The Observation Deck

Barely mediated, barely medicated...whatever. Lucy in d'skies.

garden variety projection - filling in the blanks about a person you cannot see; ideas we have about this second person are projected onto them - kind of like how they look on our 'screen'.

projective identification - "A term introduced by Melanie Klein to refer to the unconscious process of projection of one or more parts of the self or of the internal object into another person (such as the mother). What is projected may be an intolerable, painful, or dangerous part of the self or object (the bad object). It may also be a valued aspect of the self or object (the good object) that is projected into the other person for safekeeping. The other person [snip] is dealt with as though he or she is in fact characterized by the aspects of the self that have been projected."

(A hat tip to Dr. Abess http://www.abess.com/glossary.html I snipped a misleading phrase: the other person is changed by the projection...)

A lot of anxiety and fight/flight springs (etc.) from projective identification in face-to-face and virtual groups. Lack of physicality amplifies this at times.

***

I'm simply wondering if others have the same problem, and, if so, I'm wondering if there are there things we can do to make this forum accessible to everyone.

No doubt others have the same problem. You've described a basically structural mismatch between time and 'the time it takes'. This makes the forum less accessible to you.

But, there is no solution that can make the forum accessible to all. Why? because accessibility isn't only a matter of time and the 'time it takes'.

I was intrigued when I read the suject matter of these posts, because I, like Shelly, can't always get through the posts in a timely matter due to family obligations, mine being five young kids running through the house. But that being said, I do enjoy trying to get through the longer posts. That is why I am torn on this subject. I am definately not a "supersize" poster, but I respect and enjoy the "supersize" posters. When I get the chance to read the longer posts I usually find them full of fantastic information. I really don't have any answers about this dilemma, I just wanted to let Shelly know she wasn't alone.

Jeff Endress wrote:Dr. Calhoun has opined as follows:

both garden-variety projection and projective identification are amplified in a medium where physical cues (etc.) are absent

Perhaps Dr. Calhoun could explain what the heck that means.

Mr. Endress

Dear Jeff - I laughed when I read your comment about Steve's posts. He communicates a lot like my eldest son, who is starting his graduate level research in the engineering department at OSU. When my son describes what he is doing, it is like he is speaking a foreign language. I've asked him, could you please explain it like you were talking to your ten-year-old brother?

So, Steve, now that we all know how phenomenally intelligent you are (insert "good natured ribbing emoticon" here) could you please help us with adult transformational learning in a way the rest of us can understand?

Shelley, Ellen, Danielle

I have a great suggestion for understanding Steve.

He is putting on a couple talks at the library and is usually at most Lakewood Observer get together and he loves going into detail and explaining his thoughts and ideas.*

So stop by if you get a chance, and hook up with the group.


Jim


* This is especially true if there is a plate of cookies involved.

Dr. Puck,
So if I am an INTJ does that account for my caustic, short posts?

My favorite subject: Me.

First, Jeff. As simple as I can make it, although much of interest drops away:

Projection: believing what we think about another person is true regardless of whether it is true or not.

Example:

now that we all know how phenomenally intelligent you are

(If I've managed to convince anyone I'm phenomenally intelligent, regardless of whether it is true or not, then it's all been worth it.)

When people ask me about my background I, nowadays, inform them, truthfully, "music and many decades of being a hippy". Sometimes I riff on the hidden 'drug part'.

As far being deliberately hard to understand, (and there are many reasons for this happening,) I'm at peace with it.

Some things can be explained to a ten year-old, many cannot. Because I'm intensely interested in human behavior and human nature, and because both are complicated, and both are awesome (!), I will tend to offer my thoughts in the terms they seem to present themselves in...in my tiny mind!

Does this make for good odds that I will be understood. No. Point of this topic: accessibility of posts. Okay, does this work against accessibility? Of course it does.

Ancient technique? Providing a performance for the audience that can get to the front row. Mildly arrogant? Yup.

***

adult transformational learning

Hey! Learning that transforms the adult.

I'll defer for the moment on explaining a complex subject. Yet, if you reflect on your own experience as adults, a good marker of transformative learning is any rearrangement of your sense of anything that one day was one way, and, on the next day was some other way.

What changed?

***

If you wander over to CIVIC INTELLIGENCE -> TERMINOLOGY GAME - A CHANCE TO PLAY

and skip the long posts and drift a bit over the Kartoo search screens, and come up with a couple of words or more, then you'll have your head down the rabbit hole where the whole point is messing around with stuff.

It's not even about explaining or understanding anything.

Phenomenally playful...

Heidi, I don't know of any research about message style and MBT. It's probably 'out there'.

And...I find the Myers-Briggs typology to be a very rough predictor.

But, methinks an I-TJ may tend to express themselves usually only when they are sure about what it is they want to express.

Whereas, me, an ENFP, (technically I'm an: ENXP; bi-valent in the evaluative function, feeling-thinking,) tends to not hesitate, blow my wind, and...

regret it later!

Stephen Calhoun wrote:My favorite subject: Me.

OMG, Steve! You're my favorite subject, too!

JK

Luv,
ENFJ

P.S. Stosh, will you take out the trash? Thanks.