http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjdaVnbr5a0
http://cal-mystuffs.blogspot.com/2009/12/children-of-world.html
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BrainwashedAndCrazy
EXCERPT:
On the other hand, if a writer wants to convey that a Brainwashed And Crazy character is indeed such and got that way unknowingly or unwillingly and/or is acting against his or her own interests, the writer will not depict hypnosis as the method of mind control, because there are far more effective (and far more frightening) ways an individual can be manipulated and/or controlled to act in a harmful or dangerous manner. The Real Life Ur Example for this would be Nazi Germany, though a continuing situation of Domestic Abuse in Real Life is a far more common example.
Inverse of Heel Face Brainwashing. See also Mirror Morality Machine. May require Deprogramming to cure, if the mind-controller doesn't try to force them to break an Intrinsic Vow.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DomesticAbuse
EXCERPT:
Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse, defined as physical or emotional abuse between members of a romantic relationship, is a recurring comedy trope throughout history. Why this is so is somewhat understandable- after all, physical and verbal abuse between characters is funny, and characters often find themselves in romantic relationships. Ergo, domestic abuse can be funny. Lately, however, the Unfortunate Implications of Domestic Abuse have gotten more attention, at least for one side of the equation, male on female Domestic Abuse. Female on male Domestic Abuse is still mostly played for laughs.
In modern times it's far more common to see domestic abuse being used as the impetus for more dramatic plot developments, such as a wife having to face the fear of domestic violence and gain the courage to leave her marriage. In these cases a Dude Not Funny may be uttered if someone tries to make light of the situation.
Compare Abusive Parents. Also see The Bluebeard and Black Widow. The Domestic Abuser engages in this, as you can tell by the name alone.
See also Values Dissonance, Rape As Drama.
http://divorcesupport.about.com/od/abusiverelationships/f/verba_abuse.htm
EXCERPT:
Being called names by your spouse. Any negative form of name calling is unacceptable. If you feel that it is a put down, then it most likely is. There are names that are obvious and, without question abusive. Then there are the covert, veiled attempts to put a spouse down that are harder to identify. Verbal abusers love to use constructive criticism to beat a spouse down. If your spouse is constantly criticizing you, “for your own good,” be careful. This is the most insidious form of verbal abuse.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Deprogram
In modern times it's far more common to see domestic abuse being used as the impetus for more dramatic plot developments, such as a wife having to face the fear of domestic violence and gain the courage to leave her marriage. In these cases a Dude Not Funny may be uttered if someone tries to make light of the situation.
Compare Abusive Parents. Also see The Bluebeard and Black Widow. The Domestic Abuser engages in this, as you can tell by the name alone.
See also Values Dissonance, Rape As Drama.
http://divorcesupport.about.com/od/abusiverelationships/f/verba_abuse.htm
EXCERPT:
Being called names by your spouse. Any negative form of name calling is unacceptable. If you feel that it is a put down, then it most likely is. There are names that are obvious and, without question abusive. Then there are the covert, veiled attempts to put a spouse down that are harder to identify. Verbal abusers love to use constructive criticism to beat a spouse down. If your spouse is constantly criticizing you, “for your own good,” be careful. This is the most insidious form of verbal abuse.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Deprogram
Deprogram
One especially horrifying bit of High Octane Nightmare Fuel happens when a character is Brainwashed, hypnotized, or thoroughly messed up psychologically the good old fashioned way * . While everyone imagines they'll be able to resist or be snapped out of it by a friend crying out "I know you're in there somewhere, fight!", this isn't always the case. A villain who does their laundry with care and thorougly bleaches, softens, rinses and dry-cleans the brains they wash will give their victim's brains incredible resistance against free will spills, love stains, and friendship fudge. Meaning that restrained heroes will still be brainwashed and pose a serious danger to them.
