Category: Culture

Everything cultural that interests me: music, reading, science, arts in general, news, photography…

Games People Play: Alcoholic/Addict [en]

Alcoholism can be analyzed through social games theory, which leads to the interesting realization that most support groups (like AA) encourage alcoholics to play another role in the game (Rescuer instead of Victim), and don’t actually help the alcoholic to pull out of the game and learn to relate to people differently.

If you have never heard of Eric Berne or his best-selling Games People Play: The Psychology of Human Relationships I strongly encourage you to lay your hands on this book, or at least scoot off to this site, which briefly presents some important social games.

Games are played to varying degrees, and with consequences of varying severity (from benign to lethal):

  1. A First-Degree Game is one which is socially acceptable in the agent’s circle.
  2. A Second-Degree Game is one from which no permanent irremediable damage arises, but which the players would rather conceal from the public.
  3. A Third-Degree Game is one which is played for keeps, and which ends in the surgery, the courtroom or the morgue.

Coming back to the game of ‘Alcoholic’, here is the complete quote concerning the role of support groups in continuing to play the game:

There are a variety of organizations involved in ‘Alcoholic’, some of them national or even international in scope, others local. Many of them publish rules for the game. Nearly all of them explain how to play the role of Alcoholic: take a drink before breakfast, spend money allotted for other purposes, etc. They also explain the function of the Rescuer. Alcoholics Anonymous, for example, continues playing the actual game but concentrates on inducing the Alcoholic to take the role of Rescuer. Former Alcoholics are preferred because they know how the game goes, and hence are better qualified to play the supporting role than people who have never played before. Cases have been reported of a chapter of A.A. running out of Alcoholics to work on; whereupon the members resumed drinking, since there was no other way to continue the game in the absence of people to rescue.

There are also organizations devoted to improving the lot of the other players. Some put pressure on the spouses to shift their roles from Persecutor to Rescuer. The one which seems the closest to the theoretical ideal of treatment deals with teen-age offspring of alcoholics; these young people are encouraged to break away from the game itself, rather than merely shift roles.

The psychological cure of an alcoholic also lies in getting him to stop playing the game altogether, rather than simply change from one role to another. In some cases this is feasible, although it is a difficult task to find something else as interesting to the Alcoholic as continuing his game. Since he is classicly afraid of intimacy, the substitute may have to be another game rather than a game-free relationship. Often so-called cured alcoholics are not very stimulating company socially, and possibly they feel a lack of excitement in their lives and are continually tempted to get back to their old ways. The criterion of ‘game cure’ is that the former Alcoholic should be able to drink socially without putting himself in jeopardy. The usual ‘total abstinence’ cure will not satisfy the game analyst.

Both quotes: Eric Berne, Games People Play: The Psychology of Human Relationships

Miroir, mon beau miroir… [en]

Tristan en pleine action lors de la clôture du premier meetup parisien sur les standards web. Qui sera présent à  celui de septembre?

Paris, standards, rencontres, péniches et photos [en]

Pour les impatients qui ont du patienter jusqu’à  maintenant, voici les chroniques parisiennes d’une suissesse en vadrouille.

J’ai quitté Paris avec l’envie d’y retourner une fois avec un peu plus de temps – cela ne m’était encore jamais arrivé. Une ballade le long de la Seine jeudi matin, les péniches qui m’ont fait rêver un vague projet de nomadisme, la Tour Eiffel et les parcs avoisinants, le Palais du Louvre – immense! – et des gens, ma foi, fort sympathiques.

Outre Tristan et sa charmante épouse, j’ai eu le plaisir de rencontrer enfin Pascale, que je n’avais pas réussi à  voir lors de ma dernière visite à  Paris. Deux autres noms surgis du passé ont aussi pris un visage: Mat et Daniel, que j’ai cotoyé sur usenet il y a un an et demi.

