Video Game Addiction
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Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 06:17
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In the interest of not getting into an argument with Stillness again (because we know how fruitless that is), I'm not going to point out where I disagree with him, as tempting as it is. Nevertheless, I'd like to note that some social anxiety should be overcome and some should not. One of the greatest revelations of my life — ever — was realizing that sometimes, when I feel uncomfortable in a group setting, it's because I'm in a weird situation and am having a perfectly normal reaction. I don't need to "loosen up"; I need to get out of there, because it's weird and I don't like it. Also, certain forms of "letting go" and "being silly" and "having fun" make me uncomfortable (I'm thinking here of most dancing, among other things), and not because I need to relax and just let myself go or whatever the hell people like to say to people like me; I genuinely don't like these things. Realizing that I don't have to like them, that there's nothing wrong with me even if I don't like them, was a great release for me. -------------------- Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens. Smoo: Get ready to face the walls! Ephesos: In conclusion, yarr. Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 7723
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 06:47
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You don't like dancing?!? You're probably too uptight. Relax a little. Feel the music. Posts: 701 | Registered: Thursday, November 30 2006 08:00 |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 06:58
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This is a profound issue, which can sometimes have a lot more at stake than social discomfort: change oneself, or claim oneself? I think everybody has to do some of both, throughout life. As a Christian I try to recognize the possibility that radical and painful change may be needed ("If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out"), but I also bear in mind the parable of the wheat and tares, which says that God would rather tolerate a lot of bad stuff, for a while, than lose good things, or things that could become good, that are tangled up with the bad. So sometimes one does have to struggle painfully against one's own nature, but pluck first and ask questions afterwards is not the right attitude in general. As for introversion, I find that the Myers-Briggs take on it seems to fit me. It's not that I dislike social interaction, but that I find it draining rather than energizing. When I have the energy to spare, social interaction can be a great use for it. Practice in socializing doesn't really change this basic orientation, I don't think, but it probably trains my psychic metabolism so that I don't get worn out by people so fast. -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
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? Man, ? Amazing
Member # 5755
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 07:22
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My favorite "side-effect notification spiel" is for the product called Lunestra. Apparently, it may cause drowsiness and should not be taken before driving or operating machinery. -------------------- WWtNSD? Synergy - "I don't get it." Posts: 4114 | Registered: Monday, April 25 2005 07:00 |
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Canned
Member # 8014
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 07:29
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But that butterfly makes the commercial look bad. -------------------- I can transform into almost anything, though not sanity. Muffins n' Hell Posts: 1799 | Registered: Sunday, February 4 2007 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 6292
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 07:29
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Carl Jung, who gave us the main three continua upon which Meyers-Briggs is based, believed it is our goal in life as we grow and mature, to slide along those continua and come to a place of balance near the middle. If we start out highly iNtuitive (which I am in spades) rather than Sensory, we should work on bringing up our weaker function. If we are strongly Introverted (I am in the middle on this one), then we would want to work to bring that more toward the middle where we can be energized by the company of others (or not drained by it) as well as be comfortable alone. I read a blurb the other day about how deeply ingrained in our DNA being social is for our physical well-being. The John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, James Bond loner ideal sort for men is about the most unhealthy role a man can play in the real world. Yet it is our cultural ideal for a man. Men are not socialized to be social like women are, to our detriment. So, if we find we are strong on the Introvert side, we might want to consciously push ourselves, gently, to find comfortable ways to connect more with others. Our vitality and longevity is dependent upon in ultimately. -S- -------------------- A4 Items • A4 Singleton • G4 Items • G4 Forging • G4 Infiltrator • NR Items • The Lonely Celt Posts: 2009 | Registered: Monday, September 12 2005 07:00 |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 08:28
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It certainly seems as though there are stronger incentives for becoming more social than less. If nothing else, being more socially agreeable is a good way to improve other things in life, like salaries, work you love doing, and meeting someone special if you want to. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
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Skip to My Lou
Member # 40
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 09:22
