Victorian Society impact on Freud
In my opinion, Freud is heavily influenced by the Victorian society. Many of Freud's ideas, like repression, is definitely derived from the Victorian society. This idea of repression might be taken from the social repression of sexuality. Even though the society seem good on its outer shell, in reality Victorian society is extremely dark. The rich owned everything and the laborers have to suffer for the rich's expense. The society was incredibly strict. Women had no rights and were owned by their husband. As a result, Freud's pessimistic views towards women might have originated from this. Even though the population are optimistic about their place in society, they were anti-Semitic. As a result, Freud's theories might be a way he lets out his repressed feeling of the culture.
In my opinion, Freud is heavily influenced by the Victorian society. Many of Freud's ideas, like repression, is definitely derived from the Victorian society. This idea of repression might be taken from the social repression of sexuality. Even though the society seem good on its outer shell, in reality Victorian society is extremely dark. The rich owned everything and the laborers have to suffer for the rich's expense. The society was incredibly strict. Women had no rights and were owned by their husband. As a result, Freud's pessimistic views towards women might have originated from this. Even though the population are optimistic about their place in society, they were anti-Semitic. As a result, Freud's theories might be a way he lets out his repressed feeling of the culture.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Psychology Best of the Century
Psychology has redefined itself quite differently in this century. Psychology is opened to everyone. It has been determined that 80% of those who participate in group therapies, seminars and workshops benefit from them. Therapies are no longer confined themselves to one culture. With multi-cultured therapies, therapists can devise new methods to help people from different cultural backgrounds. For example thousands of addicts have been inspired to quit their addictions. New methods of therapies have developed like behavior therapy. As a result, many therapists are able to manipulate therapies and combine them to form new and more effective methods of treatments. With advances in diagnostic machines, biological and neurological studies have quickly evolved. Psychotherapy has evolved and incorporated means of spiritual and religious issues.
Even though there are a lot of new breakthroughs in this century, the five that I think is most important are the issues of our memories, benefits of thinking, development of the brain, the benefits of the environment, and mental and emotional development over the age of 12.
1. Elizabeth Loftus has showed us how unreliable our memories are. As an eyewitness, their testimony can easily sentence a person to life in prison. However memories that we think is real, can still be false. As a result, personal account is not always reliable.
2. Ellen Langer has shown us that just thinking can help us live longer. I find that very interesting. It seems to me that thinking causes reactions in the mind that keeps the brain active. As a result, I think that a brain that is not commonly used would degenerate faster. In my opinion the mind works in the same principle as a car. If you use it everyday, it sometime still might break down but it shouldn’t breakdown as quickly as a car that has been left in a garage for years.
3. Jean Piaget has demonstrated to us that the mind develops in stages. As a result, the reason why little kids cannot learn rocket science or nuclear science is not because they are stupid or just not willing to learn. However, it is because their minds are not able to comprehend such a complex concept. As a result with detailed studies, we can produce a curriculum that children can best benefit from.
4. Marian Diamond has demonstrated that rats have a more complex brain when left in a more active environment. Humans too should have more development if we stay in an active environment. As a result we should have a more complex brain. In the end if we had a good environment, theoretically we will have a better mind set than those who never did anything throughout their life.
5. Erik Erikson was the first to propose that intellectual and emotional development occurs throughout our entire life. I agree with Erikson, even though the brain is no longer growing, the neurons are still making new connections. As a result, to the point of death, the human mind can change. I think this is important because, in life, you have to adapt to the environment. The environment cannot always be changed to fit your liking.
Psychology has redefined itself quite differently in this century. Psychology is opened to everyone. It has been determined that 80% of those who participate in group therapies, seminars and workshops benefit from them. Therapies are no longer confined themselves to one culture. With multi-cultured therapies, therapists can devise new methods to help people from different cultural backgrounds. For example thousands of addicts have been inspired to quit their addictions. New methods of therapies have developed like behavior therapy. As a result, many therapists are able to manipulate therapies and combine them to form new and more effective methods of treatments. With advances in diagnostic machines, biological and neurological studies have quickly evolved. Psychotherapy has evolved and incorporated means of spiritual and religious issues.
