Archive for the ‘Messing with the heads of the prey’ Category
Neural subversion
There is a science fiction story in which a future aristocracy dominates in part by means of mudras, or a language of voice, posture and gesture that automatically elicits awe, obedience and other desired emotions. This may only be an extension of present truth. Although youngsters fiercely resent being told to stop slouching and sit [...]
When hacking eyes are smiling
People assume that the smile is an outward and visible expression of an inward and invisible emotion. Ah, but that is what we are meant to think. For the human smile is a case of neural subversion. It begins with babies, whose smile is created by natural selection to control the mother’s responses. We are [...]
Grifter epistemology
Despite the plot of the film ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’, it has been said that every expert con-man immediately recognises another one. This means that the competent grifter has a different take on television evangelists, alternative healers and Deconstructionist professors than the rest of us; he wastes no time whatsoever wondering about the validity of their [...]
Born, not made
People are so busy pointing out the various reasons why the film ‘Basic Instinct’ is crap that they appear to have missed one. Catherine Tramell is portrayed as a world-class manipulator because she has a psychology degree. This tells us two things about the scriptwriters’ view of psychology as an academic discipline: what they think [...]
Suffering from one’s virtue
Homo sapiens is a predator. This does not mean merely that he eats meat, and kills to do so; nor even that he slays his own kind. The characteristic human form of predation is messing with the heads of designated prey, so that the food animals allow themselves to be predated in an orderly fashion. [...]
You’re so selfish!
Those of us who forever find ourselves stigmatised as ‘selfish’, despite all our efforts not to tread unduly on the toes of our fellow-creatures, may perhaps be excused for wondering what this word actually means and what its antonym might be.
No society can endure without a modicum of ‘unselfishness’, that is, people putting themselves [...]
Living for others
Another term of reproach, ‘self-centred’, implies that we should all be others-centred, living for others. Perhaps it is merely further proof of our self-centredness that some of us wonder how such a thing is possible. Where else could or should a person’s centre be but in his self? I look out from my eyes, not [...]
The wickedness of the victim
Our confessional culture has taught us a very strange idea: namely, the moment I have told you about a great wrong that I have done you, it ceases to be my problem, and the only topic of discussion thereafter is your reaction to my misdeed. I am then allowed to treat your reaction as if [...]
Roll over, I think I love you
If you want to abuse someone, you should first tell them that you ‘love’ them; it makes everything so much easier. First, it is widely thought that ‘loving’ someone gives you rights over them, and excuses all your behaviour. Second, many people, especially women, would much rather be told that they are loved than be [...]
You give me no choice
A staple rhetorical device of the kidnapper and hostage-taker is that his deeds are in fact our own deeds. He tells us that if we do not pay the ransom or accede to his demands, the death of his captive will be our responsibility and not his. In terms of moral philosophy that is, of [...]