Le meetup lui-même fut un succès: 10 personnes présentes! Ce fut très “meeting” et orienté productivité – ce qui est un peu normal vu le thème du meetup, et vu aussi que c’était le premier. J’ai retrouvé du coup la motivation nécessaire pour remettre pompage sur pied – je vous donnerai les détails en temps voulu, une fois que j’aurai un peu fignolé mon project plan…

En attendant la publication du compte-rendu officiel du meetup (Tristan, le monde entier a les yeux braqués sur le StandBlog!), allez regarder les photos (il y en a aussi chez Pascale, d’ailleurs).

Paris Web Standards Meetup: j'arrive! [en]

Le meetup sur les standards web à  Paris aura bien lieu! De toute facon, on fera un truc meme si on est trois ! , nous promet Tristan. A ce propos, si vous n’avez pas encore vu son standblog, courez-y vite!

Bref, Paris, me voici. Aller en voiture, retour en avion. A jeudi!

Meetup Webstandards à  Paris [en]

Ce jeudi, meetup sur les standards web à  Paris. Je suis presque décidée à  prendre l’avion. Le verdict tombera demain. En attendant, inscrivez-vous nombreux!

The Myth of Zen in the Art of Archery [en]

Many people interested in Japan or the martial arts have certainly read Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel. Fewer are those who have equally read Yamada’s very interesting article titled The Myth of Zen in the Art of Archery (Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 2001, 28/1-2).

Before reading Yamada’s article, I had always taken Herrigel’s account pretty much at face value. When you consider the impact of Herrigel’s book on our understanding and interpretation of martial arts, what Yamada puts forth will definitely make one think.

Eugen Herrigel’s “Zen in the Art of Archery” has been widely read as a study of Japanese culture. By reconsidering and reorganizing Herrigel’s text and related materials, however, this paper clarifies the mythical nature of “Zen in the Art of Archery” and the process by which this myth has been generated. This paper first gives a brief history of Japanese archery and places the period at which Herrigel studied Japanese archery within that time frame. Next, it summarizes the life of Herrigel’s teacher, Awa Kenzo. At the time Herrigel began learning the skill, Awa was just beginning to formulate his own unique ideas based on personal spiritual experiences. Awa himself had no experience in Zen nor did he unconditionally approve of Zen. By contrast, Herrigel came to Japan in search of Zen and chose Japanese archery as a method through which to approach it. The paper goes on to critically analyze two important spiritual episodes in “Zen and the Art of Archery.” What becomes clear through this analysis is the serious language barrier existing between Awa and Herrigel. The testimony of the interpreter, as well as other evidence, supports the fact that the complex spiritual episodes related in the book occurred either when there was no interpreter present, or were misinterpreted by Herrigel via the interpreter’s intentionally liberal translations. Added to this phenomenon of misunderstanding, whether only coincidental or born out of mistaken interpretation, was the personal desire of Herrigel to pursue things Zen. Out of the above circumstances was born the myth of “Zen in the Art of Archery.”

Yamada Shoji, The Myth of Zen in the Art of Archery (Abstract)

Photos of Switzerland [en]

As it’s too hot to sleep, here are some aerial pictures of Switzerland. If it stays this hot, I’m going to sleep on my balcony. 31.5°C says the thermometer. And look at what time it is.

First, the index for Switzerland. Zoom into my little canton, Vaud.

Start by visiting Lausanne. More than 300 photos available if you click on the map. This is the old town.

I live in this area, but unfortunately there are no pictures of my neighbourhood. There’s one of the World Trade Center, where part of the Orange offices are, however. My neighbourhood doesn’t look anything like those tall buildings you can see, by the way. Have a look at Prilly if you want a better idea of what it could look like—I live on the border between Lausanne and Prilly.

Le Mont is where I grew up. Again, unfortunately, no photographs of my father’s house. Check out the university: my building is the one alongside the motorway in the last picture. Hop off to Bussigny. The building I work in is the bottom one in the photo-before-last.

Traduction de iStockphoto.com [en]

Le site iStockphoto.com cherche des personnes intéressées à  le traduire en français. Envoyer un e-mail à  Bitter pour en discuter si vous êtes intéressé!