Even though there are a lot of new breakthroughs in this century, the five that I think is most important are the issues of our memories, benefits of thinking, development of the brain, the benefits of the environment, and mental and emotional development over the age of 12.
1. Elizabeth Loftus has showed us how unreliable our memories are. As an eyewitness, their testimony can easily sentence a person to life in prison. However memories that we think is real, can still be false. As a result, personal account is not always reliable.
2. Ellen Langer has shown us that just thinking can help us live longer. I find that very interesting. It seems to me that thinking causes reactions in the mind that keeps the brain active. As a result, I think that a brain that is not commonly used would degenerate faster. In my opinion the mind works in the same principle as a car. If you use it everyday, it sometime still might break down but it shouldn’t breakdown as quickly as a car that has been left in a garage for years.
3. Jean Piaget has demonstrated to us that the mind develops in stages. As a result, the reason why little kids cannot learn rocket science or nuclear science is not because they are stupid or just not willing to learn. However, it is because their minds are not able to comprehend such a complex concept. As a result with detailed studies, we can produce a curriculum that children can best benefit from.
4. Marian Diamond has demonstrated that rats have a more complex brain when left in a more active environment. Humans too should have more development if we stay in an active environment. As a result we should have a more complex brain. In the end if we had a good environment, theoretically we will have a better mind set than those who never did anything throughout their life.
5. Erik Erikson was the first to propose that intellectual and emotional development occurs throughout our entire life. I agree with Erikson, even though the brain is no longer growing, the neurons are still making new connections. As a result, to the point of death, the human mind can change. I think this is important because, in life, you have to adapt to the environment. The environment cannot always be changed to fit your liking.
Big issues in Psychology
In completing this survey, I discovered that many things. At first I thought that would be get all the answer that I though was correct. However I noticed that the graph I made is biased. It showed that I'm subconsciously trying to that I was correct. For example I thought that human behaviors are heavily based on nurturing. However, I scored and 8 on it. Eight is closer to the middle than to the extreme of nurturing. However the graph I drew showed the opposite. The result also told me something interesting. If people subconscious biased, how do psychologists know that the result they got is not biased to their own idea. Also I have seen these type of questions before. It is very easy to put answers that will fit with my beliefs. Even though I was trying to be truthful, I might have biasedly answered. I think these test are best if we are not aware of what we are examining. In the end I still think that people are irrational, always changing, and their behavior is based on nurturing.
In completing this survey, I discovered that many things. At first I thought that would be get all the answer that I though was correct. However I noticed that the graph I made is biased. It showed that I'm subconsciously trying to that I was correct. For example I thought that human behaviors are heavily based on nurturing. However, I scored and 8 on it. Eight is closer to the middle than to the extreme of nurturing. However the graph I drew showed the opposite. The result also told me something interesting. If people subconscious biased, how do psychologists know that the result they got is not biased to their own idea. Also I have seen these type of questions before. It is very easy to put answers that will fit with my beliefs. Even though I was trying to be truthful, I might have biasedly answered. I think these test are best if we are not aware of what we are examining. In the end I still think that people are irrational, always changing, and their behavior is based on nurturing.
Monday, August 14, 2006
"Why do we do the things that we do"
Why do people do what we do? We can try to pinpoint our nature to many thinks like nourishing, psychological evolution, etc. In my opinion I think human is a combination of everything. Every normal human being are self-conscious. As a result, our behavior is based on our environment and personal issues. Even though we still have our basic evolutionary needs, we can control it. For example eating, even if we are famine we can hold our self back. Same goes for air, we can forcefully stop our self from breathing. These things have to be taught or learn through out your life especially in their childhood. My conclusion is that people do the things they do because from their childhood experiences this is what is most appropriate to them. In my opinions I think things we experience through out our entire life influence on why we do what we do.
