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fozmeadows · 2 years

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tools not rules: the importance of critical thinking

More than once, I’ve talked about the negative implications of Evangelical/purity culture logic being uncritically replicated in fandom spaces and left-wing discourse, and have also referenced specific examples of logical overlap this produces re, in particular, the policing of sexuality. What I don’t think I’ve done before is explain how this happens: how even a well-intentioned person who’s trying to unlearn the toxic systems they grew up with can end up replicating those systems. Even if you didn’t grow up specifically in an Evangelical/purity context, if your home, school, work and/or other social environments have never encouraged or taught you to think critically, then it’s easy to fall into similar traps - so here, hopefully, is a quick explainer on how that works, and (hopefully) how to avoid it in the future.

Put simply: within Evangelism, purity culture and other strict, hierarchical social contexts, an enormous value is placed on rules, and specifically hard rules. There might be a little wiggle-room in some instances, but overwhelmingly, the rules are fixed: once you get taught that something is bad, you’re expected never to question it. Understanding the rules is secondary to obeying them, and oftentimes, asking for a more thorough explanation - no matter how innocently, even if all you’re trying to do is learn - is framed as challenging those rules, and therefore cast as disobedience. And where obedience is a virtue, disobedience is a sin. If someone breaks the rules, it doesn’t matter why they did it, only that they did. Their explanations or justifications don’t matter, and nor does the context: a rule is a rule, and rulebreakers are Bad.

In this kind of environment, therefore, you absorb three main lessons: one, to obey a rule from the moment you learn it; two, that it’s more important to follow the rules than to understand them; and three, that enforcing the rules means castigating anyone who breaks them. And these lessons go deep: they’re hard to unlearn, especially when you grow up with them through your formative years, because the consequences of breaking them - or even being seen to break them - can be socially catastrophic.

But outside these sorts of strict environments - and, honestly, even within them - that much rigidity isn’t healthy. Life is frequently far more complex and nuanced than hard rules really allow for, particularly when it comes to human psychology and behaviour - and this is where critical thinking comes in. Critical thinking allows us to evaluate the world around us on an ongoing basis: to weigh the merits of different positions; to challenge established rules if we feel they no longer serve us; to decide which new ones to institute in their place; to acknowledge that sometimes, there are no easy answers; to show the working behind our positions, and to assess the logic with which other arguments are presented to us. Critical thinking is how we graduate from a simplistic, black-and-white view of morality to a more nuanced perception of the world - but this is a very hard lesson to learn if, instead of critical thinking, we’re taught instead to put our faith in rules alone.

So: what does it actually look like, when rule-based logic is applied in left-wing spaces? I’ll give you an example:

Sally is new to both social justice and fandom. She grew up in a household that punished her for asking questions, and where she was expected to unquestioningly follow specific hard rules. Now, though, Sally has started to learn a bit more about the world outside her immediate bubble, and is realising not only that the rules she grew up with were toxic, but that she’s absorbed a lot of biases she doesn’t want to have. Sally is keen to improve herself. She wants to be a good person! So Sally joins some internet communities and starts to read up on things. Sally is well-intentioned, but she’s also never learned how to evaluate information before, and she’s certainly never had to consider that two contrasting opinions could be equally valid - how could she have, when she wasn’t allowed to ask questions, and when she was always told there was a singular Right Answer to everything? Her whole framework for learning is to Look For The Rules And Follow Them, and now that she’s learned the old rules were Bad, that means she has to figure out what the Good Rules are.

Sally isn’t aware she’s thinking of it in these terms, but subconsciously, this is how she’s learned to think. So when Sally reads a post explaining how sex work and pornography are inherently misogynistic and demeaning to women, Sally doesn’t consider this as one side of an ongoing argument, but uncritically absorbs this information as a new Rule. She reads about how it’s always bad and appropriative for someone from one culture to wear clothes from another culture, and even though she’s not quite sure of all the ways in which it applies, this becomes a Rule, too. Whatever argument she encounters first that seems reasonable becomes a Rule, and once she has the Rules, there’s no need to challenge them or research them or flesh out her understanding, because that’s never been how Rules work - and because she’s grown up in a context where the foremost way to show that you’re aware of and obeying the Rules is to shame people for breaking them, even though she’s not well-versed in these subjects, Sally begins to weigh in on debates by harshly disagreeing with anyone who offers up counter-opinions. Sometimes her disagreements are couched in borrowed terms, parroting back the logic of the Rules she’s learned, but other times, they’re simply ad hominem attacks, because at home, breaking a Rule makes you a bad person, and as such, Sally has never learned to differentiate between attacking the idea and attacking the person.

And of course, because Sally doesn’t understand the Rules in-depth, it’s harder to explain them to or debate with rulebreakers who’ve come armed with arguments she hasn’t heard before, which makes it easier and less frustrating to just insult them and point out that they ARE rulebreakers - especially if she doesn’t want to admit her confusion or the limitations of her knowledge. Most crucially of all, Sally doesn’t have a viable framework for admitting to fault or ignorance beyond a total groveling apology that doubles as a concession to having been Morally Bad, because that’s what it’s always meant to her to admit you broke a Rule. She has no template for saying, “huh, I hadn’t considered that,” or “I don’t know enough to contribute here,” or even “I was wrong; thanks for explaining!”

So instead, when challenged, Sally remains defensive: she feels guilty about the prospect of being Bad, because she absolutely doesn’t want to be a Bad Person, but she also doesn’t know how to conceptualise goodness outside of obedience. It makes her nervous and unsettled to think that strangers could think of her as a Bad Person when she’s following the Rules, and so she becomes even more aggressive when challenged to compensate, clinging all the more tightly to anyone who agrees with her, yet inevitably ending up hurt when it turns out this person or that who she thought agreed on What The Rules Were suddenly develops a different opinion, or asks a question, or does something else unsettling.

Pushed to this sort of breaking point, some people in Sally’s position go back to the fundamentalism they were raised with, not because they still agree with it, but because the lack of uniform agreement about What The Rules Are makes them feel constantly anxious and attacked, and at least before, they knew how to behave to ensure that everyone around them knew they were Good. Others turn to increasingly niche communities and social groups, constantly on paranoid alert for Deviance From The Rules. But other people eventually have the freeing realisation that the fixation on Rules and Goodness is what’s hurting them, not strangers with different opinions, and they steadily start to do what they wanted to do all along: become happier, kinder and better-informed people who can admit to human failings - including their own - without melting down about it.

THIS is what we mean when we talk about puritan logic being present in fandom and left-wing spaces: the refusal to engage with critical thinking while sticking doggedly to a single, fixed interpretation of How To Be Good. It’s not always about sexuality; it’s just that sexuality, and especially queerness, are topics we’re used to seeing conservatives talk about a certain way, and when those same rhetorical tricks show up in our fandom spaces, we know why they look familiar.

So: how do you break out of rule-based thinking? By being aware of it as a behavioural pattern. By making a conscious effort to accept that differing perspectives can sometimes have equal value, or that, even if a given argument isn’t completely sound, it might still contain a nugget of truth. By trying to be less reactive and more reflective when encountering positions different to your own. By accepting that not every argument is automatically tied to or indicative of a higher moral position: sometimes, we’re just talking about stuff! By remembering that you’re allowed to change your position, or challenge someone else’s, or ask for clarification. By understanding that having a moral code and personal principles isn’t at odds with asking questions, and that it’s possible - even desirable - to update your beliefs when you come to learn more than you did before.

This can be a scary and disquieting process to engage in, and it’s important to be aware of that, because one of the main appeals of rule-based thinking - if not the key appeal - is the comfort of moral certainty it engenders. If the rules are simple and clear, and following them is what makes you a good person, then it’s easy to know if you’re doing the right thing according to that system. It’s much, much harder and frequently more uncomfortable to be uncertain about things: to doubt, not only yourself, but the way you’ve been taught to think. And especially online, where we encounter so many more opinions and people than we might elsewhere, and where we can get dogpiled on by strangers or go viral without meaning to despite our best intentions? The prospect of being deemed Bad is genuinely terrifying. Of course we want to follow the Rules. But that’s the point of critical thinking: to try and understand that rules exist in the first place, not to be immutable and unchanging, but as tools to help us be better - and if a tool becomes defunct or broken, it only makes sense to repair it.

Rigid thinking teaches us to view the world through the lens of rules: to obey first and understand later. Critical thinking teaches us to use ideas, questions, contexts and other bits of information as analytic tools: to put understanding ahead of obedience. So if you want to break out of puritan thinking, whenever you encounter a new piece of information, ask yourself: are you absorbing it as a rule, or as a tool?

#critical thinking #logic #rhetoric #purity culture #fandom #evangelism #hierarchy #thinking

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power-chords · 5 months

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Worth keeping in mind when encountering the terminally online types who think there is a such thing as “immoral” fictional content that should not be represented in art or even imagined in the privacy of one’s own mind, and that anyone who derives pleasure/value from such content should be designated either an active or latent predator: they’re hypocrites. This is why they have to tie themselves in such convoluted, arbitrary knots over what taboo subject matter is Good and Safe to create or enjoy, and under which specific, frequently contradictory conditions. Nothing is more consistently and predictably attractive to the human psyche than the Forbidden, so much so that there are whole genres of art (and not just erotic or pornographic art!) exploring these conventions.

"Kill the cop in your head" is an amusing refrain because not only is it the only solid ethical directive, it's the only sane and reasonable one. Human beings do not, by and large, have all that much conscious control over what imaginative material excites or intrigues them. Trying to impose order on a lawless realm is waging a war you're guaranteed to lose. We can only control what we do, which impulses or desires we choose to act upon; it ought to go without saying that there is no neat, clean, conveniently generalizable relationship between what we enjoy vicariously through fiction/fantasy and what we want to do to other people or have happen to us in the real world. It is both regressive and depressingly anti-humanist to assume you have any conclusive insight into what that relationship might be for any given individual, and that you can perform armchair risk assessments or psychological evaluations on strangers!

