The Eurozone is under an extreme pressure due to the fact that several of its member states lied and cheated about their financial status. Especially Greece's national deficit is so high that they are border lining bankruptcy eventhough last year a large financial injection has been given to this country.
When Greece would slide down into a bankruptcy where they can no longer pay of the interest of their massive loans it will cause investors to withdraw and doubt to invest in European stock. Causing a major recession in the Eurozone. So having to bail out Greece is a necessary evil in order to damage control but certainly no solution when Greece doesn't reorganize its country.
The best solution economist think is to provide remission of debt to Greece. It would indeed help Greece and the Eurozone but here's where the psychology (rightly so) comes into play.
For countries like my country where we have to work till age 67, where we pay extreme amount of taxes and extra charges it feels highly unfair that another country where the civil servants earn vulgar salaries have sorts of ways to avoid paying taxes and have been lying and cheating to provide remission of debt to them. It doesn't do any moral justice to hardworking, Dutch, German, Belgian, Finnish and Austrian people. When you provide a remission of debt then the necessity to Greece to restructure their country and take all sorts of unpopular measures far less stressing and we will be in the same problem 5 to 10 years from now.
The psychology form the Greeks is also understandable they have been living like this for decades and suddenly their pension age goes up, VAT is increased significantly, if that would happen in my country as a company I would pack my bags and move out.
They will all probably get sever tax audits and be sure to made to pay. So suddenly for the Greeks its a lot harsher and they will obviously fight against these impopular (but necessary) changes.
Another option which we do not really hear a lot about is for either the European member states to kick Greece out of the Eurozone or for rich member states like The Netherlands, Germany and Finland to get out of the eurozone. Ironically the fines you have to pay for leaving the Eurozone come painfully close to actually giving the money to Greece.
From a social point of view saying to Greece: "Hey buddy, too bad but you are on your own!" would be the only good thing. That is after all what tax offices and countries say to their citizens who can't pay their taxes as well. It is weird that when economy and politics get a hold that the method of linear and social thinking is disrupted.
This causes extra grieve with the citizens of the major countries (Germany, Holland and Finland) having to provide the bail out because their government will put extra tax measures or savings on their people.
I would be in favor to chuck politics over the wall and simply kick Greece out on the bases of gross misconduct and let them fence for themselves. You got yourself into this mess, we helped you once, now get out yourself out of this mess. Simply because this is how sociology and psychology it would work with individuals as well. Sure the matter is more complex and we do not know what would happen economically when you kick a member state out of the eurozone -- the great unknown is a big fear for politics. However it is ironic that as a whole country you can misbehave more than a single individual is allowed to.
It is ironic to see that politics and economics are mere games that rub against the normal moral structure of sociology and psychology perhaps in a world of reason there's no place for economics because after all, when Greece goes bankrupt the funds in the rest of europe are still stable its all psychology that makes investors think otherwise. Pushing in more money actually gives private sectors a lot more to lose when Greece falls over -- which it will because their social psychological structure can not be changed in mere years.
This will be a problem that will continue to reoccur as long as there are no impopular measures being taken by politicians against nations who's national deficit is too high.
zondag 17 juli 2011
dinsdag 5 juli 2011
Excessive reactions of believers in mischief artists
Recently my ex-girlfriend posted on FaceBook that she's been to Derek Ogilvie. Derek Ogilvie is a Scottish charlatan, sorry 'Ghost Whisperer' who entertains the gullible Dutch (mainly female) audiences with bullshit readings.
Initially Derek Ogilvie was the infamous Baby Whisperer and the only 'psychic' who dared to step up to the Randi's JREF challenge; Which in itself is admirable because most psychics are too smart to disclose themselves as hobbyist magicians, which suggest to me that back then he was an unconscious-coldreader. An unconscious-coldreader is someone who unconsciously uses coldreading techniques and picks up on body language and changes their story based on those reactions. In doing so, they seemingly create correct statements as if they knew them from the start.
Derek failed the scientific test that Randi had devised as a Baby Whisperer.
After that Epic fail he returned (like most charlatans do) now as someone who does 'psychic readings' by taking to Ghosts and gullible people wanting to know how it is with their deceased loved one or whether they will make that trip to Africa one day flee to the theatres where they pay 37.50 euros to go see his stage show--conveniently backed and represented by RTL4 (Dutch commercial TV station). Where on Derek's site there's a disclaimer stating this is for entertainment purposes only -- basically saying in not too many words: "People this bullshit and nothing more than a lovely magic show."
