If you can’t let your dark-side out to play in a safe environment, you risk not knowing it well enough to keep it coming out in ways you didn’t plan for.
Reference : The majority of murder and violent crime.
Some people just genuinely don’t have those kinds of dark impulses and actually are repulsed to take such actions even in a simulated environment. But I’ll grant you, non-destructive, safe outlets for those impulses and frustrations is, indeed, healthier than the alternative.
I assure you everyone has them. There’s an abundance of evidence for this, no one is above the possibility of then coming out in the right circumstances.
I don’t know how anyone else does it. I’ve tried an evil run in Fallout 3 so I could recruit a particular follower. I had to restart multiple times because I kept accidentally being nice to people, and on my last attempt, I couldn’t even make it to the first town before I stopped playing because it was way too painful to be mean. It felt the same even just watching someone else play Durge on BG3.
You are wrong. I do not doubt that many suppress such thoughts, but some at least also do not have them.
And I’d like to make a distinction here about intrusive thoughts and things I actually phantasize about doing. I have intrusive thoughts, but I know that I wouldn’t want to act out on any that hurt another living being, even if guaranteed to have no consequences.
Are you suggesting murders and violent crime would be reduced if the perpetrators had s safe outlet for this?
I’m not sure I believe that. I’d guess most murder and violent crime in the US is gang related. Those people have plenty of opportunity to play GTA and COD as a safe outlet. I think it has more to do with the environment they grow up in, and the culture it fosters. Which mainly relates to poverty and lack of opportunity.
Similarly, cops who abuse their power have access to the same games and media.
Some will argue it’s the games and media that contribute to causing this, but I’m not sure I believe that either. That always seemed a bit pearl clutchy.
Disagree. Not everyone has horrible urges that need safe outlets, and some actions in games are repugnant, even virtually. I remember reading a comment on reddit about someone who played RDR 2 and just randomly decided to kidnap a civilian by hog tying them and loading them up on a horse. They took them to a cliff bound, and tossed them off. For no reason whatsoever. And expected people to relate. It was repulsive, and made me feel extremely uncomfortable even reading about.
I love video games, but I don’t like realistic violence generally. It’s why I don’t play games like GTA and Manhunt, and why I only enjoy FPS games that involve fictional stuff like aliens and monsters (Doom, Halo).
Plus, multiple studies have proven that indulging in violent urges in games like Call of Duty and such actually leads to more aggression and violent impulse, not less.
Your suggested “safe outlet” is anything but. Young people need to be taught empathy and how to engage with their emotions and address them in a healthy fashion. Not indulge in virtual depravity when they feel bad.
Capable, yes, but why indulge it intentionally? That seems counterintuitive, and the studies I linked agree.
How does denial and repression represent “engaging with their emotions”?
We don’t teach young people, young men in particular, to engage with their feelings in healthy ways, and in many cases rely on violent outlets. In a sense, young men only learn two viable feelings: horny, and angry. Just look at what’s going on these days with young men, incels, red pillers, etc. We need to teach men that it’s okay to feel things, take time to process it, understand that having negative or painful feelings doesn’t make you weak, or bad. Repression is the opposite of what I’m talking about. Western society has practiced repression to the ill of men (and the adverse affect to women who engage with them, willfully or otherwise).
I didn’t mention anything about denial or repression in my original comment. Your response inferring that tells me more about you than the topic.
Of course we wanna believe in a world of good guys and bad guys. But that’s only real in Hollywood.
I didn’t mention good guys or bad guys, this isn’t hollywood shit. I’m talking about engaging with feelings and emotions in healthy, productive ways. It’s nothing to do with black and white thinking, it’s about mental health.
If you can’t let your dark-side out to play in a safe environment, you risk not knowing it well enough to keep it coming out in ways you didn’t plan for.
Reference : The majority of murder and violent crime.
Some people just genuinely don’t have those kinds of dark impulses and actually are repulsed to take such actions even in a simulated environment. But I’ll grant you, non-destructive, safe outlets for those impulses and frustrations is, indeed, healthier than the alternative.
I assure you everyone has them. There’s an abundance of evidence for this, no one is above the possibility of then coming out in the right circumstances.
I don’t know how anyone else does it. I’ve tried an evil run in Fallout 3 so I could recruit a particular follower. I had to restart multiple times because I kept accidentally being nice to people, and on my last attempt, I couldn’t even make it to the first town before I stopped playing because it was way too painful to be mean. It felt the same even just watching someone else play Durge on BG3.