#I promise that any person claiming to not indulge impure fantasies of things they don't actually desire IRL is lying to you #the only variable is whether they shame others or themselves about it!

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sabakos · 1 year

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In the future, modern psychological science has invented the Questioning. This free, voluntary, non-invasive procedure consists of only a short, hour-long survey and written assessment with a professional, after which time all problems with a human's mental health may be ascertained and treated in subsequent follow up sessions.

However, the Questioning is also an assessment to test for REPLICANTS, which are infiltrators, disguised as some small percentage of humans, though the exact numbers are not known. These REPLICANTS present a danger to mankind and themselves, and need to be kept safely away somewhere else.

Although no one knows for sure if they are a REPLICANT, the assessment criteria used to determine it are publicly available, so many may have some indication of their status. But as always, self-evaluations of mental states are tricky, and there is a high chance of misdiagnosis, so the professionals caution against attempting to determine your own status. Most people who assess themselves as REPLICANTS turn out to be mistaken, so there is little cause for concern.

Although many humans do exhibit some REPLICANT-like behavior, and many of the assessment criteria are subjective, the professionals who make these assessments receive several years of training, so false positives are unlikely. Because of this, and the danger these infiltrators pose, once assessed, REPLICANTS cannot be trusted. Most of them will immediately protest their REPLICANT status, and seek to escape. This is proof of their erratic, harmful behavior, and often requires sedation and restraint once they are relocated somewhere else so they they stay there, far away from humans. Tragically, there is still little we can do for them, but know that we have their and our best interests at heart in treating them.

The Questioning is very popular in media, and several successive public relations campaigns have removed any social stigma associated with asking for help. Anyone who exhibits any issues that might be resolved by the Questioning, such as career uncertainty, interpersonal troubles, or SEEING THINGS THAT AREN'T THERE is strongly encouraged towards it by most friends, family, and even employers. But yet, many still have unresolved issues that could be treated by the Questioning, because despite almost everyone paying lip service to the Questioning, only 8% of adults have ever tried it! The people who administer the Questioning only want to help everyone. It's a great mystery still why it's not more popular. People must not care about their own mental well-being.

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lovers-tucked-into-a-quiet-cafe · 7 months

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Personnel Files [IKYLHT]

Series Masterlist | Next: 141 & Rabbit Headcanons

Name: [REDACTED]

Callsign: Highwater (formerly), Rabbit

Rank: Gunnery Sergeant (E-7)

Occupation: Demon Dogs Operative, 0251 MOS Interrogator/Debrief Specialist

Affiliations: United States Marine Corps (formerly), Demon Dogs, Coalition, Task Force 141

Identifiers: 26yr Female, 172cm, ‘Heavily’ Tattooed

Physical Assessment: Determined Fit for Duty: Affirm.

Note: Physical Examination cut short, patient held overnight in medical ward after severely injuring nurse practitioner. Sudden unprompted hysteria after [REDACTED], patient forcefully restrained. Absence of physical response to constraints- ceased movement and allowed for further restriction of movement in accordance to protocol. Negative emotional response to constraints- immediate increase in hysteria, cowering in expected physical harm, patient proceeded to [REDACTED], refused medical treatment. Evidence of trauma-response based attack. Unknown psychological trigger. Incident Number 9836573.

Psychological Evaluation: Determined Fit for Duty: Affirm.

Note: Recalled to active duty following brief unauthorized leave of absence after covert operation in [REDACTED], Mexico. Patient requested base transfer upon return, application denied until documentation of post-mission evaluation was received. Patient agreed to undergo aforementioned evaluation, halted after [REDACTED], Incident Number 9836573. Patient attended recommended Cognitive Processing Therapy following incident. Currently attending 1-1 Psychotherapy, prescribed Venlafaxine. Patient granted permission by PhD. Harrison to avoid medical institutions unless warranted by life-threatening illness or injury.

Name: John ‘Johnny’ MacTavish

Callsign: Soap

Rank: Sergeant (E-5)

Occupation: SAS Operative, Sniper and Demolitions Expert

Affiliations: SAS, Coalition, Task Force 141

Identifiers: 26yr Male, 183cm, Medium Brown Hair, Blue Eyes, Various Tattoos on Arms

Physical Assessment: Determined Fit for Duty: Affirm.

Note: Patient reports noticeable decline in migraine and fatigue following tinnitus treatment, as previously prescribed. Patient was recommended the continuation of such methods- avoiding caffeine and nicotine, limiting salt intake, increasing vitamin B12, and following proper PPE protocols.

Psychological Evaluation: Determined Fit for Duty: Affirm.

Note: - -

Name: Simon Riley

Callsign: Ghost

Rank: Lieutenant (O-2)

Occupation: SAS Operative, Sabotage and Infiltration Expert

Affiliations: SAS, Coalition, Task Force 141

Identifiers: 28yr Male, 192cm, Dark Blonde Hair, Brown Eyes, Half-Sleeve Tattoo on Right Forearm, Skull Plate Face Covering [On-Mission], Balaclava Face Covering [Off-Mission On-Base]

Physical Assessment: Determined Fit for Duty: Affirm.

Note: - -

Psychological Evaluation: Determined Fit for Duty: Affirm.

Note: Patient’s routine psychological evaluation is past-due. Clear for active duty, ordered to schedule annual check-up eval at earliest convenience. When questioned, patient admits to decline in attendance of 1-1 Psychotherapy regarding [REDACTED]. Declines request for therapy and/or medication regarding childhood PTSD. Declines request for medication regarding [REDACTED].

Name: Kyle Garrick

Callsign: Gaz

Rank: Sergeant (E-5)

Occupation: SAS Operative, Weapons Tactics and Covert Surveillance Expert

Affiliations: British Army (formerly), SAS, SAS Domestic Counter-Terror Program, Coalition, Task Force 141

Identifiers: 24yr Male, 180cm, Dark Brown Hair, Brown Eyes

Physical Assessment: Determined Fit for Duty: Affirm.

Note: Patient reports continued migraine and light sensitivity post-concussion. Prescribed Topiramate to manage temporary symptoms. Screened for excessive bleeding and hemorrhaging, no evidence of prolonged injury post blunt force trauma found.

Psychological Evaluation: Determined Fit for Duty: Affirm.

Note: - -

Name: Jonathan ‘John’ Price

Callsign: Bravo 0-6

Rank: Captain (O-3)

Occupation: 22nd SAS Regiment Captain, Close Quarter Battle Specialist, Seek-and-Strike Expert

Affiliations: British Army (formerly), SAS, Coalition, Task Force 141

Identifiers: 36yr Male, 185cm, Medium Brown Hair, Blue Eyes, Full Beard

Physical Assessment: Determined Fit for Duty: Affirm.

Note: Patient was recommended the use of Cyclobenzaprine for continued back pain and muscle spasms, denied fulfilling prescription due to inability to consume nicotine or alcohol while on medication.

Psychological Evaluation: Determined Fit for Duty: Affirm.

Note: Patient was recommended the use of Nitrazepam to provide short-term relief from severe anxiety and insomnia while off-duty, denied fulfilling prescription due to sedative properties and possibility of impaired judgment or coordination in the event of an unscheduled call back to base.

Name: Alejandro Vargas

Callsign: N/A

Rank: Colonel (O-6)

Occupation: Mexican Special Forces Operative, Leader of Los Vaqueros

Affiliations: Mexican Army (formerly), Los Vaqueros, Task Force 141

Identifiers: 28yr Male, 186cm, Dark Brown Hair, Brown Eyes, Various Arm Tattoos

Physical Assessment: Determined Fit for Duty: Affirm.

Note: Patient recommended continuation of physical therapy for affected shoulder.

Psychological Evaluation: Determined Fit for Duty: Affirm.

Note: Patient noted displaying uncharacteristic signs of high stress. Unknown stress trigger. Recommended self-treatment: elimination of nicotine and caffeine from diet, substitution of herbal teas and remedies. Patient admitted as to previously declining aforementioned recommendations, notes having implemented recommendations under the order/care of [REDACTED]. Follow-up advised.

Name: Rodolfo ‘Rudy’ Parra

Callsign: N/A

Rank: Sergeant Major (E-9)

Occupation: Mexican Special Forces Operative, Los Vaqueros Second-in-Command

Affiliations: Mexican Army (formerly), Los Vaqueros, Task Force 141

Identifiers: 28yr Male, 181cm, Dark Brown Hair, Brown Eyes, Various Arm and Chest Tattoos

Physical Assessment: Determined Fit for Duty: Affirm.

Note: - -

Psychological Evaluation: Determined Fit for Duty: Affirm.

Note: Patient noted displaying signs of high stress, declined additional optional psychological screenings. Recommended time off-duty to mitigate stress, patient denied ability to leave base for extended periods of time.

Name: N/A

Callsign: Konig

Rank: Oberfeldwebel [Staff Sergeant, Technical Sergeant]

Occupation: KorTac Operative

Affiliations: Kommando Spezialkräfte (formerly), KorTac

Identifiers: 27yr Male, 198cm, Blue Eyes, Sniper Veil Face Covering

Physical Assessment: Determined Fit for Duty: Affirm.

Note: N/A

Psychological Evaluation: Determined Fit for Duty: Affirm.

Note: N/A

Name: Valeria Garza

Callsign: El Sin Nombre

Rank: N/A

Occupation: Leader of Las Almas Cartel, KorTac Operative

Affiliations: Mexican Special Forces (formerly), KorTac

Identifiers: 28yr Female, 168cm, Dark Brown Hair, Brown Eyes, Various Tattoos on Arms

Physical Assessment: N/A

Psychological Evaluation: N/A

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so-i-did-this-thing · 11 months

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Trans Floridians: "Informed Consent" guidelines are shaping up to be worse than the Harry Benjamin days

The Florida Board of Medicine is discussing the "informed consent" standards today. These will affect trans people, including adults, who are both starting and continuing care.