Even though what we experience through out our life may form the base of why we do what we do. Immediate stimuli like our mood on this day might also is a big factor why we might act more actively or not. Behavior to me is a summarization of your life experiences and what you have learned.
People might argue that biological and evolutionary factors affect our behavior, I think that both these topics influence us. But we are self conscious, as a result we can control temptation. To be able to control temptation, one must learn and live through it. As a result life experiences and what you have learned is the most powerful tool to shape who you are. No matter what you do or why you do it, your behavior is a reflection of who you are.
Why do people do what we do? We can try to pinpoint our nature to many thinks like nourishing, psychological evolution, etc. In my opinion I think human is a combination of everything. Every normal human being are self-conscious. As a result, our behavior is based on our environment and personal issues. Even though we still have our basic evolutionary needs, we can control it. For example eating, even if we are famine we can hold our self back. Same goes for air, we can forcefully stop our self from breathing. These things have to be taught or learn through out your life especially in their childhood. My conclusion is that people do the things they do because from their childhood experiences this is what is most appropriate to them. In my opinions I think things we experience through out our entire life influence on why we do what we do.
Even though what we experience through out our life may form the base of why we do what we do. Immediate stimuli like our mood on this day might also is a big factor why we might act more actively or not. Behavior to me is a summarization of your life experiences and what you have learned.
People might argue that biological and evolutionary factors affect our behavior, I think that both these topics influence us. But we are self conscious, as a result we can control temptation. To be able to control temptation, one must learn and live through it. As a result life experiences and what you have learned is the most powerful tool to shape who you are. No matter what you do or why you do it, your behavior is a reflection of who you are.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Why I'm Taking IB Psychology?
Psychology is . . . Psychology is not an art, though it is subjective. It is a science to pin point why people do or behave the way they do. As a result, we can benefit from this by being able to predict and judge without having to use trial and error. For example, if you are starting a new business, there are many factors can invite costumers to or away from your shop. As a result, psychology plays a vital roll in a successful business.
Psychology isn't something that can be absorbed within a one year course. This is because, like art, the human mind is not like physics which there is only one possible answer. Psychology is more diverse. Even though the same person is being tested in a test twice, the result can easily differ because there are extremely vast amounts of variable. One small change in an almost insignificant factor might distort the final result.
Psychology, for me, will be the foundations in which I can later reflect on. Even if in college and I take a business class, economy, or any other social science class, psychology is the base. Business will not have existed if there was no pattern in which people buy or are attracted to things. Any other social sciences are based on human influences. Human influences are a result of people's psychological behaviors.
Psychology is indeed practical. It is practical through out my entire life. Unlike all other social sciences, psychology is something you use everyday at every moment. From analyzing your friends smile or frown to motivating yourself to do homework psychology is a huge factor most people never think off.
Psychology is . . . Psychology is not an art, though it is subjective. It is a science to pin point why people do or behave the way they do. As a result, we can benefit from this by being able to predict and judge without having to use trial and error. For example, if you are starting a new business, there are many factors can invite costumers to or away from your shop. As a result, psychology plays a vital roll in a successful business.
Psychology isn't something that can be absorbed within a one year course. This is because, like art, the human mind is not like physics which there is only one possible answer. Psychology is more diverse. Even though the same person is being tested in a test twice, the result can easily differ because there are extremely vast amounts of variable. One small change in an almost insignificant factor might distort the final result.
Psychology, for me, will be the foundations in which I can later reflect on. Even if in college and I take a business class, economy, or any other social science class, psychology is the base. Business will not have existed if there was no pattern in which people buy or are attracted to things. Any other social sciences are based on human influences. Human influences are a result of people's psychological behaviors.
Psychology is indeed practical. It is practical through out my entire life. Unlike all other social sciences, psychology is something you use everyday at every moment. From analyzing your friends smile or frown to motivating yourself to do homework psychology is a huge factor most people never think off.
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