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I would argue that there are as many benefits to being less social as there are to being more, particularly in many areas of personal growth and understanding oneself better. Personally, I don't think one can be claimed to be better than the other. While an extro-pill would have it's uses, I suspect that in the vast majority of cases it would be used as an easy way out for people who are avoiding the time and effort of better developing their social skills in non-chemical ways. While it would, of course, be a personal choice, it strikes me as somewhere between laziness and cheating oneself. And let us not forget the vast number of introverts that would immediately start receiving overwhelming social pressures from our highly extroverted culture to make the extro-pill a part of their complete breakfast. Not to mention the less social children with highly social parents that would start stuffing them pills the second they are old enough to not be killed by it. -------------------- Take the Personality Test! Deep down, you wish you were a stick figure. Posts: 1629 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 09:26
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quote:I am an introverted person by nature. I spent years thinking that there was something wrong with me, that I needed to become more social, that I needed to learn to feel differently in certain situations. What I said above is that the greatest liberation I have ever experienced happened when I realized that there's nothing wrong with me, that how I feel is legitimate, that being introverted is okay. One should not rush to judge the shy or the introverted; sometimes these traits are perfectly fine and don't need to be changed. quote:I do not think that you can make such a wild generalization about "our cultural ideals." Our culture (and here I'm referring to American culture) is diverse and, while I completely agree that this is an ideal that is expressed sometimes, I do not agree at all that it is the ideal for a man in our culture. [ Tuesday, July 03, 2007 09:28: Message edited by: Kelandon ] -------------------- Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens. Smoo: Get ready to face the walls! Ephesos: In conclusion, yarr. Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00 |
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Electric Sheep One
Member # 3431
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 11:43
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quote:So I understand. But later people — starting, I think, with Myers and Briggs — took a 'different strokes for different folks' attitude, instead. Change or claim, again. I do kind of like Jung's ideal of being balanced. It's kind of like Terentius's 'humani nil a me alienum'. But like Kelandon, I also rather like the sense of affirmation and identity I found in the Myers-Briggs theory. In fact I think that the two attitudes can be complementary. If all the different M-B types are equally valid ways to be, then there must be something valuable in all of them, which might be worth trying to acquire if that were possible. But Jungian balance then becomes a 'nice to have' instead of a 'must have', so the pressure is off. And that helps, I find. Given that it's okay to be introverted, I actually feel a bit more inclined to work on moving a little more toward extroversion. Parties, for instance, are a good deal more tolerable if I feel free to leave early, or to spend most of my time in a serious conversation in a corner instead of mingling. EDIT: About Myers-Briggs types per se, I should say that I am skeptical on general grounds, but have found that they seem to work well for me and most of the people I know. And it can't be entirely the 'Forer effect', because the type that seems to fit me uncannily well is apparently quite rare, while most of the other M-B types seem bafflingly alien to me, to the point where I was really shocked to imagine that people could actually be like that. But that's the thing: I suspect that the M-B system probably doesn't work nearly so well for most people. Some people, like me, happen to fit some of its types very well. If you're not one of them, there's a good chance you're also different enough from me that I won't feel I really know you. So there are 17 kinds of people in the world: those who fit the Myers-Briggs scheme, and those who don't. [ Tuesday, July 03, 2007 12:02: Message edited by: Student of Trinity ] -------------------- We're not doing cool. We're doing pretty. Posts: 3335 | Registered: Thursday, September 4 2003 07:00 |
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Skip to My Lou
Member # 40
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 13:04
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As I've continued to look into M-B typology, I've found that the most common misconception (which I myself originally fell into) is in thinking that the various descriptions of each "type" are the sum and purpose of type theory. Actually, they are only intended to be general descriptions of things that likely apply to those who have that particular combination of dominant cognitive functions. How well a particular description fits is merely a measure of how closely you match the list of most common characteristics among those who are that type. [ Tuesday, July 03, 2007 13:14: Message edited by: Archmage Alex ] -------------------- Take the Personality Test! Deep down, you wish you were a stick figure. Posts: 1629 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 13:22
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quote:Says someone who likes dancing. Is it totally inconceivable for someone to feel differently? For the record, although I can't say I love dancing, I don't hate it. I do hate, or at least strongly dislike, most dance music. Feeling the music isn't always a good thing. quote:Introversion isn't the same as having avoidant personality disorder. It's quite possible to connect well to others and still find people, especially lots of people, draining. —Alorael, who thinks social interaction is very important. Enjoying social interaction is also very important. Reveling in it and always choosing social over non-social activity is not necessary. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 13:31