In short, the guidelines require a prohibitively expensive and difficult to access number of regular assessments for the life of "treatment". (Which, for most of us on HRT is the rest of our lives.) The guidelines look for any opportunity to deny care, from lack of social support to "co-morbidities" that are likely targeting autism, depression, etc.

The specific requirements for you to receive and continue HRT treatment include the following: 1. Meets the current DSM or ICD criteria for gender dysphoria; 2. Mental health and physical conditions that could negatively impact the outcome of treatment have been assessed, with risks and benefits discussed 3. Gender dysphoria is marked and sustained; 4. Demonstrates capacity to consent for the specific gender dysphoria hormone treatment; 5. Does not suffer from psychiatric comorbidity that interferes with the diagnostic work- up or treatment; 6. Has adequate psychological and social support during treatment; 7. Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the risks, benefits, and expected outcomes of HRT as well as the medical and social risks and benefits of sex reassignment surgery; 8. Understands the effect of gender-affirming hormone treatment on reproduction and they have explored reproductive options; 9. Undergoes an evaluation by the prescribing physician at least every 3 months 10. Undergoes a suicide risk assessment by a licensed mental health care professional at least every 3 months; 11. Undergoes laboratory testing, including blood tests, at least every 6 months; 12. Bone (DEXA) scan once a year to allow monitoring of your bone density (bone strength) during treatment, which can be altered by HRT; 13. Annual mental health assessments by a board-certified Florida licensed psychiatrist or psychologist; and 14. Continued counseling with a licensed mental health care professional during the treatment period, with the frequency recommended by the licensed mental health care professional.

Erin covers here:

From Representative Anna V. Eskamani:

Beginning on page 264 of the meeting packet is the draft informed consent forms for tomorrow's meeting. In part it reads -- "Before beginning or continuing HRT, the individual needs to undergo a thorough psychological and social evaluation performed by a Florida licensed board-certified psychiatrist or a Florida licensed psychologist. The psychiatrist or psychologist must submit a letter to the prescribing physician confirming this." https://ww10.doh.state.fl.us/.../06232023_JRL_Publicbook.pdf Licensed mental health counselors and licensed social workers are trained to write evaluation letters. They know most providers have an LCSW or mental health on staff. This is cruel for the sake of bring cruel and designed to make access more difficult.

I experienced the gatekeeping during the Harry Benjamin days, including the mandatory one year "real life test" where you have to live as your gender in all aspects of your life without the benefits of HRT. It was a very stressful and dangerous practice that was designed to crush us.

This is so much worse. Even with my current salary, health benefits, and work from home schedule, I don't see how I could afford the time and money for all the assessments, nevermind how insulting and discriminatory they are.

Trans Floridians should watch this story closely as the Board of Medicine discusses and finalizes these requirements. As of today, these are not final, but in the current state, would mean the end of informed consent in Florida, and all but bans care entirely.

#trans stuff #transgender

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bodyswappertransforming · 2 months

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Dictator’s body double part one

In a realm shadowed by the tyranny of a dictator named Alexi, a critical issue weighed heavily on the minds of his closest advisers. Alexi, distinguished by his unique height and authoritative demeanor, had survived several assassination attempts. The solution was as clear as it was difficult to achieve: they needed a body double. Yet, the challenge extended beyond merely matching Alexi's rare physical stature; it required emulating his distinct aura of control, a task that appeared insurmountable until they heard whispers of a secretive technology.This technology, a crown jewel of espionage, belonged to the Central Intelligence Agency. Far from being a simple exercise in disguise or superficial changes, this was a comprehensive, transformative process that fused psychology, physical transformation, and technology to allow someone to completely take on another's identity, capturing their mannerisms and, potentially, their way of thinking. It was designed for the most extreme missions, allowing agents to blend into their covers so seamlessly that even those who knew the impersonated individual would be none the wiser.Through daring operations that would later become the stuff of legend within the corridors of power, Alexi's regime acquired this technology. The hunt for a double was reinvigorated with newfound vigor. Many were evaluated, but only one was selected: Ivan, a soldier whose bravery and dedication was unmatched.

Ivan had known missions that tested the limits of his endurance and skill, but nothing could have prepared him for the moment when his commanding officer summoned him into a stark, dimly lit room. The air was heavy with a tension that made Ivan’s instincts flare with unease. His officer, a man of few words and even fewer expressions, didn't waste time on pleasantries."Ivan, you have been chosen for a mission of paramount importance," he began, his voice a monotone that belied the gravity of his words. "From this point forward, your old life ceases to exist. You are to become Alexi."Ivan's mind raced. Become Alexi? The very notion was absurd. Alexi was a figure of fear, a tyrant whose name whispered in the shadows incited dread. How could he, Ivan, a man whose physical attributes were diametrically opposite to those of Alexi, assume his identity? Ivan was tall, yes, but slender and muscular, with light hair that was starkly different from Alexi's darker, imposing presence."Sir, with all due respect, how is this possible? Alexi and I... we're nothing alike. The physical differences alone—"His officer cut him off with a sharp gesture. "Everything will be explained to you. The technology we've acquired makes the impossible possible. You will undergo a series of operations and psychological conditioning. When we're done, even Alexi's closest confidants won't be able to tell you apart."The mention of technology sparked a flicker of understanding, yet the full scope of the transformation that was being proposed seemed beyond the bounds of reality. Ivan's objections lingered on the tip of his tongue, but the look in his officer's eyes—a blend of unwavering conviction and an unspoken warning—silenced him."Your first task is to meet with Alexi. He has personally requested to see you before the procedure begins."The thought of coming face-to-face with the dictator was enough to unsettle even Ivan’s steeled nerves. Alexi, whose rule was ironclad, whose whims were law, and whose cruelty was legendary, wanted to meet him? The implications were chilling.As Ivan was escorted to the meeting, his thoughts were a tumult of anxiety and disbelief. The corridors seemed to stretch on interminably, each step taking him closer to the man who embodied terror for so many. When at last he was ushered into Alexi's presence, the dictator's cold, assessing gaze felt like a weight. Alexi circled him, a predator sizing up prey, before finally speaking."You will become me," Alexi stated, his voice devoid of warmth. "This is not a request; it is your new reality. Your commitment must be absolute. There is no room for failure."The weight of Alexi's words, the sheer impossibility of what was being asked of him, settled over Ivan like a shroud. Yet, in the face of Alexi's unwavering expectation, refusal was unthinkable. This was more than a mission; it was a total erasure of his former self, a plunge into the unknown with no promise of return.As Ivan left the meeting, the magnitude of his commitment loomed large. He was no longer just a soldier; he was to become the shadow of a tyrant, embarking on a journey that would test the very limits of his identity and resolve. The path forward was fraught with uncertainty, but Ivan knew that turning back was not an option.

The process to transform Ivan into Alexi's double was as meticulous as it was grueling. It began with a battery of tests—medical, psychological, and physical—to ensure Ivan could withstand the radical changes required. The timeline was daunting: nine months to a year of constant, invasive transformation and recovery. Ivan was put on a stringent new diet designed to significantly increase his body mass; he had to gain nearly 200 pounds to match Alexi's more imposing physique.Beyond the physical transformation, Ivan embarked on a rigorous regime to internalize Alexi's essence. He began to shadow the dictator, observing him in meetings, noting the subtleties of his speech, the nuances of his gestures, and the way he carried himself—everything that made Alexi, Alexi. This shadowing was not merely about imitation; it was about understanding Alexi's thought processes, predicting his reactions, and adopting his worldview.In the evenings, Ivan's transformation continued in a different, yet equally demanding, form. He was hooked up to advanced machines that facilitated the transfer of memories. These sessions were designed to imbue him with Alexi's experiences, or at least, a version of them, to ensure that Ivan could replicate not just the dictator's mannerisms but also his reactions to specific references or triggers. This technology, blending the cutting edge of neuroscience and psychology, aimed to merge Ivan's consciousness with aspects of Alexi's, blurring the lines between the individual and the persona he was to adopt.The process was disorienting, often leaving Ivan in a state of identity flux, where the boundaries between himself and the role he was assuming became increasingly indistinct. Every day, he found pieces of Ivan fading away, replaced by the characteristics, memories, and even thought patterns of Alexi. It was a transformation that demanded not just physical resilience but an unparalleled strength of mind.Throughout this exhaustive process, Ivan's commitment was put to the test. The physical changes, while challenging, were straightforward compared to the psychological and emotional toll of taking on another's identity so completely. The machines that worked to integrate Alexi's memories with his own left Ivan in a limbo between selves, a space where Ivan's past and Alexi's experiences intertwined and sometimes clashed.Despite the hardships, the promise of becoming Alexi's perfect double drove Ivan forward. With each passing day, the soldier who had entered the program receded further into the background, giving way to the emerging figure of the dictator. This transformation, once unthinkable in its depth and breadth, slowly became Ivan's new reality, a testament to the lengths to which he—and those orchestrating the change—were willing to go to protect Alexi and preserve their grip on power. The journey was far from over, but Ivan was no longer the man he had been. He was becoming Alexi, for better or for worse.

