The Idea Never Entered My Head

COMING TO TERMS

June 16: For S-R psychologists, response stands for output and stimulus for input, and when the one cannot be accounted for in terms of the other, mediating activities are again invented.

BF Skinner: The Behavior of Organisms, Preface p. X1

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June 10: I think I did have an inkling of where I was going with my graphs, but it was merely a fleeting thought … flimsy… fragile … transient.

Reversing the original link between cause-and-effect is like placing the carrots above the soil and putting all the green leaves deep into the earth.

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June 12: I shall practice what I preach; instead of ‘ tit for tat’ I shall repeat my wants, hopes, purposes, et cetera… make quite sure I write the truth, again and again… and that it is kind.

And when I started this, the term ‘absolutely true’ came to mind; and then I wrote:

In life, ‘everything is relative’ becomes ‘most of what we know is absolutely true’. For example: every person has a name, everyone is born a baby, human beings have 10 toes and 10 fingers, books are printed, paper is manufactured from trees, plants provide us with oxygen and we provide them with CO2…

“The whole truth?" Too much!

The ugly truth we don’t want or need so urgently as the good truth all around.

Henc: ‘moderation in all things’ may be questioned.

At times ‘extreme’ , ‘radical’,’ absolute’ are better!

     Existing words must mean something and the longer their history, the more interesting, curious and exciting, their meaning: one comprehends what people are looking at and when they were absolutely wrong and the opponents absolutely right.

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June 16: Well, I never! I found: Tit for tat Synonyms, Tit for tat, Antonyms|Thesaurus.com

And amongst the verbs, there was: equal, alternate, reciprocate and it was only then that the idea occurred to me: ‘reciprocal’ may also denote bad for both sides. I wasn’t thinking properly or perhaps I simply forgot 

Perhaps only human beings do so? No.

Two animals of one species may fight each other to the death; and that’s not the worst that can happen. There are life-styles ‘worse than death’: both could remain lonely, crippled and suffering; dependent on others for warmth, feeding, hygiene, company - bad, mad, sad, miserable, depressed - And then suddenly realized: Good heavens! Even for those of us in such a state, ABAs have made living visibly easier and worthwhile.

And other professionals as well; and not only they: many others too, some volunteer knowingly, others help on the spur of a moment … just doing what comes naturally … and yet, only the bad is of interest and the good is simply taken for granted.

The truth is the best and the funniest: ideas never enter the head - not literally - even when we feel that’s where they are; sound waves reverberate and personal voices emerge from the larynx.

We think ideas exit and enter the head, yet they are outside;. and even beyond us preserved in written form!     

There are more thinkers with a helpful influence than we human mortals ever dreamed.