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While some people, including me, feel uncomfortable in social situations, there are times when real social interactions are required in life: finding a good job, finding a spouse, establishing a group of friends, etc. You can have "friends" online, who don’t even know your real name. You might not care about starting a family. You can learn to accept being stuck in a job that’s far below your abilities and qualifications because you didn’t have the social contacts to get a better position. However, life would be far more satisfying with at least the amount of social interaction necessary to function in society. As for the hypothetical "social pill", it could be useful to get a person started on the right track. The standard advice is "invite some friends for a movie or dinner, etc.", but the problem is that to do that you need to be comfortable enough with doing it, in which case, there wouldn’t be a problem anyway. So a "social pill", or even a placebo, for that matter, could break that cycle and move you to a situation that can be sustained without it. PS Somebody mentioned the "natural cure" of alcohol. That "natural cure" kills more people than all psychiatric drugs combined. I don’t know exact statistics, so the only thing I can say is that "natural" alcohol is one of the main reasons life expectancy for men in Russia is about 15 years lower than for women. -------------------- Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword, For it too has the power to kill. However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword, Can also have the power to heal. Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2820
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 13:58
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I was an introvert when I was about 11 years old. Then I looked at the mirror one day and decided that was WAY lame. By denying my inner sentimentalities, I converted myself into a pretty outspoken extrovert. Of course, few people actually know the real me since my outlandish bravado obscures it, but I think I'm much happier now than before. Still not high as a kite all the time, but good enough. EDIT: I forgot to include my analysis and opinion. I think it is perfectly acceptable to be an introverted, private person. Meek people can still have fulfilling relationships and be successful. But if you lack the motivation and courage to do things to get ahead in life (like clawing your way to the top of a corporate ladder), then improving your social skills is an excellent step in the right direction to awesomeness. [ Tuesday, July 03, 2007 14:02: Message edited by: Garrison ] -------------------- Thuryl: I mean, most of us don't go around consuming our own bodily fluids, no matter how delicious they are. ==== Alorael: War and violence would end if we all had each other's babies! ==== Drakefyre: Those are hideous mangos. Posts: 1415 | Registered: Thursday, March 27 2003 08:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 14:39
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quote:Is using a washing machine instead of washing your clothes by hand a form of laziness? If so, is there anything wrong with it? -------------------- The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 7723
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 15:01
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I was teasing Kel about dancing. Alcohol doesn't kill people. Misuse and abuse of it does. If you look back at my comment I used the word "moderation." Even then I still don't agree with using alcohol to aid oneself in social situations. I just think it's superior to some of the stuff put out by drug companies, which definitely kills and maims people through normal use. I would take a sip of wine before I'd pop a pill. At least wine can actually be good for you physically. Using a washing machine doesn't handicap you mentally or physically. Not all shortcuts are bad. If you need a substance to get along with people and you can't quit it without going through withdrawel, that's bad. Posts: 701 | Registered: Thursday, November 30 2006 08:00 |
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? Man, ? Amazing
Member # 5755
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 15:51
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quote:Most drug companies would prefer that you read the warning labels. -------------------- WWtNSD? Synergy - "I don't get it." Posts: 4114 | Registered: Monday, April 25 2005 07:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 6754
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 16:14
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quote:Honesty! Praise to Aloreal! quote:Where did you get the coke? Or ... hasn't that been done? quote:I'm not saying I disagree, but would you consider me an alcoholic if I knocked back a fifth of Jack every day, and liked it? I'm not sure if I could answer that one myself. quote:I love my momma, and we respect one another, but it is none of her damn business how many hours a day I play video games. You might want to break it to your mom a little softer. quote:Hooray! Definition! Praise to Synergy! quote:Good observation. So how about MAKING video games? It's even more tedious than playing them, but something comes of it. I do it all the time ... of course, not much ever comes of mine ... quote:Do you mean to tell me you've never been drunk as a teenager? Or haven't you been through that decade yet? I've never even known of anyone who went through college without drinking heavily at some point. Humor me: are you the first? quote:Where do YOU live? Prepare to hear, then! So I'm in the car with three of my friends, coming back from a play. The cops did not announce their arrival or pull us over - they instead stood in front of the moving car and began shining their flashlights in our eyes. When we stopped, they pounded on both front windows (it scared the piss out of me, I couldn't see who it was) and demanded we "get out of the f@cking car!" My friend (the driver) got shoved back in because he said his license was still in the car "just shut the f@ck up and gimme your goddamn license!" Kept insisting we had been drinking and driving. It wasn't past curfew. We were going about 15 in a neighborhood. I was yanked by my shirt out of the backseat and questioned. Being the usual pain-in-the-ass I am to authority, all they got out of me was one "yes" once they let us go. Land of the free, everyone. True story: ask Kyle, Chris, or Ally how scared we were of getting our asses kicked by the LOCAL COPS. quote:Agreed. Giving something a name doesn't stop it. Stillness, you put down a lot of good stuff (too much to address it all specifically), and you admit that you're not expressing which is "right" or "wrong." I'm very happy to see that kind of concession in this kind of debate. I'm a good example of someone who has chosen drugs. I take a prescription for a mental disorder I won't describe, but I feel I don't