Three months into the transformation, Ivan's life as he knew it had been officially erased. His family mourned him as a hero lost in battle, unaware of the surreal journey he was undergoing. The physical changes were becoming apparent: Ivan had put on about 25 pounds, a testament to the new diet and the efforts to physically match Alexi. But the transformation went deeper than the skin.The memories transferred from Alexi started to take root in Ivan's psyche, intertwining with his own thoughts and experiences. With these memories came unexpected cravings—for power, wealth, the rush of domination, and surprisingly, for cigars and vodka, substances Ivan had previously abstained from. The daily regimen of pills and injections was relentless, altering his body chemistry to accelerate his transformation into Alexi's double, not just in appearance but in essence.Spending his days with Alexi, Ivan was subjected to the dictator's habits, including drinking and smoking cigars—habits that were initially repulsive to him. Yet, as the days passed, Ivan found himself not just tolerating these vices but slowly starting to relish them, a sign of how deeply the transformation was affecting him. The physical changes continued: his skin began to adopt a slightly different pigment, his hair darkened, and began to thin, aligning more closely with Alexi's appearance, and his skin showed signs of aging to mirror Alexi's age, which was about 15 years his senior.This physical and psychological metamorphosis was disorienting. Ivan could feel the essence of who he had been slipping away, replaced by the burgeoning identity of the man he was to become. The once-clear demarcation between Ivan and Alexi blurred with each passing day, challenging Ivan's sense of self. He found himself caught in a complex web of identity, power, and transformation, embodying a role that demanded the sacrifice of his former self for the sake of a mission that had consumed his existence.The forced adoption of Alexi's habits and the assimilation of his memories and desires marked a significant milestone in the transformation process. Ivan was no longer merely imitating Alexi; he was becoming indistinguishable from the dictator, embodying his characteristics, desires, and even his vices. This deep integration signaled a point of no return in Ivan's journey, a testament to the extraordinary lengths to which the regime was willing to go to protect their leader and maintain their grip on power, at the expense of Ivan's identity and the truth.

By the fourth month of Ivan's transformation into Alexi, the process had reached a critical and irreversible stage. Ivan had already begun to embody Alexi's persona, mastering his mannerisms, adopting his style of speech, and even altering his voice to mirror the dictator's distinctive timbre. His walk had taken on the characteristic stride of Alexi, and through the ongoing memory transfer, Ivan found himself understanding—and in some unsettling ways, even empathizing with—Alexi's perspectives and motivations.The first surgery marked a significant escalation in the transformation process. It was not just another step but a leap into solidifying Ivan's commitment to becoming Alexi. The operation was daunting: to physically reduce Ivan's height to closely match that of Alexi, requiring the shortening of his legs. This surgery, combined with the injections that had already begun the process of shrinking him, was aimed at reducing his stature by a total of 12 inches.Waking up from the long and arduous surgery, Ivan found himself in a haze of pain and disorientation. The realization that he was now significantly shorter, only a few inches taller than Alexi, was jarring. His face, swathed in bandages from the extensive facial reconstruction, was a tangible symbol of the transformation's severity. The surgery had not just altered his height but had begun the process of reshaping his face to mirror Alexi's visage closely.This physical alteration was more than a change in appearance; it was a profound alteration of identity. Ivan, once a distinguished soldier with a unique identity, was now being meticulously sculpted into a living, breathing double of the most feared man in the country. The pain from the surgery, both physical and psychological, was a constant reminder of the sacrifice Ivan was making. His body was no longer his own; it was becoming a vessel for the persona of Alexi, molded and shaped through science, technology, and a deep psychological reconditioning that blurred the lines between two distinctly different men.As Ivan recovered from the surgery, he had to confront the reality of his new existence. The sight of himself in the mirror, once a familiar comfort, had become a source of estrangement. Each glimpse of his bandaged face and altered physique served as a stark reminder of the path he had chosen—or rather, the path that had chosen him. The transformation was not just about adopting Alexi's external appearance; it was about subsuming his identity into that of the dictator, a process that was as much about losing himself as it was about becoming someone else.This first surgery was a pivotal moment in Ivan's journey, marking a point of no return. The physical changes were irreversible, locking him into his mission with a permanence that went beyond mere commitment. Ivan was not just playing the role of Alexi; he was being physically remade in his image, a testament to the lengths to which the regime would go to protect its leader. As Ivan faced the long road of recovery and further transformations, he did so with the knowledge that there was no turning back, only forward into the uncertain future of his new identity.

#bodyswap #mental change #fantasy #male transformation #personality change #male body swap #disguise transformation #body double

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phlve · 5 months

Text

Sociotype Profiles — EII

Ego

Leading Fi

Central to the EII are their personal sentiments or attitudes towards the people and events surrounding them and the demands of their conscience. The EII is in a persistent state of subjective evaluation, trying to assess how they feel. They tend to form attitudes based on their personal ideals of 'goodness' and then strive to act sincerely to these sentiments. When applied to behaviours and actions, this provides them with strong ideals of what is ‘decent’ of a person, and they tend to hold themselves to nearly quixotic standards. Often they may feel a sense of disappointment with their own actions, not living up to their potential. When applied to people, this promotes social selectivity, with EIIs being motivated to form close, meaningful and stable bonds with those they feel to be of a desirable character and avoiding those they feel to have bad intentions. EIIs tend towards idealism and may be reluctant to form their deepest, closest connections with just anyone. Instead they will keep most people as friendly acquaintances and spend much time waiting for the special person who would be right for a romantic relationship, occasionally waiting so long as to not commit to anyone at all. In each case, they create the appropriate psychological distance with each individual according to their inner compass, sharing themselves completely and honestly with those they feel close to, while being more reserved and distant with those they are less sure of.

Creative Ne

As an aid to their leading function, EIIs like to keep an open mind to the numerous possibilities. In tandem with their main approach of assessing the inner character of others, this provides a sense of ‘good faith judgement’. Instead of judging someone on their superficial actions or deeds, the EII tries to get a grasp of a person’s potential to be good, where they have room for growth. In this way, they are able to largely see the best in others and indirectly draw that goodness out of those they care for. For this reason, they are less likely to cut off their relations with others if they have had a bad experience, tentatively and indefinitely delaying character judgement until they are sure of the person's potential. In the same way, EIIs are open to new ideas and may enjoy a wide range of eclectic and even quirky interests, often being open to the potential these areas offer to improve their lives. However, this also results in a non-committal nature of EIIs, who prefer to try out a range of different experiences and walks of life, rather than commit themselves to a particular path and cut out alternatives. This can result in a meandering or wandering effect, the EII drifting between different activities and phases, trying things out but not staying long in any one thing.

Super-Ego

Vulnerable Se

Although greatly aware of their personal attitudes and sentiments, EIIs largely lack the ability or the desire to assert their will and enforce their judgements on others. This is the anathema to their accepting, chance-giving nature, where in an attempt to see the potential good in others and explore desirable characters, a forceful imposition of one's own attitude onto someone may be a failure to respect the humanity of the individual and the possibility they may be misunderstood. Despite often becoming the voice of personal conscience in a community, they are naturally too naive to the competitive battle of wills to effectively fight and resist others. Frequently, they may misunderstand threats in their environment, not knowing when their disappointment with the conduct of another person, or very personal reaction to an upsetting stimulus might lead to an argument or fight, often resulting in their criticism of a situation getting them into trouble and having to remove themselves from the suddenly and unexpectedly aggressive vicinity. They do not understand power play and may naively expect the best of others, failing to notice the realistic pressures and forces that make a person act less than their ideal. Often sensitive souls, they will likely feel vulnerable and strained in their physical surroundings, easily becoming overwhelmed when they feel someone is invading their personal space or acting boisterously and feeling attacked when no harm was intended. EIIs can quickly tire of anything requiring decisiveness in the present, tensing up when demands are placed on them to suddenly respond to a real, immediate threat or crisis and will do all they can to stay out of conflicts. At the same time, they tend to be entirely oblivious to the fact that they may come across to others as overly weak and delicate. Only on matters of conscience might they make a stand, usually to their defeat.

Role Ti

Despite being disposed to sentimental judgements, EIIs are aware that being more objective is required in certain situations. As such, the EII attempts, and mostly succeeds, to be more logical, being able to structure and organise their ideas reasonably well and provide clear analytical reasoning when needed. They also are capable of thinking impartially and coming to fair, unbiased judgements. However, such tendencies are attempted inconsistently as the EII much prefers the subjective, more sentimental approach, determining what feels ‘good’ rather than merely technically correct. Usually they will apply logical analysis and breaking concepts down into parts when they are looking at something of personal meaning to them and are trying to convey their ideas to others. However, doing so for protracted periods can be intellectually tiring. Instead, the EII longs to be shown the processes and practical steps for how things actually work, so that they do not have to structure their understanding in theory. The EII is tolerant of order and regularity in their lives and is usually comfortable with compliance as long as they feel the rules are in place for the right reasons and interpret them as guidelines of safety, rather than coercive dictations. However, they will quickly become the voice of conscience when they personally feel that the law is oppressive, cruel or wrong.

Super-Id

Mobilizing Si

The delicacy of EIIs can result in a certain amount of hypersensitivity to their surroundings, with slight changes in the environment easily throwing them off centre. This results in a strong desire of the EII to maintain peace and stability in their lives. As such, EIIs actively try to keep their surroundings and relationships with others relaxing and anodyne, preferring quiet, quaint backgrounds. In reducing their surroundings to the pleasant and painless, EIIs feel that they can have some hold on their present reality and keep the harsher forces and pressures at bay. Similarly, EIIs are often attracted to environments of picturesque beauty and seek out such tranquil surroundings for work and leisure. EIIs may take personal pride in the performance of a task requiring attention to fine-detail and working with their hands, especially if the task is of some special meaning to them and allows the opportunity for EIIs to attain high quality in their work. In such activities, the idealistic perfectionism so common to EIIs can find a cathartic release and many EIIs make their closest friendships with people they meet during such pastimes. Furthermore, EIIs can become quite health-conscious and fussy about their close friends and relations not looking after themselves properly, taking it upon themselves to provide for them. For the sake of their feelings, the EII needs stability, and they do their best to not allow disharmony to throw off their calm. At the same time, they lack an instinct for their own survival and might end up unknowingly walking into danger despite their attempts for everything to be safe and secure.

Suggestive Te

EIIs naturally associate human decency with the will to do practical good in the world, but are largely lacking in practical skills. Often they have little awareness of how efficiently they are performing a particular task and can easily waste their time and energy. Consequently, EIIs often worry about failure and incompetence, internally punishing themselves for not being good enough. To aid this difficulty, EIIs can be diligent learners, trying to read up on helpful information that can enable them to do a better job. They desire to be helpful around others, less clumsy and more capable of handling daily matters well. Despite this, they can lack the ability to estimate the helpfulness or relevance of information they read and the methods they carry out, and tend to indiscriminately accept the information they come across unless they get a feeling the person or source is dishonest. For this reason, they greatly appreciate finding a trustworthy, reliable friend with the pragmatic expertise to help them in these areas and will respond very positively to someone taking the time to patiently explain how something works to them. In such situations, they will feel great wonder at the steady stream of practical information and its improvement of their daily lives. EIIs will treat such knowledgeable people as the go-to expert and will readily rely on their assistance in handling the practical challenges of the day-to-day.