As a mentalist I look straight through the bullshit but I am amazed how many people become fierce when you ask them: "couldn't he just be cheating? After all it says he's an entertainer" Words like: "You don't know until you've seen him! The details he tells people are unbelievable! This must be real!", "He uses energy but you don't understand that as a skeptic non-believer", "What do you know? Are you psychic?"
No I am not a psychic! Nor do I pretend to be one, I (much like Derren Brown) am honest about my dishonesty. I always say in my shows that even though it may seem paranormal I can assure you it is not and that everybody can learn this -- that is when you prefer 40k of college load and an in inspiring job on a podium. All I do is take my 5 senses (lovely line from Banachek) and combine them with my knowledge of: psychology, misdirection, science, suggestion and hypnosis (borrowed and reshaped from Derren's disclaimer); Banacheck and Derren Brown have been the biggest influence on me. Nothing I do is mystical and even then after the show people still ask me if that last effect did have something to do with the paranormal.... It goes to show you how vulnerable people are into believing in extraordinary things! Even when you tell them the truth they tend to believe in their mental concoctions.
In case of Derek Ogilvie what he does is a mere and simple Question and Answer (Q&A) routine. Its been around since the Victorian ages and probably before that. Basically what a Q&A is, is creating a dual reality. Some people have provided information about themselves (knowingly or unknowingly) and this information is basically fed back -- with a lot of showmanship (though Derek lacks that in my opinion as well) and great added cold reading phrases. To the people who have not provided any information (or have forgotten they did) it seems enormously magical -- well that's the purpose of magic and mentalism. For people who provided information and are aware of it for them its still wonderful because they did not see the performer read their information or even get close to it.
There are different methods of having some audience members provide information, usually cards are filled out in advance by a hand full of people. They provide their questions they want to have answered and some personal details only they could possibly know. The suggestion posed is that this information never gets to the performer -- after all if it did it would not be very impressive.
Many church faith healings have a collection box with lock that has those cards in them (most often with a generous donation as well, so that god hears you requests).
A TV priest in the USA would sell tickets for his sermons. When buying tickets its very common (and owe so convenient for the mischievous charlatans) to leave your phone number and/or address when you purchase tickets. His henchmen would call or visit these people and pose themselves as someone doing research- or as a friendly person giving out small comps. During this chat information was obtained about the person -- often 2 or 3 weeks before the show. This has long been forgotten by that time. Then a third method is that there are so called 'plants' in the audience. When things are rough and you cannot get proper hits with all the standard cold and warm reading techniques --or you are just flat out lazy-- you pick your stooges (who are more than happy to play a long for a wealthy paycheck) and low-and-behold we created another miracle. A good performer (because that's what these people are) can combine any of these methods with proper cold reading techniques and create seeming miracles.
Why is it that when you ask those believers: "Wouldn't it be possible that he may have stooges in the audience?" They (much like religious people) instantly react: "No!!! What do you know?! He's an honest and sincere human being, he's there to help people." -- I mean honest and sincere charging you 37,50 for a ticket to a magic show without huge props and illusions? My second question is: "Then why are you there? Do you need help?" most decline or say that they've some questions. I look and I say those questions involve: health and relationships don't they? But since they see me as a skeptic they dig their own grave by saying: "Yes but that's not impressive". Whereas I would do this claiming to be a psychic they would gasp slightly and confirm.
It is very simple all people have questions for involve: Relationship, Health, Travel, Money, Education, Ambition -- depending on the age of the person you can make educated guesses.
I bet you that 99% of the people in that theater with Derek are people who are believers in religious and/or therapeutic stuff like: hypnotherapy, crystal therapy, theta therapy, religious people believing in spirits whatever. I bet you there's not a single person there (unless he's there to see through the tricks) that are firm skeptics. Someone who has somewhat of an ability to disassociate herself of the proceedings could come up with ways to make this happen. Yet they don't.... very interesting.... When you provide them with obvious solutions they become fierce because its to them the same as blasfemie.
So why are people (especially females) so impressed with a supposed psychic who is nothing but a story teller and amateur magician? It truly is beyond me except that perhaps women are a fool for a good sob story. See it for what it actually is, entertainment with the emotions of people nothing more than that.
Initially Derek Ogilvie was the infamous Baby Whisperer and the only 'psychic' who dared to step up to the Randi's JREF challenge; Which in itself is admirable because most psychics are too smart to disclose themselves as hobbyist magicians, which suggest to me that back then he was an unconscious-coldreader. An unconscious-coldreader is someone who unconsciously uses coldreading techniques and picks up on body language and changes their story based on those reactions. In doing so, they seemingly create correct statements as if they knew them from the start.
Derek failed the scientific test that Randi had devised as a Baby Whisperer.
