Psychology of Doomer/Polly 1997/2000

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I have found it interesting and frustrating following the ebb and flow of the y2k debate.Polarization seems to be the order of the day.Few places can be found to debate without the flames and personal attacks.Is anyone studying the psychological impact of y2k?

-- J.L.Turner (jturner@ptway.com), August 06, 1999

Answers

Turner,

It's deeper than just what the psychological Impact is.

It's likely in yourself and based on your own values and understanding. If you understand it(Y2K) and you Get it you may only deal with issues of Remorse. On the up side you may feel as though you have a foundation in which to act upon to assist and help your fellow Men.

Of course, if you Don't get it then you will deal with Betrayal, Anger, Hopelessness, Emasculation, and perhaps Retribution. There is the possibility that these feelings could be had by all, but this could be typical.

The question is who is prepared for which side? And how many?

Answer your question?

-- A Maryland Farmer (TooLittle@TooLate.org), August 06, 1999.


Yup, I'm studying it. As a pychologist with 25 years of clinical experience, I just can't figger it out! Seems there's a lot more than just individual differences involved in one't perception and action taken y2k. I got it 2 years ago and work with a group of seasoned therapists who think I'm nutz. Hmmm. Maybe I am???! Oh, well, better to be nutz and prepared than destitute. Guess this hasn't helped, but I sure feel better now. God bless,

-- dr. ben (benalurker@usa.net), August 06, 1999.

Say, dr. ben,

Many of us have been armchair analyzing these attitudes and aptitudes for a couple of years now. I, for one would be really interested in a what a trained psychologist has to say. Would you be kind enough to give it some thought and share with us your professional opinions?

If this board is not the appropriate place, Ed. I'm sure there would be many interested eyes over at TB2K

Hallyx

"That millions of people share the same form of mental pathology does not make those people sane."---Eric Fromm

-- (Hallyx@aol.com), August 06, 1999.


Sure, people have been interested in the psychological aspects of the situation for a long time, long before Y2K became the "Cause Du Jour". I've been interested in the question of survival for about the last 25 years. There's a lot of good information out there. The term survivalism has gotten a bad reputation lately so people shy away from that word, but Y2K preparation is the same thing.

-- Noah Simoneaux (noaj@yournet.com), August 07, 1999.

Farmer,

What you say seems true and I have been thinking along those same lines. Getting It now, will cause some frustrations and hardships, but probably won't disable the individual. Not Getting It now, but having to deal with it all as a "shocking nasty surprise" will probably cause all sorts of disabling reactions, and I include anger and rage in that classification.

Dr.Ben,

Since you are deeply interested in this unfolding public behavior and reaction, I include you in the "professionally aware" group, but that is a small group, isn't it? I am stunned at the lack of interest in this social event by the psych profession at large. We have plenty of grim reports coming out of the Federal Govt at all levels, yet the public shrugs this off, as do most in the psych field. Wonder just how good a lot of your colleagues really are at what they do? If they are behaving just like the general public, for the most part, they should not be part of the counselling profession, in my opinion.

-- Gordon (gpconnolly@aol.com), August 07, 1999.



The difference between a GI and a DGI is simple...

Deep down, GI's KNOW mankind is headed down the wrong road and are strong enough to accept the concept...

Sooner or later, something is gonna give...

I keep think'n about a "Save Our Earth" bumper sticker on the back of a Volkswagon Bus...

Y2k may be the catalyst for the change...we may all put our car keys down at the same time, regardless of what we "want to do".

If Y2k plays out the way I think it will, I do not see a smooth transition to the "New World as We Know It".

-- Nailbender (y2k@sunvalley.net), August 08, 1999.


I recently visited Dr. Douglass Carmichael's website and he has written a couple good articles on the the psychology of people who are DGI's. His site is: http://www.tmn.com/~doug/

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), August 08, 1999.

From: Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr near Monterey, California

Psychology does seem to be a relevant topic for a book on designing the next world. More than just RGIs will survive. What ever number of us are left in the end, there will surely be plenty of nouveau GI's dealing with excess emotions, and probably some SDGI's who still don't get it, and even some WNGI's who will never get it. All of these people will have to be worked over, under, around, and through, with hand holding, pushing, pulling, and in some cases burying.

I hope the book will provide not just some glimpses of possible futures, but also some strategies for how to get to the ones that look best. Do we try to put the disillusioned people to work ASAP? Let them work out their grief? Ask for their input? What???

-- Dancr (addy.available@my.webpage), September 06, 1999.


PBS just aired a program locally on the real "Horse Whisperer," (named Roberts.) I remember he stated that he boiled motivation for animal behaviors down to two basic needs: reproduction; and survival. His particular talk was to CEOs on how we try to motivate people by using methods that threaten their survival, rather than using those that show a collaborative spirit.

Anyway, I think y2k strikes directly at this basic root instinct to "survive." If you "get it," you understand that your basic survival is in real jeopardy. The rest is a scramble to repossess power/control over those basic factors upon which your survival depends: shelter (warmth); water; food.

If Roberts is right, the best way to manage a GI would be through means that facilitate his survival or personal feelings of control over continued satisfaction of basic needs. The most violent way to manage people would be to hold shelter, water or food out as a carrot to motivate certain behaviors.

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), September 06, 1999.


I wonder if the psychological profession discourages (in general) sweeping generalizations about groups and, therefore, there is a corresponding lack of interest or attention to the possibilities of Y2K revealing some vivid insight into human behavior.

If you could develop some metrics and get some decent grant money, that'd be different.

Hmmm...

Sincerely, Stan Faryna

"A ruling intelligentsia, whether in Europe, Asia or Africa, treats the masses as raw material to be experimented on, processed, and wasted at will."

- Eric Hoffer

-- Stan Faryna (info@giglobal.com), September 07, 1999.



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