Ignoring Fe

The EII is largely resistant and distrustful of attempts to alter or affect their emotions. When someone tries to persuade them of something with an emotive performance, their natural instinct is think such attempts as being insincere and deserving of their silent scepticism. Indeed, these approaches can often lead to them forming a personal opinion that is contrary to the crowd. A quiet, gentle individualism is common to EIIs who often refrain from identifying with any particular group, neither wanting to commit nor to belong to a circle of people they feel no personal connection with. In group situations, EIIs may feel a clash between their conscience and the general mood. When such an occasion arises, the EII is likely to quietly leave the gathering of people, preserving their inner dignity without stirring up a fuss. In interaction with others, the EII is unlikely to be emotionally expressive with strangers, instead opting for a cordial civility and preferring to keep any strong feelings to themselves and only confiding later in someone they feel close to. When upset by others, EIIs are unlikely to express negativity to the surroundings, although they may openly express their worries if they feel something bad is about to happen to those they care about. Despite, their usual reserve, warmth is freely expressed to those they feel personally comfortable with and often looser, more playful emotions can make themselves known.

Demonstrative Ni

EIIs are naturally very reflective individuals who spend a lot of time in their heads, thinking about the long term consequences of their actions. Usually, they are able to get a sense of where events are likely to go with little concrete evidence, and tend to be aware of fatalistic outcomes. Despite this, EIIs are disposed towards keeping open possibilities rather than closing them, just in case they may be wrong and have misunderstood. To judge too quickly and close a window never to be opened again would be undesirable. Instead of deciding to cut people off for not being part of an intended plan, EIIs are more likely to be non-committal, and allow themselves to drift away from things that disappoint them or no longer hold their interest, with every intention of giving someone another chance should things change. In their primary concern of relationships, EIIs will be most likely to apply their long-term focus to knowing where a relationship is likely to go and using this to advise their choices on who specifically to focus on out of many fish in the sea. In this way, they readily idealise a desired relationship and can be picky over who might fit that idealism, despite giving plenty of people a chance to live up to that ideal. Once they have a particular person to focus on, EIIs will move on to their greater priority, i.e. the intimate exploration of everything there is to know or experience about an individual's character. In this way, EIIs are able to go deep for the purpose of greater exploratory breadth.

Source: Wikisocion

#personality theory #personality types #typology #socionics #sociotypes #eii #infp

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yutasbimil · 10 months

Text

Irony

vyn x fem!oc | tears of themis ff. (psychology major!lead) ✦ (1/~) [series fic] REPOSTING!!! also posted on my ao3 acc! { here } tags: fluff, comfort cw: love at first sight, slight prejudice, psychology major student x professor? hmmm . . . meet-cute, eventual smut, eventual romance, heavy psychological anguish later on orz (sorry) ; idk what to put kek note: possible series or there might be more continuation onto this context! for now this settles it for me ;) + supposedly expected to be finished last sept. on vyn's bday, but I only got around it now; majority of this set-up is inspired by vyn's ssr card 'a star in the night' + supposedly this is a 'x reader' fic but got too heavy eventually, I apologize truly ;; word count: 2.5k

part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part x

do not repost © yutasbimil (2021)

“I wouldn't like a person with a prestigious background.” The lady is irked by the arrogance of rich; higher-class people. Vyn opposes love at first sight.

Ironically, Yule and Vyn came to realize they're both the type of people they came to ‘despise’; likewise.

They promised to stray away from those qualities, but this very essence is what drove them closer.

In a rush, Rosa approaches Yule at the sight of her. Yule is actually expecting more of a warm greeting from the senior, being an alumna of the campus and all. Yet she’s greeted with a pile of paper shoved by her chest.

“I’m really sorry, Yule!” Rosa almost tumbles as she bows. “I have to make a run to the firm.” By holding the older one with her phone, Yule got the gist that it was urgent.

She didn’t even get the chance to glance at the papers, not till she looked over that what Rosa hands out are survey questionnaires.

Rosa did not even tell her what to do though to get this; what it is for, and is it already up for evaluations? All she does know; it’s still not half done to be enough for input. Seeing one-third of it blank… Yule wants to cry internally.

Rosa didn't even explain to her what to do at all.

Yule signs and she's even just here as an alumnus to get her documents.

She’s currently on her Masteral, and she's also planning to enroll here. As Rosa recommended.

And Marius. sighs

They are at most friends, having the same interest in art. Though, she still gets annoyed as he can be quite a tease and unpredictable when they interact.

Geez, the thought of that guy infuriates me.

Yule diverts her attention back elsewhere, scanning over the papers she has at hand, aware of its content since she had psychological assessment courses.

Too drifted off and immersed in reading details, she grows hesitant.

Rosa is just about done with the evaluations— but, I am not in the place to hand these out as in the first place, I am not even assigned to conduct this…

Yule worries over her lips, upon reading a certain name, she pauses.

‘Dr. Richter? That sounds like the prof. I'll have it in my class.’

She runs her finger on the print. “Vyn…”

She bumps into a man with a lab coat. Startled, she steps back. “Oh, sorry!” She’s almost a jittery mess, bowing and keeping the folder by her chest.

The sight of the lady also took Vyn by surprise.

Though, by her reaction, she doesn't recognize him at all. Or as that is what he presumed.

Yule first noticed his golden eyes, brighter through his glasses. She doesn’t know but some warmth spreads in her chest, urging her that he’s the kind of person to approach for aid. More so as his eyes glint back at her.

“Sorry to bother you more, but do you know Dr. Richter around here?”

The taller male says nothing for a moment, pursing his lips as he sees the glimpse of the familiar papers.

Yule noticed his stares.

“Oh, no worries. I’m planning to give it back.” A bit guilty, she bites her lips as she did check the content. Though she doesn’t want to let go of it yet, she is already intrigued by the study. What am I saying?

Rosa, you better make it up for me.

“That is me, but may I ask where you got those from?” the white-haired man inquired. She lifts the papers by her chest.

“Oh, my friend is in a rush. She just handed these out to me. I really thought she planned to make me answer all of these…” Yule laughs, a bit forced, awkward. But all the more perpetually made things indeed more awkward.

At least for her end.

“Are you Miss Saints?”

Somehow hearing him saying her name in his low voice made her heart tumble.

No Yule! You’re just nervous. No way that your heart skipped a beat at that!

Yule takes a deep breath regaining composure as she stands up straight. She firmly holds the folders and offers her hand.

“I am, and can I take that as you are Dr. Richter?” As if automatically she switched and adjusted her speech to formal talking to this nobleman. Or at least that's what her brain registered her to do.

“Indeed.” He nods, humbly smiling back at her ever so solemnly. “Please… No need to be so formal, any friend of Rosa is to my liking.”

Vyn takes her hand, she felt soft by her hand upwards. He speaks. “I suppose you know about those evaluation papers?”

Just when she thought she had the upper hand in keeping the atmosphere in place. Alas.

She sighed in defeat and was a bit ashamed. At this point, she’s screaming Rosa’s name at the back of her mind for being in this situation.

“Apologies, Rosa was in such a rush to ask me a favor.” she almost bites back a sob. “Though I do know the protocols yet I still rummaged through it.”

“Oh, no worries. It’s fine. It is up to you if you want to take part as the respondent, or do you wish to continue to be of assistance?”

She did not even register the question in her head.

The curiosity has been looming over her mind for the past minutes, enough for it to ask to slip off. She didn’t have a moment to fight back her urge. “How did you know my name?”

“Rosa had mentioned you to me on numerous occasions,” he replies, his lips shifting upwards in a noticeable manner. “She’s actually enthralled for me to meet you soon, since you’re her ‘psychologist friend’, as she worded it.”

Did she just witness him smiling at that fact? Yule grows more on embarrassed than delighted at that.

Though, how come she didn’t even mention Dr. Richter to her at all to be aware of him? …if he knows her already this much? How odd of you Rosa…

“Not yet.” She puts emphasis on that, further explaining to him her future plans for her degree.

He gestures to her to move aside to sit by the waiting benches by the hallway. As more students crowd the room. As they found a bit of comfort by their feet, she continued, playing by the hem of her sleeves as she placed the folder between them. The distance now feels safe. “I am not even fully sure since you handed these out to be conducted. You assigned Rosa.”

Yule only expected him to take it as it is, as it is the facts. So, she didn’t expect the slight gleam of his eyes, though it wouldn’t be discernible if one isn’t paying much attention to a person.

She rationalized it as she’s someone taking up psychology, of course, she had to be perceptive at most.

A smile is now formed on his lips, distinct more now than it is for her.

“Take it as a ‘makeup’ for bumping into me.”

That is a big thing for him, what an inconvenience you are, Yule. She kept the surging blood rushing through her face to herself, feeling all the more embarrassed.

Vyn is quick to retract it.

“I am only kidding, though, mind if I do observe you?” he suggests once again. “I won’t be much of a bother. I believe if I accompany you, the students might answer those around me differently.”

As much as she knows that might change behavior, for the genuinity of the study, she's more affected by being watched.

“Only if you do mind, Miss Yule?”

That made her get out of her zone. “No! I actually want to finish it seeing its content,” she admitted, the words just escaped smoothly.

By the gleaming eyes greeting her back.

She knows well that she'll definitely enjoy having classes here.

Yule is now itching more to move to her feet and get this over with, besides the outcome, the resounding steps of the two of them echoing in the now deserted hallway is growing all the more engaging. The idea of this atmosphere is going to be familiar to her…

I need to finish finalizing my documents.