After that Epic fail he returned (like most charlatans do) now as someone who does 'psychic readings' by taking to Ghosts and gullible people wanting to know how it is with their deceased loved one or whether they will make that trip to Africa one day flee to the theatres where they pay 37.50 euros to go see his stage show--conveniently backed and represented by RTL4 (Dutch commercial TV station). Where on Derek's site there's a disclaimer stating this is for entertainment purposes only -- basically saying in not too many words: "People this bullshit and nothing more than a lovely magic show."
As a mentalist I look straight through the bullshit but I am amazed how many people become fierce when you ask them: "couldn't he just be cheating? After all it says he's an entertainer" Words like: "You don't know until you've seen him! The details he tells people are unbelievable! This must be real!", "He uses energy but you don't understand that as a skeptic non-believer", "What do you know? Are you psychic?"
No I am not a psychic! Nor do I pretend to be one, I (much like Derren Brown) am honest about my dishonesty. I always say in my shows that even though it may seem paranormal I can assure you it is not and that everybody can learn this -- that is when you prefer 40k of college load and an in inspiring job on a podium. All I do is take my 5 senses (lovely line from Banachek) and combine them with my knowledge of: psychology, misdirection, science, suggestion and hypnosis (borrowed and reshaped from Derren's disclaimer); Banacheck and Derren Brown have been the biggest influence on me. Nothing I do is mystical and even then after the show people still ask me if that last effect did have something to do with the paranormal.... It goes to show you how vulnerable people are into believing in extraordinary things! Even when you tell them the truth they tend to believe in their mental concoctions.
In case of Derek Ogilvie what he does is a mere and simple Question and Answer (Q&A) routine. Its been around since the Victorian ages and probably before that. Basically what a Q&A is, is creating a dual reality. Some people have provided information about themselves (knowingly or unknowingly) and this information is basically fed back -- with a lot of showmanship (though Derek lacks that in my opinion as well) and great added cold reading phrases. To the people who have not provided any information (or have forgotten they did) it seems enormously magical -- well that's the purpose of magic and mentalism. For people who provided information and are aware of it for them its still wonderful because they did not see the performer read their information or even get close to it.
There are different methods of having some audience members provide information, usually cards are filled out in advance by a hand full of people. They provide their questions they want to have answered and some personal details only they could possibly know. The suggestion posed is that this information never gets to the performer -- after all if it did it would not be very impressive.
Many church faith healings have a collection box with lock that has those cards in them (most often with a generous donation as well, so that god hears you requests).
A TV priest in the USA would sell tickets for his sermons. When buying tickets its very common (and owe so convenient for the mischievous charlatans) to leave your phone number and/or address when you purchase tickets. His henchmen would call or visit these people and pose themselves as someone doing research- or as a friendly person giving out small comps. During this chat information was obtained about the person -- often 2 or 3 weeks before the show. This has long been forgotten by that time. Then a third method is that there are so called 'plants' in the audience. When things are rough and you cannot get proper hits with all the standard cold and warm reading techniques --or you are just flat out lazy-- you pick your stooges (who are more than happy to play a long for a wealthy paycheck) and low-and-behold we created another miracle. A good performer (because that's what these people are) can combine any of these methods with proper cold reading techniques and create seeming miracles.
Why is it that when you ask those believers: "Wouldn't it be possible that he may have stooges in the audience?" They (much like religious people) instantly react: "No!!! What do you know?! He's an honest and sincere human being, he's there to help people." -- I mean honest and sincere charging you 37,50 for a ticket to a magic show without huge props and illusions? My second question is: "Then why are you there? Do you need help?" most decline or say that they've some questions. I look and I say those questions involve: health and relationships don't they? But since they see me as a skeptic they dig their own grave by saying: "Yes but that's not impressive". Whereas I would do this claiming to be a psychic they would gasp slightly and confirm.
It is very simple all people have questions for involve: Relationship, Health, Travel, Money, Education, Ambition -- depending on the age of the person you can make educated guesses.
I bet you that 99% of the people in that theater with Derek are people who are believers in religious and/or therapeutic stuff like: hypnotherapy, crystal therapy, theta therapy, religious people believing in spirits whatever. I bet you there's not a single person there (unless he's there to see through the tricks) that are firm skeptics. Someone who has somewhat of an ability to disassociate herself of the proceedings could come up with ways to make this happen. Yet they don't.... very interesting.... When you provide them with obvious solutions they become fierce because its to them the same as blasfemie.
So why are people (especially females) so impressed with a supposed psychic who is nothing but a story teller and amateur magician? It truly is beyond me except that perhaps women are a fool for a good sob story. See it for what it actually is, entertainment with the emotions of people nothing more than that.
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