The solution is Deprogramming. In Real Life, this is used on victims of Stockholm Syndrome and indoctrination (such as with Child Soldiers or members of Cults) to free the person from the psychological grip of their tormentors. Originally, deprogrammings tended to involve kidnapping and confinement, as well as violence and other types of psychological abuses, which is why many detractors of the technique would say that it is really just ''reverse'' brainwashing. However, after the public got wind of those practices through various court cases (one of which involved the deprogramming of a Catholic nun), and rightfully got upset, those types of deprogrammings have become less common (although still done in some countries
). Nowadays, regular deprogrammings, more aptly called "exit counseling", have a lot of therapy and time , and the after-effects may take years to be resolved, if ever. While fiction may follow this route, it's also likelier to be complimented with a good old round of Epiphany Therapy, a Battle In The Center Of The Mind, "sunbathing" under a Care Bear Stare, and a quick blow to the head (in one form or another).
The net result is that the character is now good as new!... except for the part where they'll freak out when they realize they (could have) hurt their friends. To make things worse, once a victim of Mind Control is freed there will always be that niggling feeling that there remains residual programming, or the former brainwasher can do it again. Because of this there's the chance of the character being Reformed But Rejected because of a potential Pygmalion Snapback.
Not related to Brain Bleach.
http://www.ivillage.com/food-allergyear-infections/6-n-136753
EXCERPT:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OutDamnedSpot
The solution is Deprogramming. In Real Life, this is used on victims of Stockholm Syndrome and indoctrination (such as with Child Soldiers or members of Cults) to free the person from the psychological grip of their tormentors. Originally, deprogrammings tended to involve kidnapping and confinement, as well as violence and other types of psychological abuses, which is why many detractors of the technique would say that it is really just ''reverse'' brainwashing. However, after the public got wind of those practices through various court cases (one of which involved the deprogramming of a Catholic nun), and rightfully got upset, those types of deprogrammings have become less common (although still done in some countries
). Nowadays, regular deprogrammings, more aptly called "exit counseling", have a lot of therapy and time , and the after-effects may take years to be resolved, if ever. While fiction may follow this route, it's also likelier to be complimented with a good old round of Epiphany Therapy, a Battle In The Center Of The Mind, "sunbathing" under a Care Bear Stare, and a quick blow to the head (in one form or another). The net result is that the character is now good as new!... except for the part where they'll freak out when they realize they (could have) hurt their friends. To make things worse, once a victim of Mind Control is freed there will always be that niggling feeling that there remains residual programming, or the former brainwasher can do it again. Because of this there's the chance of the character being Reformed But Rejected because of a potential Pygmalion Snapback.
Not related to Brain Bleach.
http://www.ivillage.com/food-allergyear-infections/6-n-136753
EXCERPT:
It is very possible that the ear infections are being caused by an allergy. Much recent research is showing that allergies can be the culprit in middle ear infections. This is because food allergies can cause nasal congestion and also congestion in the eustachian tubes that connect the nose and ear. This allows fluid to collect in the middle ear which can lead to infections. Most pediatricians treat ear infections with antibiotics or drainage tubes, which doesn't get to the cause of the problem.
If other treatments have failed with your daughter, then talk to your pediatrician about allergy testing. It may be as simple as eliminating milk from her diet for a short period to see if the problem abates. My guess is if it is an allergy, it is an allergy to milk because she has been experiencing the problem from 6 weeks, when milk was her only food. Milk and wheat are the most common foods causing the problem in children. The flushed face may be caused by the difficulty in breathing she experiences from the congestion as she tries to drink from a bottle. The spitting up may be caused by the drainage of mucous into her stomach as a result of the allergy.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OutDamnedSpot
Mark Twain’s quote still holds true to this day; compliments don’t cost much, yet they’re priceless.
Mark Twain said it best when he told us “I can live for two months on a good compliment.”
http://www.mormontimes.com/article/15534/Ask-Dr-Elia-Constructive-criticism-is-an-oxymoron
Ask Dr. Elia: Constructive criticism is an oxymoron
Dear Dr. Elia,
I grew up in a very critical home, and it has really impacted my life and especially my self-esteem. What troubles me is the fact that my parents would always say that they were giving us "constructive criticism" because they wanted us to be better. If we didn't like it, they would say that we were being disobedient and disrespectful. The funny thing is that sometimes what they would say was the truth, but because I felt criticized I just didn't care. I would totally shut down or just ignore them. Now that I'm a parent with little kids, I want to be sure that I don't repeat some of the same patterns. What are you thoughts on constructive criticism? Is that ever OK?
