psych theories
Sun 11.5.23,
Jonathan Franzen’s book The Karl Kraus Project is a translation of a group of essays written by Kraus, a 19th century Austrian essayist who was known in his time as the great hater. Franzen, who is no slouch in the anger and hate department himself, greatly admires Kraus, a man who seemed to take pleasure in writing essays that were indecipherable to readers. One of Kraus’ statement about Freud’s method of psychoanalysis, a practice that was the rage in his time impressed me: Psychoanalysis is that disease of the mind for which it believes itself to be the cure. The mind is its own prisoner. Its capabilities are so vast that it can never be captured, measured, quantified, analysed. It will not be trapped, and uses our very real fears and insecurities for its benefits. We are convinced of our superiority to all that the world encompasses, even the world itself. We’re going to move to another planet once we’ve killed this one off, serious scientists tell us.
The field of social psychology is a farce and none of its pronouncements on experiments performed should be taken seriously. A human being is not in charge of his, her mind, rather it’s the other way around. His, her reason for acting in one way or another can never be inferred by a controlled situation, because no situation is controllable. There are too many variables at play.
Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death on the street at night near her home in Queens in the 60’s, a famous case. It was reported that thirty eight people saw it happen and no one called the police or came to her rescue. Social psychology came up with a theory to explain the phenomenon, “the bystander effect” someone knows more how to deal with this situation than I do, and “diffusion of responsibility,” Not my department.
In truth, some people did call the police and were ignored; most only saw glimpses of what was happening in the street; it was winter so closed windows muffled street sounds. Then another psychologist offered up this theory, witnesses might have assumed a private marital dispute was ensuing, or a male, female power dynamic at play, and did not want to interfere in a wholly private matter. But psychology textbooks to this day highlight the Genovese case as a classic example of diffusion of responsibility and the bystander effect.
Get the picture. We can’t possibly know what was in any of their minds.
That brings up an interesting phenomenon: people who’ve experienced close encounters with extreme danger and death, I should say some people, not everyone, become unhinged by the event. I knew a woman whose husband had a heart transplant. The guy went nuts afterward, spending money like crazy, gambling, going off for days, the parties, the trysts, then bankruptcy. The wife joined a group of mates whose spouses had had a transplant and they reported similar problems. What’s happening here? Is it that one has beat the odds and believes oneself invincible? Is it the thrill of defying danger to see if one still comes out alive? Or as the religious might think, guilt and a secret wish to die in expiation for sins committed? Incidentally, people who have overwhelming, unexpected good fortune experience the same outlandish behavior. Think of rock stars, lotto winners, etc. There is an oceanic feeling, a loss of boundaries.
I’m sure someone’s got a theory.
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Eight o'clock Sunday morning, the police arrive at her apartment in Greenwich Village, "How long have you been living here?" The roommate Elizabeth, after having accepted her half of the deposit money and rent for their new apartment, has called the police.
New York City doesn’t open its arms to welcome her, but she’s arrived and the adventure of her life is about to unfold. She’s come from Maine with an invitation from Sarah Lawrence College to participate in the graduate writing program.
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