It is the least of her expectations.

Yule is yet to know what is going right at her.

How could she slip up on their first conversation? The look on Vyn across her, is anything but “amused” with his lips pointing upwards.

It felt cold and artificial, remaining unnoticed by the girl while she carried on with her sentiments.

“They can be quite obnoxious.” she huffs, the push in her voice signals depth.

“Just because they think they owe you and can bribe you with money.”

Vyn sips from his cup before speaking. “Don’t you think you are discrediting them for their hard work and efforts on what you have said prior on that basis?”

“Also…” Adding a chuckle, he looks at her. “Do you not like Marius that much?”

“N-no! I actually like him, he's one of the few I get along with and of that background.” She almost pokes herself reaching the straw with her mouth. That took her off guard, it is anything but hatred. Although she had to admit, she got carried away with her mouth. That is not at all what she meant, but is it really coming across that way on how Vyn interpreted it?

Yule is part of the middle class, more on the working side, and trying to strive to meet her needs, but delving into the topic and personal encounters, she had a handful of unpleasant experiences working with rich people.

Though, she did not even consider him, Vyn Richter, as that… even when she got to know he's rich af.

She grows somber in her seat. It really flew out of her mind that Vyn had told her about this recently. Remaining her lips wrapped around her straw, Yule made a mental note to hold back her tongue this time around.

“Yule, how come you've developed a stereotype, then such judgment on this matter?” His voice is too clear to bypass.

Yule took the moment to look at him intently.

At some odd feeling, she felt that his intention on the question is beyond his inquiries on psychology. This is a matter of intuition now.

She doesn't want to back down or stray away from their topic.

Now a bit composed, she tells him in prompt detail what’s on her mind. “Okay, sorry. I held such a judgment, though it is personal based on what I have encountered… Especially in prestigious places that I had a chance to get a job in. Some can be condescending not because they have power, when the actual case is that what they are lacking is simple respect to others.”

“I see.” Vyn runs his fingers by his chin and then gestured to her, she felt her breath release. “You said that in meticulous detail.”

Yule hums, now a bit relieved in her place though nervous if she lessened the mess she placed on the atmosphere.

“I do hope I don't come across that way. May I ask if I have offended you in some way, in our previous meetings perhaps?”

“Not at all.” She shakes her head firmly, assuring him in the best manner. She had to take another good look at him, straight in contact. “What do you mean though, Dr. Richter?”

She can’t quite put a finger on it…

“Nothing.”

She won’t think much of it then.

By the clock ticking, and as the condensation of the cup drips by her finger, Vyn drops his question.

“Ah, right. Rosa relayed the message to me moments ago… Since she's got an extra ticket, how about you be the one to join me at this event? Her friend Kiki isn't able to accompany her.”

Yule filched as he handed the invitation, more so as his slender fingers brushed hers for a moment. But looking at the table now, she can't quite comprehend seeing the intricate details on the paper, let alone the scent of it.

Or is it him?

She flushed red as she realized his close proximity.

Yule backs away, also because she might have to turn him down. “Oh no, I don’t know if I may…” The shining letters on the paper gawk at her by her line of vision.

She doesn't have any clothes appropriate.

Like of course, on average, she didn't have anything packed for this certain instance. She will stick out like a sore thumb!

“Is there any problem, Miss Yule?” Vyn had to ask as she had been silent for a while.

Prompting her feet properly to her seat, her sheepish behavior came off a bit less. “Honestly… I don’t have a dress for a ball.”

Does she look pathetic?

“Oh, no need… Marius suggested a design for you.” Seeing the already prepared reference on the older male’s phone, she had to widen her eyes at the sight of her favorite hues that complements her skin so well.

That made her flush more.

She lets out a nervous laugh, mixed with vexation. “I swear he wants me in debt.”

“I asked him directly though, no worries. Besides, knowing you're in the midst of moving here in Stellis, I suppose you didn't bring any attire for these kinds of events.”

“Exactly.” She felt herself relax and look at him with intent. So, he didn't see the fact that I may not have any of the luxury, and did not prioritize it since she’s handling something at the moment. She beams at him, feeling the effects of the caffeine saturate her body. “You’ve done so much already, Vyn, thank you.”

Hearing that she had already complied in calling him by the name, she claps his hands together, nodding in appreciation. “That settles it then.”

“Mind if I pick you up at noon?” he asks.

“Not quite a morning person?”

He had to perk a smile, as she even managed to notice that detail.

Vyn chuckles, letting a meek smile paint over his lips. “I suppose you too?”

Nodding, she had to mirror back a shy grin, disappearing in a matter of seconds as it’s been replaced by an astonished reaction.

“Let's grab a coffee on the way.”

She had to flush back. He noticed that detail too, huh…

Settling on the same agreement feels safe as they get more captivated into their little bubble. Despite being both’s epitome of ‘irony’ at the first meeting, they have settled it. With Vyn breaking down her beliefs into something more bearable; showing more of the radical explanation of phenomena, and to Yule alluring the appealing nature of the primacy effect in love for Vyn. Possibly expanding the concept and enticing dynamics to him hereafter.

To the one who acts on her vulnerabilities, the other rational on their approach. One can learn from the other; equal and reciprocal. Opposites do attract.

Having to see in person the name, the one he keeps hearing, now has a form and meaning for him to further analyze. He wishes to comprehend more of her complexities past her captivating appearance. Vyn can now structure better connections based on further impressions he may probe into.

Letting the scent of the café waft their senses, he's stirred awake.

He’s the type who prefers tea, but with him being in her presence, it feels natural. She gives the same palpitation and warmth as he glances at her coffee-brown eyes.

※ my masterlist | #enjeiwrites ※

#vyn richter #mo yi #tears of themis #tot #vyn x reader #vyn: paradox series #enjeiwrites

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reachartwork · 2 months

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Superhuman Geometeorological Engineering Regulation Act of 2012

Section 1: Short Title

This Act may be cited as the "Superhuman Geometeorological Engineering Regulation Act of 2012."

Section 2: Definitions

(a) Geometeorological Engineering: The use of superhuman abilities to deliberately manipulate or alter weather patterns, atmospheric conditions, geological structures, or related environmental phenomena, beyond the scope of non-superhuman interventions such as cloud seeding, weather modification, or geoengineering.

(b) Weather Control: The specific superhuman ability to influence, direct, or modify meteorological conditions such as temperature, precipitation, wind, or atmospheric pressure, in a manner or scale that exceeds the capabilities of non-superhuman weather modification techniques.

(c) Geological Manipulation: The superhuman ability to alter, shape, or influence geological structures, including but not limited to the formation or modification of landforms, seismic activity, or volcanic processes, beyond the scope of non-superhuman geoengineering or geological engineering practices.

(d) Superhuman Geometeorological Intervention Scale (SGIS): A quantitative measure developed by the Superhuman Geometeorological Engineering Commission (SGEC) to assess the magnitude, extent, and potential impact of superhuman geometeorological engineering activities. The SGIS ranges from 1 (minimal intervention) to 10 (global-scale alteration).

Section 3: Licensing and Oversight

(a) Establishment of the Superhuman Geometeorological Engineering Commission (SGEC): A federal regulatory body under the National Superhuman Response Agency (NSRA) to oversee and regulate geometeorological engineering activities conducted by superhumans.

(b) Licensing Requirement: Superhumans engaging in geometeorological engineering must obtain a license from the SGEC. This license is separate from and in addition to the general License to Utilize Metahuman Abilities (LUMA).

Possession of a master's degree or higher in atmospheric sciences, geology, environmental sciences, or a related field from an accredited university.

Completion of a rigorous SGEC-approved training program on the scientific, environmental, and ethical aspects of geometeorological engineering.

Demonstration of mastery over their specific geometeorological abilities through a series of SGEC-administered tests and simulations.

Thorough understanding of potential environmental impacts and commitment to adhering to SGEC regulations and best practices.

Passing a comprehensive background check and psychological evaluation to ensure mental fitness and ethical conduct.

(d) Ongoing Monitoring and Reporting: Licensed individuals are subject to regular performance reviews, mandatory continuing education, and must submit detailed reports of their activities to the SGEC on a quarterly basis.

Want to read more? Check it out on the official Chum website! Today!

#writing #worldbuilding #superpowers #superhero #superheroes #alt history #sci fi #chum #chum web serial

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azura-tsukikage · 8 months

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Learning and growing from true knowledge and self-awareness can be a deeply enriching and transformative process. It often involves a focus on self-improvement, personal development, and expanding one's understanding of the world. Here's how you can differentiate between this type of growth and growth based on magical or belief-driven practices:

Growth from True Knowledge and Self-Awareness:

Focus on Learning: This type of growth is centered around acquiring knowledge and skills through education, self-study, and exploration of various subjects, including science, philosophy, psychology, and the arts.

Critical Thinking: It places a strong emphasis on critical thinking, skepticism, and evidence-based reasoning. Individuals seek to understand the world through a rational and analytical lens.

Self-Improvement: Personal development is a core aspect of this growth, and it often includes goals such as improving communication skills, emotional intelligence, and decision-making abilities.

Open-Mindedness: A commitment to open-mindedness and a willingness to consider different perspectives and viewpoints are essential. It involves being receptive to new ideas and experiences.

Self-Awareness: Self-awareness is a fundamental component, and individuals engage in introspection to understand their values, beliefs, strengths, weaknesses, and motivations.

Empathy and Compassion: Genuine personal growth often involves developing empathy and compassion for others, recognizing the interconnectedness of humanity, and striving for positive social impact.

Humility: A sense of humility is cultivated, acknowledging that there is always more to learn and that no one possesses all the answers.

Growth from Magical or Belief-Driven Practices:

Belief-Centric: This type of growth often starts with a set of beliefs, such as the existence of supernatural forces, magic, or specific spiritual principles. The emphasis is on reinforcing and deepening these beliefs.

