I'm talking about stuff like this:
"You don't like homosexuality... so you must be homosexual!"
"You spent all of your time trying to disprove God... so you must believe in God!"
etc.
I'm not going to take sides on these issues as that's not the point of the question. It's just that some people are arrogant enough to think they can tell others what they think and feel.
It seems like, ever since reverse psychology became a part of popular culture, everyone and his dog thinks they can apply it to everything, thinking they're intelligent.
They're not.
Thoughts?
2007-07-07 17:34:26 · 18 answers · asked by Skye 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Ms. Taurus: An arctic fox.
2007-07-07 17:47:15 · update #1
Sorry, that should read: "everyone and his dog think"...
Irrelevant, I know.
2007-07-07 17:53:09 · update #2
rbc: You may be right about it not technically being reverse psychology, but you're wrong about the homosexuality thing. People hate it for all sorts of reasons, not just because they're part of it. If you think that they're all homosexual, you're incredibly ignorant. One study is not enough, and that was only one group of people. Since I see no details about it, I can't analyze its effectiveness.
The truth is that people love to twist things around for their own goals.
2007-07-08 05:54:40 · update #3
Reverse psychology only works a part of the time. The problem is, someone takes a psychology class in college and all of a sudden they think they know how to "read" people. It doesn't work like that. Humans are very complex creatures. You cannot get a psychological analysis of someone from just talking with them a few minutes, OR based on a couple of things they've said.
2007-07-07 17:42:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
As another answerer said, this is not reverse psychology. Reverse psychology is suggesting to someone that they take a certain course of action in anticipation that that will cause them out of contrariness to take a different course of action that the suggester actually DOES want them to take.
Every argument has to be taken on its own terms, and I feel as though your examples mix apples and oranges. It's really impossible for me, at least, to answer this question without mentioning them.
The second is a totally inane argument, agreed.
The first argument is based on a university study in which every homophobic person tested was found to be sexually stimulated by homosexual pornography- and people who hate homosexuals should be made aware of it.
It is valid to make inferences about what people are thinking based on what they say. We do it all the time. The validity of the inferences will depend on the experiences of the people making them- sometimes they'll be accurate and sometimes they won't.
2007-07-07 19:56:42 · answer #2 · answered by gehme 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I have been a married mother, a divorced-single mother, a re-married mother and a stepmother. No job I have ever had was as hard as being a "single mother." It is not always the woman's fault she is single. Sometimes men just walk away or never live up to their responsibilities. I realize what you are saying. I truly do, but really and truly people who have never walked in the shoes of a single mom have no idea how hard it is. If a single woman is just having one kid right after another that is just wrong, wrong, wrong and she deserves to be looked at in a different light than other single moms. However, all single, unwed mothers do not deserve to be categorized with the women who have children to gain more benefits or child support. Unless their situation is known it is just not right to stereotype.
2016-04-01 02:46:49 · answer #3 · answered by Marilyn 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Brava. While in some cases this "reverse psychology" can be correctly applied, I find that in most cases, the cause of hate is simply fear. I agree, we should stop trying to apply it to every day life and sit back and actually think of something else.
2007-07-07 17:50:42 · answer #4 · answered by The Pope 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Really I have to disagree...our knucklehead dog could only manage forward psychology...
But yes, things like the ones you mentioned are generally very annoying statements by people with offensive opinions who think they are right.
What on earth is that image of...
2007-07-07 17:42:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, it's based on a real thing -- projection -- but like all pop psychology, it's often oversimplified and misapplied.
Sometimes it's real, though. I mean, Ted Haggard *was* projecting.
2007-07-07 17:38:31 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's just intellectual laziness. They can't think of a response to the issue that has actually been raised.
2007-07-07 17:41:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anise 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is not reverse psychology, this is denial psychology. The people who said those are in denial.
2007-07-07 17:53:26 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well - I guess I'd rather know what people are thinking on the subject being discussed rather than have them tell me what they think I'm thinking and why I'm thinking it - because sometimes I'm not thinking - I'm just kidding around . . . . . .
And, I think I'm pretty intelligent (oh, man - does that mean I'm really stupid?????)
Ah, this is too much fun. ;)
2007-07-07 17:41:49 · answer #9 · answered by Patti R 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is only reverse if the owner can't find the gears that drive their thoughts forward to life. I think you have found your mental gear box? How many gears do we have? I have CVT :-)
2007-07-08 01:30:49 · answer #10 · answered by James 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