According to psychologists, my title has just now put you in the mind of feeling strongly devoted to your own set of beliefs, whatever those beliefs might be. I think I learned this a while back in psychology, but was reminded of it by an art history movie that I watched today.

What this made me start to wonder about is why, in horror, and such, is death so popular. After all, I have always wondered why people like to be scared. Is this why? Imagine that this. We live in a world where we are bombarded by mixed messages. Oh, you shouldn't be fat, because that's obesity. Oh, you shouldn't be skinny because that would be aneorexia. You should be republican, democrat, male, female, black, white, all of these things constantly pulling you from one place to another, with no real consideration for whether or not you feel safe. It is right, they say, to question your own beliefs. It is right, they say, to be in a constant state of uncertainty. Now imagine death. Death is pretty certain. Psychologists say that death invokes a sense of ferocity and devotion to our own beliefs. Then, does viewing death make us feel certain?

Imagine that you are watching a movie with a guy you like. You pop in a scary movie because you want an excuse to get closer to him. That's the pretty run of the mill reason, right? However, when you are actually watching the movie and there is horror and blood and gore and you DO cling to them, then what does that say? Perhaps it says, "I believe in this relationship"?

On my second date... of my life, I went to see a horror movie. I didn't know it was a horror movie, I just let him pick it. When I realized this fact, I thought to myself, "Hey, I've heard things about scary movies... maybe this'll be fun!" Well, as I watched the movie, I put my hands right in the middle of my lap. I plastered my elbows against my sides and I wrung my hands against one another over and over. He reached over part of the way through for my hand. I held it. It did make me feel a little better. It was the last date I had with the guy. I have no idea what that means.

I haven't decided where this factoid (if at all more than a trival piece of nonsense) fits in my life. However, it is something to think about.

I guess psychologists are wrong about me, then. :P I started thinking of library books....

Maybe he gave up on you because you didn't jump into his lap and start screaming. :P
» randomjunk on 2007-11-15 06:02:13

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