You are wrong. I do not doubt that many suppress such thoughts, but some at least also do not have them. And I’d like to make a distinction here about intrusive thoughts and things I actually phantasize about doing. I have intrusive thoughts, but I know that I wouldn’t want to act out on any that hurt another living being, even if guaranteed to have no consequences.
You say I’m wrong and then explain that I’m right. Thanks
You are wrong about this. If you read properly, you would have understood this.
Well, I’ve got you this thread on one side of this point.
And I’ve got decades of research, history and professional experience on the other side.
You’ve not convinced me yet! 😀
I don’t need to convince you for you to be wrong.
Then may I suggest starting with some Carl Jung?
His work on both Archetypes and Shadow-Self will be illuminating
Are you suggesting murders and violent crime would be reduced if the perpetrators had s safe outlet for this?
I’m not sure I believe that. I’d guess most murder and violent crime in the US is gang related. Those people have plenty of opportunity to play GTA and COD as a safe outlet. I think it has more to do with the environment they grow up in, and the culture it fosters. Which mainly relates to poverty and lack of opportunity.
Similarly, cops who abuse their power have access to the same games and media.
Some will argue it’s the games and media that contribute to causing this, but I’m not sure I believe that either. That always seemed a bit pearl clutchy.
Coincidentally, violent crime has been going down ever since the release of Mortal Kombat. Before then video games were less violent IMHO.
At least in the similar case of porn, it’s been around long enough to be studied and has no significant casual/preventative effect on sex crimes.
Well, my suggestion is a bit more complex than that!
I’m talking about using outlets as ways to become familiar with our darkness so we can make informed choices about how it shows up in the world.
A process a lot more complex than “just play GTA”
The reverse is true. If you train your brain to give in to the urges, you’re more likely to do so IRL too.I would say that depends:
I can blast opponents to bits in a fast paced shooter without becoming a homocidal maniac
I would probably be affected negatively by being cruel as a habit in a story driven game environment
Ok, i agree, it depends.
Yeah, but why would you do that?
The point of getting to know, to understand and accept your shadow urges is so you have a choice in them, not to give in to them.
Disagree. Not everyone has horrible urges that need safe outlets, and some actions in games are repugnant, even virtually. I remember reading a comment on reddit about someone who played RDR 2 and just randomly decided to kidnap a civilian by hog tying them and loading them up on a horse. They took them to a cliff bound, and tossed them off. For no reason whatsoever. And expected people to relate. It was repulsive, and made me feel extremely uncomfortable even reading about.
I love video games, but I don’t like realistic violence generally. It’s why I don’t play games like GTA and Manhunt, and why I only enjoy FPS games that involve fictional stuff like aliens and monsters (Doom, Halo).
Plus, multiple studies have proven that indulging in violent urges in games like Call of Duty and such actually leads to more aggression and violent impulse, not less.
Your suggested “safe outlet” is anything but. Young people need to be taught empathy and how to engage with their emotions and address them in a healthy fashion. Not indulge in virtual depravity when they feel bad.
How does denial and repression represent “engaging with their emotions”?
Everyone is capable of darkness.
The worst things humans have done through all of history have been in the name of doing the right thing.
The reason seeing that darkness in others makes people so uncomfortable is it threatens their conceit that they’re above such things.
Of course we wanna believe in a world of good guys and bad guys. But that’s only real in Hollywood.
Capable, yes, but why indulge it intentionally? That seems counterintuitive, and the studies I linked agree.
We don’t teach young people, young men in particular, to engage with their feelings in healthy ways, and in many cases rely on violent outlets. In a sense, young men only learn two viable feelings: horny, and angry. Just look at what’s going on these days with young men, incels, red pillers, etc. We need to teach men that it’s okay to feel things, take time to process it, understand that having negative or painful feelings doesn’t make you weak, or bad. Repression is the opposite of what I’m talking about. Western society has practiced repression to the ill of men (and the adverse affect to women who engage with them, willfully or otherwise).
I didn’t mention anything about denial or repression in my original comment. Your response inferring that tells me more about you than the topic.
I didn’t mention good guys or bad guys, this isn’t hollywood shit. I’m talking about engaging with feelings and emotions in healthy, productive ways. It’s nothing to do with black and white thinking, it’s about mental health.