Thank you,Jennifer
Dear Jennifer,
My views on criticism are pretty clear. Nothing good, healthy or positive comes from being criticized. Parenting experts repeatedly have stated that for every one negative or critical comment toward a child, it takes 10 positive comments to counteract its impact. Some have argued that if it's "constructive" and the criticism is well intended, then that's OK, but here's my experience:
I remember once criticizing my youngest son and justifying it in my mind, "It's for his own good. I'm only saying this to him so he can do better next time." Well if that was true, how come I felt so horrible afterward in my heart, and how come he felt worse about himself? What part of that exchange was constructive? Furthermore, do we really change any behavior because we get criticized enough? Sometimes it just seems easier to criticize than to praise, which brings to mind a poem I once read. It was written by Lou Holtz, the legendary Hall of Fame college football coach, best-selling author and analyst. It goes something like this:
I saw a group of men in my hometown.
I saw a group of men tearing a building down.
With a heave and a ho and mighty yell,
They swung a beam and the sidewalk fell.
And I said to the foreman, "Are these men skilled,
The type you would hire if you wanted to build?"
And he laughed and said, "Why, no indeed."
He said, "Common labor is all I need.
For I can tear down in a day or two
What it took a builder ten years to do."
And I thought to myself as I walked away,
"Which of these roles am I going to play?
Am I the type that constantly tears down
As I make my way, foolishly around?
Or am I the type that's trying to build with care,
In hope that my organization will be glad I was there?"
I love this poem for its simplicity and for asking each one of us, "…which role am I going to play?" If we substitute the word "organization" in the last line of the poem with "family" or "marriage," what would we answer? That's up to each one of us to ponder and hopefully come to the right conclusion.
Does this mean we should never correct inappropriate behavior or offer counsel to those we love? Of course not, but it is the way we do it that matters the most. There's an old saying that goes something like this: "Say what you mean, mean what you say, but don't be mean about it when you say it." I think that's the answer to your question. We all make mistakes, and therefore we all require some "course correction" from time to time. The key to success is the way this correction takes place. As you practice this form of loving communication, your children will still be held accountable and most likely respond better to it.
Elia Gourgouris Ph.D
303-523-6396
http://www.ldscoaching.com/
http://www.geoffsnyder.com/criticism-and-praise
After posting Honesty Doesn’t Seem To Be The Best Policy last week, I received several emails asking for a follow up post. So, I guess I’ll label this one as “Part Two”.
Mark Twain said it best when he told us “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” as it seems to be a constant refrain in corporate america concerning positive feedback: nobody receives enough of it until it’s too late. Heck, in some industries or trades, it’s basically nonexistent…that is unless of course you’d rather get negative feedback, which seems to be more and more of what I am hearing about due to the lack of employee engagement. Based on economic trends and the state of the current global economy, more and more employees are finding it more challenging for them to be engaged to the day-to-day operations of their current place of business. This is when we can expect to see dramatic shifts within our marketplace. Managers are frequently finding more faults with their employees and are letting them hear about it before they would ever praise a job well done. This is one of the biggest mistakes they can do right now, as for it will have adverse effects which become near impossible to correct later.
Don’t get me wrong, criticism is important…but unless it’s countered by praise, employees will quickly label themselves as damaged goods and lose overall motivation. Alternatively, a little bit of praise will boost the energy of the workplace and bolster the productivity. It’s the managers and team leaders who praise success that will breed more success, because employees will know exactly what kind of performance to repeat. Plus, when they arrive to work, they will be happy and leave even happier knowing that they are handling tasks that are being recognized. Compliments can be small or large…usually it does not matter. Also, the can be expressed privately or publicly because both work well. In all cases, team leaders and managers need to be looking for constant reasons to praise people within their organization. Employees will never get tired of hearing how great they are at what they do.
Mark Twain’s quote still holds true to this day; compliments don’t cost much, yet they’re priceless.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ConstructiveCriticism
The above two paragraphs aren't quotes. They're to illustrate the difference between Trolling and Constructive Criticism (hopefully, you know which is which). While trolls want to put people down, constructive criticism is meant to help an artist improve his/her work. It's rarely shown in fiction, but it's important to it, since it's meant to help people improve their writing.
