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Padriag -> RE: Personality and Behavior Modification (5/11/2007 8:27:14 AM)
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ORIGINAL: MadRabbit Which is a very brilliant way of saying the human beings are constantly learning and forgetting and if you can control what they learn, then eventually all their old knowledge will be replaced by new. However, human deaths makes complete change impossible since they will die before they can forget and relearn...unless started at near birth. (This is why I say we arent Gods). The problem with this is that I've yet to see a behavior that required that much time to change. Part of the premise of CuriousLs statement is flawed... one does not need to "forget" a past behavior in order to change it. We can easily demonstrate this with a simple exercise. Think of something, a habit or activity, you used to do but no longer engage in (a change in behavior). and there you have an easy example of a behavior that has changed, even though the past behavior is still remembered. quote:
I'll exclude the notion that free will governs change...that even if you control the input, the decision rests on the individual to "input" it or reject it since you have made it clear that as an Athiest, you dont agree with the philosophical belief in will. Religious beliefs have nothing to do with it. Read "Beyond Freedom and Dignity" by B F Skinner if you want a good case for just how little free will anyone has. quote:
Forget that some psychologists beleive that people are just simply born the way they are. For example, I've read a number of articles that state that sociopaths are simily born sociopathic and will be sociopaths until the day they die, regarldess of any treatment or "control of the input." Read what articles, by whom, and had these "theories" been vetted? What was their foundation or logic. I could say I have read an article that theorizes the moon has a liquid magma nickel-iron core... but that proves nothing. Those who know a bit about the science might very quickly raise an eyebrow at such a statement because current known facts indicate that the moon does not have a liquid magma core, and without some supporting facts, such a theory is baseless speculation. The same is true of "theories" stating that sociopaths are simply born sociopaths... with no explanation. That's bad science, its basically someone saying, "Well, I don't actually know why that person turned out to be a sociopath, but since I'm afraid I'll look like an idiot if I just say that, I'll blame it on something most people will find believeable... and since genetics is such a fad right now, hey... they had the sociopath gene, that's its, yeah." Bad science. quote:
What do you feal is ethical in your modifications? That which does not harm the person. I could make almost anyone into a "slave" by simply systematically destroying their self esteem until I had reduced them to the point they no longer had any faith in themselves, no confidence in their own ability at all. At that point I would have created a person who was utterly dependant on me and would be extremely pliable. But, in the process I would have "destroyed" the person, and I consider that unethical. Besides which such a person would not be attractive to me. I like a bit more confidence than that. quote:
I feal an ethical responsibility to influence someone to change for the better of themselves as opposed to solely my wants and needs. If dominance is about authority and control, then why does it exclusively have to be used for your individual wants and needs. I agree with the first part, but not the second. I see no ethical problem changing a slave to suit my desires or wants, provided that change does not violate my first rule of doing no harm. If I want a slave to, for a simple example, stop wearing pants and only wear skirts. This change does not better the slave as a person, neither does it harm them... its solely for my pleasure, to please me. I might require a change in other behaviors, such as kneeling next to me at home... again, this does not "better" them as a person, its done chiefly to please me. But neither of these examples "harms" the slave as a person, so I see no problem with it. quote:
I wont try to change someone into being compleletely dependant upon me and interfere with their ability to function as an independent adult should something happen to me. In fact, it would be my goal that they are ultimately a stronger and more independent person. See my above remarks about destroying self esteem. quote:
Sure, I have a handful of behaviors and protocols that I prefer...but they would only encompass a small part of a person's identity. So you do change some things solely because its what you want.
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