I Thought As Much.
So 2013 is nearly over. I haven't posted much recently, as I said I wouldn't, because I've been writing and preparing for Christmas. But lately I've been trying something that I wanted to share.
Since I have studied psychology and sociology I find myself looking at everyday things differently. And, I know it's hard to believe... *looks around* but I do have a slight... SLIGHT problem with controlling my emotions. My anger mostly. I can go from 0-120 on the raging scale in half a blink. But everything that has happened recently has put things into perspective and I had a thought one night.
I have read articles and books about the "power of the mind" and "power of thought" and I was reading about the Prison experiment. I've read about this before, even seen the film about it at college. It's "The Stanford Prison Experiment" also known as the "Zimbardo Experiment" named after the lead researcher of the experiment. In short, it was an experiment to observe the psychological effect of being a prisoner or a prison guard commissioned and funded by the US Office of Naval Research. A fake prison was built in the basement of the psychology building at Stanford. Twenty-four volunteers were randomly assigned to the role of either "prisoner" or "guard" with Phillip Zimbardo acting as the prison Superintendent. The volunteers performed their roles well beyond expectations; the prisoners enforced their unquestionable authority and subjected the prisoners to psychological torture while the prisoners accepted this with some even subjecting other prisoners to more psychological harm to stop any disobedience. Zimbardo himself was even affected by the experiment who, in his role to keep the volunteers safe, let the abuse continue. While the experiment was supposed to last between seven to fourteen days two members quit early and the whole thing was stopped after just six days. The experiment itself is not used as proof of the effect of certain situations on the mind set of individuals other than in a short note because it is now used in the study of ethical issues - it is considered that unethical and therefore it's results are considered unreliable.
The whole point of my describing that is because I was thinking about that one night and it led to me rehashing my old theory on the power of thought. In my mind any one person is capable of any extreme. So as weak as I have been in my life I am equally capable of that level of strength. The same goes for everything; weakness and strength, evil and good, sadness and happiness. Even... Anger and calm. Then my mind presented me with an idea. If I am capable of 0-120 anger then, in theory, I am equally capabe of 0-120 calm?
So, since the 5th of December I have been in this mind set that you are as capable of anything, even if it's just controlling your emotions and not needlessly stressing out, as long as you believe in your ability to do it. I believe it. In that time I have only been had to take a second to compose myself twice. That's quite an achievement for someone that has a hook beside her light switch to put my keys on because I had a breakdown every time I lost them (at least three times a day - not even kidding - ask my Mum, she bought me the hook). Needless to say I feel so much better, I still get annoyed, like the day that it seemed that everything was trying to annoy me on purpose. But I swear if you take a second and, as daft as it sounds, laugh, even for a second, you will feel so much better.
Tell you what though, I think Mum, Nicole, Stewart and Molly would have got piss all this year for Christmas if it wasn't for that experiment because after nearly being ran over six times I went into shops to be pushed about and banged into but I just laughed. I must have looked like a crazy person but I was laughing because I was the only person in the entire complex not angry... It was brilliant to watch from this side. Usually it was me considering punching the person smiling at me.
Going into the New Year with a different mind set and a smile on my face. And this time, it's got nothing to do with the half empty bottle of Jack Daniels... Well... Not as much.
Since I have studied psychology and sociology I find myself looking at everyday things differently. And, I know it's hard to believe... *looks around* but I do have a slight... SLIGHT problem with controlling my emotions. My anger mostly. I can go from 0-120 on the raging scale in half a blink. But everything that has happened recently has put things into perspective and I had a thought one night.
I have read articles and books about the "power of the mind" and "power of thought" and I was reading about the Prison experiment. I've read about this before, even seen the film about it at college. It's "The Stanford Prison Experiment" also known as the "Zimbardo Experiment" named after the lead researcher of the experiment. In short, it was an experiment to observe the psychological effect of being a prisoner or a prison guard commissioned and funded by the US Office of Naval Research. A fake prison was built in the basement of the psychology building at Stanford. Twenty-four volunteers were randomly assigned to the role of either "prisoner" or "guard" with Phillip Zimbardo acting as the prison Superintendent. The volunteers performed their roles well beyond expectations; the prisoners enforced their unquestionable authority and subjected the prisoners to psychological torture while the prisoners accepted this with some even subjecting other prisoners to more psychological harm to stop any disobedience. Zimbardo himself was even affected by the experiment who, in his role to keep the volunteers safe, let the abuse continue. While the experiment was supposed to last between seven to fourteen days two members quit early and the whole thing was stopped after just six days. The experiment itself is not used as proof of the effect of certain situations on the mind set of individuals other than in a short note because it is now used in the study of ethical issues - it is considered that unethical and therefore it's results are considered unreliable.
The whole point of my describing that is because I was thinking about that one night and it led to me rehashing my old theory on the power of thought. In my mind any one person is capable of any extreme. So as weak as I have been in my life I am equally capable of that level of strength. The same goes for everything; weakness and strength, evil and good, sadness and happiness. Even... Anger and calm. Then my mind presented me with an idea. If I am capable of 0-120 anger then, in theory, I am equally capabe of 0-120 calm?
So, since the 5th of December I have been in this mind set that you are as capable of anything, even if it's just controlling your emotions and not needlessly stressing out, as long as you believe in your ability to do it. I believe it. In that time I have only been had to take a second to compose myself twice. That's quite an achievement for someone that has a hook beside her light switch to put my keys on because I had a breakdown every time I lost them (at least three times a day - not even kidding - ask my Mum, she bought me the hook). Needless to say I feel so much better, I still get annoyed, like the day that it seemed that everything was trying to annoy me on purpose. But I swear if you take a second and, as daft as it sounds, laugh, even for a second, you will feel so much better.
Tell you what though, I think Mum, Nicole, Stewart and Molly would have got piss all this year for Christmas if it wasn't for that experiment because after nearly being ran over six times I went into shops to be pushed about and banged into but I just laughed. I must have looked like a crazy person but I was laughing because I was the only person in the entire complex not angry... It was brilliant to watch from this side. Usually it was me considering punching the person smiling at me.
Going into the New Year with a different mind set and a smile on my face. And this time, it's got nothing to do with the half empty bottle of Jack Daniels... Well... Not as much.
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