This kind of criticism is about being honest, clear, and considerate in your comments. It doesn't mean making only positive comments (it's not constructive to say a bad work is good), but it does mean you're trying to help the artist improve positively. It should also be noted that politeness, while appreciated, isn't necessary to make the criticism constructive. So long as the problems are highlighted and suggestions are made to make things better, Cluster F Bombs can be dropped without the criticism becoming trolling.
It's not perfect. For one thing, you have to be aware of your biases, and admit them. For another, you could make claims that turn out to be wrong, even if you thought otherwise at the time. Finally, the artist could misunderstand your criticism, and take it as bashing, even when you mean otherwise.
Yet it's still the form of criticism most likely to actually get results. In fact, some artists can even give this to themselves, hence the phrase "I'm my own worst critic."
Now you might be wondering if this is appropriate for this site. Of course it's better than Complaining About Shows You Dont Like, but describing tropes and listing examples doesn't actually call for criticism. There are some places where it can fit, particularly in YKTTW. You can help a new trope a lot more with this kind of criticism than insulting the new trope, the troper that posted it, or that troper's mother.
However; you'll notice that most people don't actually understand the concept of Constructive Criticism. As you'll probably learn if you take a college-level creative writing course, one of the most important things about Constructive Criticism is don't rewrite the work to suit your desires. This is actually one of the biggest things that people need to learn about being constructive, because it is not very constructive to try to suggest the author to write a work into something that you want to enjoy. The point is to make it into something that they want to create. You will notice this as a trend in people who are members of the Periphery Hatedom, especially if they have a Bias Steamroller.
And perhaps the most important thing? Don't mock the work or the author. When you start doing this, then it stops sounding like a Constructive Criticism and sounds more like Flame Bait or Hate Dumb. Doing this will make people think you're flat out bashing them.
Unfortunately, the latter two paragraphs have unfortunately caused a lot of gray area. Due to the amount of people passing off those kind of comments as constructive, some creators don't ask for critique or sites like Deviant ART have options that forbid it on some pics. *
Compare/Contrast Compassionate Critic.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SplitPersonalityTropes
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DemonicPossession
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GateKeepers
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AristocratsAreEvil
EXCERPT:
Aristocrats are often willing to be polite and even with people of their own rank. Moral Myopia, however, often limits it to fellow aristocrats. Commoners are just out of luck — especially servants.
If they're not actively in charge, expect them to be part of the Omniscient Council Of Vagueness. A Regent For Life will pick any one of these titles, especially if they run the Peoples Republic Of Tyranny. In that case, only the Return Of The King will restore harmonious social order to the realm.
See also The Baroness. Young aristocrats may fall under Royal Brats.
Elia Gourgouris Ph.D
303-523-6396
http://www.ldscoaching.com/
http://www.geoffsnyder.com/criticism-and-praise
Criticism and Praise |
Hi there! If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to the RSS feed for my updates. You may also want to follow me on Twitter.
Mark Twain said it best when he told us “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” as it seems to be a constant refrain in corporate america concerning positive feedback: nobody receives enough of it until it’s too late. Heck, in some industries or trades, it’s basically nonexistent…that is unless of course you’d rather get negative feedback, which seems to be more and more of what I am hearing about due to the lack of employee engagement. Based on economic trends and the state of the current global economy, more and more employees are finding it more challenging for them to be engaged to the day-to-day operations of their current place of business. This is when we can expect to see dramatic shifts within our marketplace. Managers are frequently finding more faults with their employees and are letting them hear about it before they would ever praise a job well done. This is one of the biggest mistakes they can do right now, as for it will have adverse effects which become near impossible to correct later.
Don’t get me wrong, criticism is important…but unless it’s countered by praise, employees will quickly label themselves as damaged goods and lose overall motivation. Alternatively, a little bit of praise will boost the energy of the workplace and bolster the productivity. It’s the managers and team leaders who praise success that will breed more success, because employees will know exactly what kind of performance to repeat. Plus, when they arrive to work, they will be happy and leave even happier knowing that they are handling tasks that are being recognized. Compliments can be small or large…usually it does not matter. Also, the can be expressed privately or publicly because both work well. In all cases, team leaders and managers need to be looking for constant reasons to praise people within their organization. Employees will never get tired of hearing how great they are at what they do.