Ritual and Symbolism: It may involve engaging in rituals, spells, or symbolic practices that are believed to have an impact on the practitioner's life. The focus is on the symbolic and ritualistic aspects of these practices.

Ego Reinforcement: Growth may be tied to an inflated ego, where the practitioner believes they have special powers or influence over external events. Success in rituals is seen as evidence of their abilities.

Community and Tradition: Many belief-driven practices are steeped in tradition and may involve belonging to a specific community or adhering to established rituals and teachings.

Self-Belief: Self-confidence and belief in one's abilities are paramount, and the practitioner may become increasingly convinced of their magical or spiritual prowess.

External Focus: The focus is often on external events, such as influencing outcomes, protecting against negative forces, or achieving specific goals through magical means.

To foster growth based on true knowledge and self-awareness, individuals can engage in the following:

Pursue Lifelong Learning: Continuously seek opportunities to acquire knowledge and skills in diverse areas of interest.

Cultivate Critical Thinking: Develop critical thinking skills to assess information, evaluate evidence, and make informed decisions.

Practice Self-Reflection: Engage in regular self-reflection to gain insights into personal values, beliefs, and behaviors.

Seek Different Perspectives: Be open to different viewpoints and engage in respectful dialogue with others to broaden your understanding.

Embrace Humility: Acknowledge the limitations of your knowledge and remain receptive to learning from others and from life experiences.

Promote Empathy and Compassion: Foster empathy and compassion for others, recognizing the shared human experience and the importance of contributing positively to society.

Ultimately, the choice between growth based on knowledge and self-awareness and growth based on belief-driven practices is a personal one. Many individuals find value in both approaches, and the two are not mutually exclusive. It's possible to embrace elements of belief-driven practices while also valuing evidence-based learning and self-improvement. The key is to maintain a balanced and reflective approach to personal growth.

#psychology #self care #witchcraft #witches of tumblr #self awareness #spiritual growth #witchblr

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pipitwrites · 1 year

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a sci-fi snippet...

These were the things Sebastian had on file for Ensign Charles Leclerc—at a mere twenty years of age, he was something of a prodigy. Of course, all the children who were recommended to sit for the Academy exams were heralded as hometown heroes, but Leclerc was the real deal as far as Sebastian could tell. Fast-tracked through the Sauber advanced engineering program to an unprecedented appointment on the Scuderia Ferrari, Leclerc had been instrumental in tracking down a bug in a mainframe update that had led to an unexpected downtime last quarter. Sebastian had even given a public commendation in front of the rest of the crew—Leclerc had seemed quiet, almost shy, then.

In the psychological assessment section of Leclerc’s personnel file there was a note about his father’s death and a personal connection to a pilot in the ill-fated Suzuka mission a few years back. Charles has overcome remarkable adversity, the evaluation concluded, and will be an invaluable member of the fleet, a true team player.

Sebastian had always known those psych profiles were bullshit.

“You can’t turn off EN-20, or won’t?” he asked.

Leclerc swallowed roughly, pale except for the blotchy patches of red high on his cheeks. “We made him the way that he is—we cannot just abandon him!”

“He—” Sebastian swore. “EN-20 has gone rogue. If anything this is further proof why it needs to be decommissioned.”

“Only because he doesn’t understand! For years he has protected this ship from threats, it’s been his only duty.”

“So he thinks the Aegis is a threat?”

“Yes,” Leclerc answered without hesitation. “When they are trying to take him offline.”

Sebastian looked back at the navigation screen. The Scuderia Ferrari would be within firing range of the Aegis flagship in a little less than ninety minutes.

“Please, Sebastian,” Leclerc said. The quiet hope on his face made him look young—soft.

“I am your Captain,” Sebastian reminded him.

Leclerc’s mouth twisted, eyes flashing. “Then throw me into the brig.”

Sebastian swore again, even more colorfully this time. Kimi would have been proud. That was the problem with prodigies, the real ones. They always had the ego to go with it, in the end.

“We have an hour to try and fix this,” he told Leclerc.

Leclerc’s shoulders sagged in relief as he slumped back down into his seat. He startled, eyes widening when Sebastian took the workstation next to him. “We?”

Sebastian grinned at Leclerc’s bewildered expression. “You know, I started out on the Engineering track before switching to Command.”

“But that was thirteen years ago,” Leclerc said, frowning. He flushed when he noticed Sebastian’s raised eyebrow.

“I helped design Enzo’s prototype then, but I am guessing you knew that, too,” Sebastian said. Leclerc’s blush deepened.

#cl16 #sv5 #f1 fic #my fic #sorry i'm toxic and yes this could potentially be read as #sebchal #with a power differential #sorry again.

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claudiosuenaga · 1 year

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Book Release: The Reliability of UFO Witness Testimony (With a Chapter by Cláudio Tsuyoshi Suenaga)

V.J. Ballester-Olmos & Richard W. Heiden (Eds.)

For 76 years, casual observers around the world have reported sightings of aerial phenomena unexplainable to them. More elaborate personal experiences have been reported by others whose testimony speak of close interactions with fantastic flying machines that land, from which strange beings descend, and even kidnap the onlookers. In the absence of compelling physical evidence of the reality of these narrations, how should science study immaterial observations and test these claims? The very standard of reputable witness reliability is at stake here.

The Reliability of UFO Witness Testimony is the first major book to comprehensively focus on the discussion and current views on problems and challenges posed by the reliability of UFO testimonies. This is a cross-disciplinary compendium of papers by 60 authors from 14 different countries. They are specialists in social, physical, and biological sciences, including psychology (predominantly) as well as psychiatry, sociology, anthropology, history, philosophy, folklore, religion, journalism, engineering, computing, medicine, education, analysts with experience in the critical study of UFO perceivers, and other professionals. This volume shares thematically convergent ideas about the plausibility of alternate explanations for an alleged close-range UFO phenomenon.

The 57 chapters in this book are divided into seven section headings: Case Studies, Psychological Perspectives, On Witness Testimony, Empirical Research, Anthropological Approach, Metrics and Scaling, and Epistemological Issues. There, the subject matter is analyzed from statistical work to clinical assessment, psychometrics, comparative and evaluation inquiry, and other topic perspectives.

Some extracts from the Foreword, written by Dr. Leonard S. Newman, Professor of Psychology at Syracuse University:

"The contributors to this book include some very smart people. There are all sorts of issues to which they could be devoting their intellectual energy, and all sorts of scholarly and research contributions they could make. They don’t have to write thoughtful and rigorous chapters for a book called The Reliability of UFO Witness Testimony, but this is what they have done. And so, the work continues, as attested to by the papers in this volume. I’m not sure if there exists any collection of papers on any topic that can claim to comprehensively summarize everything that is currently known about it. But this one comes pretty close."

This 711-page book has been released online in the Academia.edu portal, from where it can be downloaded for free:

Simultaneously, UPIAR Publishing House (Turin, Italy) has published two softcover, A4 format print editions, one in black & white, another in full color (ISBN: 9791281441002). The book can be purchased through this link:

Four outstanding academics have provided praise notes to this volume. This is what they said:

Elizabeth Loftus, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Irvine, USA:

"When ordinary citizens claim to have extraterrestrial encounters, such as seeing UFOs or meeting with alien beings, what should we think? Did the alien abduction really happen or was it a hoax? Is someone deliberately lying? Are they false memories? Readers will be enthralled by the fascinating case histories that are presented in The Reliability of UFO Witness Testimony*, a volume where sixty experts examine these issues with depth and insight. These cases teach us a great deal about how humans come to believe they have experienced bizarre events that may have never occurred at all."

Steven Jay Lynn, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Binghamton University (SUNY), USA:

"This captivating book will appeal to anyone interested in UFOs (and who isn’t?), the vagaries of memory, eyewitness perception and misperception, critical analysis of puzzling phenomena, and evaluating scientific vs. pseudoscientific claims. This volume ranks in the elite category of essential reading for students, scientists, and the seriously curious among us, and therefore has my highest recommendation. Bravo!"

Henry Otgaar, Ph.D., Professor of Legal Psychology, Maastricht University, the Netherlands, and Leuven Catholic University, Belgium:

"Claims of UFO sightings and experiences continue to fascinate us. This book has collected a unique and diverse set of case studies and critical articles on how such experiences unfold and what the authenticity of these claims is. The collection of these different articles is truly groundbreaking and is the first-ever complete assemblage concerning the validity of UFO testimony."

Benjamin E. Zeller, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of Religion, Lake Forest College, Illinois, USA:

"In referring to extraterrestrial contact, Carl Sagan said that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. This fine book seeks to contextualize what such evidence entails. Its contributors analyze UFO sightings and cases both famous and obscure, recent and historical, and quite international in scope. They draw from an impressive range of methodological, academic, and scientific perspectives, and consider such topics as the nature of cognition, memory, types of belief and testimony, psychology, and the rationality of belief. Skeptics, believers, and scholars of ufology will all find this book fascinating!"

For additional information please contact:

UPIAR Publisher: [email protected]

Editor: V.J. Ballester-Olmos, [email protected]

The Objectivity of Witnesses and the Subjectivity of Testemonies

Cláudio Tsuyoshi Suenaga

I had the honor of being one of the select few invited by the distinguished Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos, one of the organizers and editors of this impressive scientific-academic book, together with the equally distinguished Richard W. Heiden, to write a paper on the "reliability of the testimony of witnesses of UFOs", a crucial aspect of ufological research, since, in the absence of material evidence of the phenomenon, this is the primary source we deal with, the "raw material", so to speak, to permeate our analyses, even more so for those who not only deals with "second-hand" reports, but gathers them directly from the witnesses themselves, in sometimes harsh and hostile field conditions.

In my contribution entitled "The Objectivity of Witnesses and the Subjectivity of Testimonies", I carried out a critical analysis of the general reference base of the UFO problem, the testimony, seen as a cultural source authentic and indisputable, but which presents serious distortions. One of the main points questioned by me was the exact value of the testimonies, which form the basis of the reports and, therefore, of the UFO phenomenon. I tried to give an adequate scientific treatment to these data and factors relegated to the background by ufologists: the subjective observational parameters, the perceptive aspects, the language and the historical-cultural context of the witness and the psychosociological variables, that is, everything that was disparagingly called "background noise", the "sociological reject" despised in detriment of the "signal".

