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Ways to categorize other people's personalities, such as Myers-Briggs, Swedish Colors, The Zodiac, McCarthyism, devils advocacy, racial profiling, Stockholm Syn

Ways to categorize other people's personalities, such as Myers-Briggs, Swedish Colors, The Zodiac, McCarthyism, devils advocacy, racial profiling, Stockholm Syndrome, and hero worship have always been popular. Why? Because people need ways to feel like they understand and can predict other people's behavior. Why? I don't know. It's just something I've observed. Would you agree, and if so, why do you think that is?

tm-guimaraes 5y ago
>Why? Because people need ways to feel like they understand and can predict other people's behavior. > Would you agree Yes > if so, why do you think that is? Because society. Literally. You need to "predict" behaviors around you, it's only natural, every animal checks for threats. The moment you live in a society, you have to live with lots of other humans, so you inevitably develop lots of heuristics to deal with them. From a stranger passing on a street, to your coworker. Predicting behavior is the basis of society, it's the reason traffic rules sort of work, why we can even have such a thing as laws.
jiggunjer 5y ago
I've never cared for those theoretical models, I prefer using empirical models when it comes to humans.
- wombatmobile 5y ago
  > Because society. Literally. You need to "predict" behaviours around you, But the models aren't valid e.g. astrology. Does that matter? It seems not really! Many folks still swear by astrology. How can that work? In mainstream science, a bad heuristic is useless and fades to oblivion or ridicule. But society is not science. When people use astrology or racism or any other inaccurate heuristic to anchor their beliefs, they create for themselves a role in society, and relationships with their community that are self-fulfilling. Think everyone is out to get you? Treat them that way, and they'll think you're weird - someone to be avoided and not trusted. Think tall people are attractive and short people are ugly? That makes you much more likely to partner with a tall person. Think everyone deserves a smile first thing in the morning? People are going to smile back, and seek you out at the water cooler. Think everyone deserves to be heard? People are going to talk to you. Think black people, or brown people, or pink people, or white people, or tan people, or purple people are not worth listening to? You're going to miss out on their stories, food, culture, friendship, companionship and wisdom. Society is a laboratory. It's also a mirror.

tm-guimaraes 5y ago

>Why? Because people need ways to feel like they understand and can predict other people's behavior. > Would you agree Yes > if so, why do you think that is? Because society. Literally. You need to "predict" behaviors around you, it's only natural, every animal checks for threats. The moment you live in a society, you have to live with lots of other humans, so you inevitably develop lots of heuristics to deal with them. From a stranger passing on a street, to your coworker. Predicting behavior is the basis of society, it's the reason traffic rules sort of work, why we can even have such a thing as laws.

jiggunjer 5y ago

I've never cared for those theoretical models, I prefer using empirical models when it comes to humans.

wombatmobile 5y ago
> Because society. Literally. You need to "predict" behaviours around you, But the models aren't valid e.g. astrology. Does that matter? It seems not really! Many folks still swear by astrology. How can that work? In mainstream science, a bad heuristic is useless and fades to oblivion or ridicule. But society is not science. When people use astrology or racism or any other inaccurate heuristic to anchor their beliefs, they create for themselves a role in society, and relationships with their community that are self-fulfilling. Think everyone is out to get you? Treat them that way, and they'll think you're weird - someone to be avoided and not trusted. Think tall people are attractive and short people are ugly? That makes you much more likely to partner with a tall person. Think everyone deserves a smile first thing in the morning? People are going to smile back, and seek you out at the water cooler. Think everyone deserves to be heard? People are going to talk to you. Think black people, or brown people, or pink people, or white people, or tan people, or purple people are not worth listening to? You're going to miss out on their stories, food, culture, friendship, companionship and wisdom. Society is a laboratory. It's also a mirror.