have a choice. You say you "won't sacrifice [your] mental and physical health for some immediate calm." Well, what if you didn't have those to start with? Hypothetically, would you forgo an easier solution? quote:As a Christian, you base your beliefs on a preexisting moral code. Am I wrong? quote:Hell, at least you're willing to try something! I encourage everyone who reads this to experiment. Additionally, if it weren't for drugs, I would have died by the time I was a few weeks old. I don't believe I would have a very promising life without the medication I take currently, as well. I know I'll get even more negative feedback from this, but the discussion would be really fair if its participants have all experienced or observed addiction. And for the record, I've NEVER had to throw up from drinking. quote: quote: quote:  I see Mr. T! -------------------- One of these words is mispelled. Posts: 284 | Registered: Tuesday, January 31 2006 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2820
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 17:39
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Getting wasted as a teenage is all fine and dandy, but you had better not have been driving. Drunk driving is a real concern, and far worse than @$$hole cops. -------------------- Thuryl: I mean, most of us don't go around consuming our own bodily fluids, no matter how delicious they are. ==== Alorael: War and violence would end if we all had each other's babies! ==== Drakefyre: Those are hideous mangos. Posts: 1415 | Registered: Thursday, March 27 2003 08:00 |
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Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 18:41
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quote:I'm almost done with college at age 22 and have never had any alcohol in my life (and never will). You're a fool if you seriously believe what you're saying, and you're a troll if not. -------------------- Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens. Smoo: Get ready to face the walls! Ephesos: In conclusion, yarr. Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00 |
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Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
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written Tuesday, July 3 2007 20:02
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Wow... Kel's really got his claws out. I think somebody struck a nerve. quote:Actually, this is not at all the typical MB line. Certainly it isn't what Isabel Briggs Myers wrote, nor is it how her work has most often been built on. (Jung, of course, did not talk about any of this stuff; he disliked the MB system.) MB states that we have functional preferences for a reason. The tertiary and inferior functions should be examined, investigated, understood, and respected; but we should not try to use them more. Rather, the way to grow is supposed to involve using the auxiliary function to better support the primary one. This does imply less inequality between introversion and extraversion, but not actual balance, nor does it speak to the other dichotomies at all. Synergy, you are such an ENFJ, it's not even funny. -------------------- Slarty vs. Desk • Desk vs. Slarty • Timeline of Ermarian • G4 Strategy Central Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 8684
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written Wednesday, July 4 2007 01:47
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quote:I'm 23, and I've never had more alcohol than what was perhaps in any cough syrup I've taken. I suppose I'm the first and Kel is the 2nd, then? :P Posts: 13 | Registered: Thursday, May 10 2007 07:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 7723
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written Wednesday, July 4 2007 02:01
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I don't know what reading warning labels has to do with anything. Nick, I'm not completely anti-drug. If someone has a serious life-threatening medical condition or a disease which won't let them function normally that's a different story. I had a tooth extracted a few years back and experienced more pain than I thought possible. I would've taken crack to get rid of it. Fortunately I had a prescription for tylenol 3. But, I'd do some very deep research and explore many alternatives before i ever took drugs if it meant long-term or life long use. I don't trust drug companies or anyone that wants my money with my health. The one thing I do appreciate is that they're honest about their drugs being addictive and dangerous. What I'm talking about is folks that take drugs before going to a social event because they don't socialize well. Posts: 701 | Registered: Thursday, November 30 2006 08:00 |
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Skip to My Lou
Member # 40
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written Wednesday, July 4 2007 05:51
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quote:"Laziness" was perhaps not the best word. It seems like it would be an easy way out with results that would not quite be the same and be far less personally rewarding than if it were done non-chemically. It is comparable to your clothes washing example in how the washing machine certainly lessens or eliminates the sense reward for your effort and appreciation of clean clothes. However, chemical alterations to your brain in a manner that that could effect your personality on a fundamental level strikes me as being rather significantly different than saving oneself a little menial labor. As I said, it would be a matter of personal choice as to whether you consider the trade-off to be worth it. No doubt we could find people who consider the use of washing machines to be be robbing oneself of a valuable and rewarding experience. This was merely my opinion and was hardly my main point or primary objection. -------------------- Take the Personality Test! Deep down, you wish you were a stick figure. Posts: 1629 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
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written Wednesday, July 4 2007 06:29
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quote:That explains a lot. -------------------- Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens. Smoo: Get ready to face the walls! Ephesos: In conclusion, yarr. Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00 |