Mark Twain’s quote still holds true to this day; compliments don’t cost much, yet they’re priceless.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ConstructiveCriticism
Constructive Criticism
"Okay, I've read your script, and I have a few things to say about it. It needs work, but you've got something going here. I wasn't impressed by the car chases, but those aren't my thing. But I do know that cheesy one-liners aren't really done anymore, unless you're spoofing those kinds of movies, and this isn't a parody. I did like the romance scenes. You should probably expand that relationship. These kind of movies don't do relationships well, and this would help your movie stand out."
"Okay, I've read your script, and it's retarded. You should just use it for toilet paper. Nobody likes car chases anymore, and your crappy jokes make Arnold look like Shakespeare. You thought that shit was funny? Oh, the love scenes were good. I always knew you were gay."
The above two paragraphs aren't quotes. They're to illustrate the difference between Trolling and Constructive Criticism (hopefully, you know which is which). While trolls want to put people down, constructive criticism is meant to help an artist improve his/her work. It's rarely shown in fiction, but it's important to it, since it's meant to help people improve their writing.
This kind of criticism is about being honest, clear, and considerate in your comments. It doesn't mean making only positive comments (it's not constructive to say a bad work is good), but it does mean you're trying to help the artist improve positively. It should also be noted that politeness, while appreciated, isn't necessary to make the criticism constructive. So long as the problems are highlighted and suggestions are made to make things better, Cluster F Bombs can be dropped without the criticism becoming trolling.
It's not perfect. For one thing, you have to be aware of your biases, and admit them. For another, you could make claims that turn out to be wrong, even if you thought otherwise at the time. Finally, the artist could misunderstand your criticism, and take it as bashing, even when you mean otherwise.
Yet it's still the form of criticism most likely to actually get results. In fact, some artists can even give this to themselves, hence the phrase "I'm my own worst critic."
Now you might be wondering if this is appropriate for this site. Of course it's better than Complaining About Shows You Dont Like, but describing tropes and listing examples doesn't actually call for criticism. There are some places where it can fit, particularly in YKTTW. You can help a new trope a lot more with this kind of criticism than insulting the new trope, the troper that posted it, or that troper's mother.
However; you'll notice that most people don't actually understand the concept of Constructive Criticism. As you'll probably learn if you take a college-level creative writing course, one of the most important things about Constructive Criticism is don't rewrite the work to suit your desires. This is actually one of the biggest things that people need to learn about being constructive, because it is not very constructive to try to suggest the author to write a work into something that you want to enjoy. The point is to make it into something that they want to create. You will notice this as a trend in people who are members of the Periphery Hatedom, especially if they have a Bias Steamroller.
And perhaps the most important thing? Don't mock the work or the author. When you start doing this, then it stops sounding like a Constructive Criticism and sounds more like Flame Bait or Hate Dumb. Doing this will make people think you're flat out bashing them.
Unfortunately, the latter two paragraphs have unfortunately caused a lot of gray area. Due to the amount of people passing off those kind of comments as constructive, some creators don't ask for critique or sites like Deviant ART have options that forbid it on some pics. *
Compare/Contrast Compassionate Critic.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SplitPersonalityTropes
Split Personality Tropes
- Demonic Possession
- Enemy Within
- Evil Feels Good
- Evil Twin
- Gollum Made Me Do It
- The Heartless
- Helpless Good Side
- Identity Amnesia
- Jekyll And Hyde
- The Killer In Me
- Literal Split Personality
- Living Memory
- Many Spirits Inside Of One
- Not Himself
- Powers Via Possession
- Shadow Archetype
- Split At Birth
- Split Personality
- Split Personality Merge
- Split Personality Makeover
- Split Personality Takeover
- Superpowered Alter Ego
- Talking To Themself
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DemonicPossession
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GateKeepers
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AristocratsAreEvil
EXCERPT:
Aristocrats are often willing to be polite and even with people of their own rank. Moral Myopia, however, often limits it to fellow aristocrats. Commoners are just out of luck — especially servants.
If they're not actively in charge, expect them to be part of the Omniscient Council Of Vagueness. A Regent For Life will pick any one of these titles, especially if they run the Peoples Republic Of Tyranny. In that case, only the Return Of The King will restore harmonious social order to the realm.
See also The Baroness. Young aristocrats may fall under Royal Brats.
