Jan 13, 2013

Our addiction to each other

We're addicted to the internet, to Facebook, twitter, blogging, all of it. We're uber-connected and yet have never been more isolated. So why do we spend hours on Facebook, etc..., sending our thoughts out into the web? Who do we think is reading our stuff, who cares about what we have to say? Why am I writing this, why do I feel committed to it and why does it feel good? Maybe because we crave "positive transactions": 
 
"In the 1960s, psychiatrist Eric Berne introduced a new model of psychology that he ultimately called Transactional Analysis. It has many components, but the simplest is this: Our days and nights are filled with small and large "transactions" between people. A quick hello from a friend is a small, positive transaction, while a dirty look from another driver is a negative one. A deep conversation with a lover is a large transaction — it might be positive or negative, depending on the outcome. Berne believed that people's happiness was a function of how these transactions went, and how many positive interactions a person piled up during the day. He believed that positive transactions were as important to mental health as water and food are to physical health. Chart a few days of your interactions with people, and I think you'll become convinced that Berne was onto something." --from Bob Sullivan's post at http://animaltracks.today.com/_news/2012/09/12/13825121-when-my-dog-lucky-died-i-disappeared-too

So here I am, sending my thoughts out into the great void, waiting for a positive reply to drift back and reaffirm my existence... It's kinda sad.  I think I'll go play with my Willow.  I think she's got a better handle on things than I do!

No comments:

Post a Comment