Consult and keep close at hand, therefore, this, the first major book to comprehensively focus on the discussion and current views on problems and challenges posed by the reliability of UFO testimonies. A cross-disciplinary compendium of papers by 60 authors from 14 different countries.

(large format, 711 pages)

You can download the full 711-page book on my Patreon:

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religion-is-a-mental-illness · 19 days

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By: Bernard Lane

Published: Apr 29, 2024

Into the unknown

Australian gender clinics have been criticised by England’s Cass review for using an experimental fast-track path to puberty blockers for children as young as age 8-9.

This practice could mean Australian minors stay on puberty blockers longer or start cross-sex hormones earlier, with no good data to predict safety or beneficial outcomes, according to a Cass-commissioned research paper reporting a landmark survey of international gender clinics.

“Puberty blockers [which suppress natural sex hormones] are intended to be a short-term intervention and the impact of use over an extended period of time is unknown, although the detrimental impact to bone density alone makes this concerning,” says the Cass report, noting that some patients discharged from the London-based Tavistock clinic were still on blockers in their early to mid-20s.

Australia’s health ministers and gender clinicians have sought to deny the local relevance of the Cass report by making vague claims about different pathways to treatment in the two countries. However, Australia’s gender clinics loom large in research commissioned by Dr Cass, especially in a survey of 15 international clinics and an independent evaluation of 21 treatment guidelines around the world.

In the newly published guideline research, not one of the three reviewers recommended use of the 2018 “Australian standards of care” treatment guideline issued by the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Melbourne1.

The RCH guideline scored only 19/100 for the rigour of its development, compared with 71/100 for the more cautious and up-to-date treatment advice from Sweden. The RCH guideline—judged untrustworthy by a pioneer of evidence-based medicine, Professor Gordon Guyatt—is used by Australia’s children’s hospital gender clinics and the stand-alone Maple Leaf House clinic.

In the Cass-commissioned survey, the majority of the international clinics that responded said they did not routinely collect outcome data on their young patients. Clinics were listed by country, not name, although clues in survey responses identify some clinics. Australia had the largest number of clinics—five of the 15—in the survey.

The research paper reporting the 2022-23 survey—published in the BMJ’s Archives of Disease in Childhood—highlights the fact that three Australian gender clinics offer a “unique” pathway for “peri-pubertal” children who are given priority on the waiting list for psychological support and access to puberty blockers when eligible.

The paper says the age of entry to this pathway is 8-9, as early as Tanner Stage 1; Tanner Stage 2 marks the onset of puberty.

Answers to survey questions identify the three fast-track clinics as those of the Perth Children’s Hospital2, the Queensland Children’s Hospital and RCH (which appears most responsible for entrenching the contentious “gender-affirming” treatment approach in Australia.)

In a 2018 journal article, the RCH clinic authors describe the setting up of its “innovative” single-session nurse-led assessment clinic, stating that this new “system enables those patients who will benefit most from puberty-blocking treatment to be fast tracked into the multidisciplinary assessment pathway to access treatment as required.”

The Queensland gender clinic had the shortest waiting time in the Cass survey, with just two to three appointments over two to three months3.

Writing in the BMJ earlier this month, Dr Cass said: “The rationale for early puberty suppression remains unclear, with weak evidence regarding the impact on gender dysphoria and mental or psychosocial health. The effect on cognitive and psychosexual development remains unknown.”

[ Chart: Puberty by Tanner stage. Credit: Cass report ]

No outcome data

The survey research paper, authored by University of York researchers commissioned by Dr Cass, notes that the Australian fast-track to puberty blockers is supported by the 2018 RCH treatment guideline for youth gender dysphoria.

But the York paper points out that “the impact of this [fast-track pathway], which might entail longer use of interventions to suppress puberty or earlier commencement of masculinising/feminising hormones, remains unknown4 as early studies of outcomes of interventions to suppress puberty mandated a minimum age of 12.”

“Traditionally, ‘watchful waiting’ has been recommended to observe how gender feelings and any distress develops [in pre-pubertal children], as the evidence suggests that many children’s gender questions or concerns may not persist into adolescence.”

In 2019, RCH head of research Dr Ken Pang advertised a PhD project on the unknown effects of hormone suppression on the brain, stating “this use of puberty blocking medication typically occurs for several years”5.

A 2020 journal article, with RCH gender clinicians and University of Melbourne bioethicists among the authors, considers the case of 15-year-old male child “EF”, a hypothetical “non-binary” patient combining features of real cases.

After three years of hormone suppression EF’s bone mineral density has fallen to the lowest 2.5 percentile, “although there have been no fractures,” the authors say.

“EF, whose desire for biological children in the future remains unclear, wishes to continue puberty suppression until they are at least 18 years old [thereby keeping a seemingly androgynous body]. Their clinicians contact the clinical ethics consultation team to ask, ‘Is that appropriate?’”

The paper assumes, contrary to systematic reviews of the evidence, that blockers can be counted on to ease the distress of gender dysphoria and confer mental health benefits. In other words, the paper does not accept that the use of blockers with dysphoria is experimental.

Three of the Melbourne authors suggest the “attractive” option of maintaining EF on blockers while making experimental use of another medication. They say that “selective estrogen receptor modulators” (SERMs) might “theoretically promote improved bone density” without growing undesired breast tissue. It is “attractive”, they suggest, despite this new medication’s side effects including hot flashes, blood clots and possibly cognitive impairment.

Another 2020 paper involving authors from the RCH clinic and the University of Melbourne contemplates the composite case of “Phoenix”, a non-binary adult requesting ongoing puberty suppression (OPS) to permanently prevent the development of secondary sex characteristics, as a way of affirming their gender identity.”

The hypothetical Phoenix is an 18-year-old girl who has mostly identified as non-binary and began hormone suppression at age 11 after she became “extremely distressed” by the appearance of breast buds and the thought of approaching menarche.

The authors declare perpetual puberty blockers “ethically justifiable”, because the possible harms would be outweighed by benefits such as “a physical appearance that better matches gender identity.”

“We have also contended that Phoenix’s request can be regarded as substantially autonomous. Arguably, medicine is moving beyond its traditional, narrow goal of promoting health, biostatistically conceived.”

Under the rubric of more ethical work to be done with non-binary adults, the authors ask, “Should a diagnosis of gender dysphoria be required for an individual to be eligible for puberty suppression?”

All this is in stark contrast to the Cass report, which says—“Puberty suppression was never intended to continue for extended periods, so the complex circumstances in which young people may remain on puberty blockers into adulthood is of concern.”

“In some instances, it appears that young adults are reluctant to stop taking puberty blockers, either because they wish to continue as non-binary, or because of ongoing indecision about proceeding to masculinising or feminising hormones.”

But the Cass report warns that “a known side effect of puberty blockers on mood is that it may reduce psychological functioning.”

“Even at Tanner stages 2-3 [roughly ages 9-13], young people have had minimal experience of their own biological puberty, and such experience as they have had may have been distressing for a wide range of reasons.

“Once on puberty blockers, they will enter a period when peers are developing physically and sexually whilst they will not be, and they may be experiencing the side effects of the blocker. There are no good studies on the psychological, psychosexual and developmental impact of this period of divergence from peers.

“However, if a young person is already on puberty blockers, they will need to make the decision to consent to masculinising [or] feminising hormones at a point when their psychosexual development has been paused, and possibly with little experience of their biological puberty.”

youtube

[ Video: Helen Joyce of the UK gender-critical group Sex Matters discusses the Cass report with John Anderson, a former deputy prime minister of Australia ]

Misguideline

In their paper on the survey of international gender clinics, the University of York authors note that the RCH treatment guideline—used by gender clinicians in Australia’s children’s hospitals and the Maple Leaf House clinic in regional NSW—had abandoned key safeguards of the 2011-14 “Dutch protocol” studies which provide the evidence base for gender medicalisation with puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgery.

Unlike the original Dutch protocol, the RCH guideline does not restrict this medicalisation to patients with gender dysphoria since early childhood who are otherwise psychologically stable. The RCH document says psychosis, depression and anxiety are not necessary barriers to starting minors on life-altering hormonal treatment which can cause sterilisation, sexual dysfunction and other poor health outcomes.

The York researchers contrast the radical RCH guideline with Finland’s more cautious 2020 treatment policy, which returned to the stricter Dutch approach after clinicians noted the poor outcomes for patients with adolescent-onset dysphoria, this being the typical case profile since around 2015. (The Dutch studies, still considered the best available evidence, have recently come under closer scrutiny for their shortcomings.)

Only the Finnish and Swedish 2022 guidelines—which recognise the very weak evidence base confirmed by systematic reviews—were recommended by the Cass report following the evaluation run by the York researchers.

The Swedish guideline was rated 71/100 for the rigour of its development and Finland’s score for rigour was 51, while the RCH guideline scored 19. The rating for the Endocrine Society’s 2017 guideline was 42 and the rigour score for the 2022 standards of care from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) was 35.

For editorial independence, the scores were 14 for RCH, 39 for WPATH and 92 for the Endocrine Society.

Australia’s health authorities typically invoke three guidelines—from RCH, the Endocrine Society and WPATH—when giving public assurances about the quality and safety of care at gender clinics.

Citing the low quality of most treatment guidelines, the Cass report recommends that “healthcare services and professionals” adopt a cautious approach7.

GCN put questions to the health authorities responsible for the gender clinics at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, the Queensland Children’s Hospital and the Perth Children’s Hospital

#Bernard Lane #Australia #Royal Children's Hospital #medical scandal #medical corruption #medical malpractice #puberty blockers #Cass report #Cass review #weak evidence #medical experimentation #religion is a mental illness #Youtube

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