#not as good as vermont thi

[cryptidghostgirl]

do you think you'd be able to write something where the reader is tylers best friend and she gets hurt by the hyde and her love confession happens as she dies

plot twist: tyler flips out and brings her to the hospital but she ends up being okay and its all fluffy

Happenstance (Tyler Galpin x Reader)

Pairing: Tyler x Reader

Warnings: gore and blood and violence and death guys. it’s in the request, i’m sorry.

Description: I am trying to stay as true to this request as possible, i hope you like it :)

Word Count: 1,485

Status: Unedited

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She wasn’t supposed to have been there. That’s all Tyler could think in this moment. She had told him she’d be home for the evening, that she didn’t feel well. Of course Tyler knew of Y/n’s appreciation of a “good nighttime walk” to use her words, how could he not. That is why it was so crucial he knew where she was at all times after all, so he could avoid this exact situation.

Tyler hadn’t known a life without Y/n in years, he couldn’t even figure out what the shape of a life like that would be. They had met in first grade. It hadn’t been an easy friendship, Y/n had fought hard for it. Tyler still felt guilty about how the first time they met, he pushed her out of her chair and onto the floor. All she had wanted to do was make a new friend, not be the new kid outcast anymore.

No matter what he had seemed to do, she always stuck around. It didn’t matter if he threw her lunch at her or stole her books, tripped her in the hall or ignored her while she called after him, she always came back. He still didn’t understand it. Her persistence was something he found so lovely.

At last, he had given into her requests after a screaming match they’d had on the playground where he had asked Y/n why she wouldn’t leave him alone and she had lost it. Her fury had moved like liquid through her, spouting from her mouth, kicking up a storm. That was something else he found to be so lovely about her. That rage of hers was so unique, he’d never felt anything like it.

Side by side they had made it through everything together or, well, almost everything. Laurel had given Tyler permission to protect Y/n, keep her out of harms way, made promises of letting him have her once their business was done. He was not however permitted to cute Y/n into his situation.

So Tyler had taken to being more attentive, keeping tabs on the girl at all times. He claimed it was for her safety and, in a way, he was telling the truth. He made up stories he’d ‘heard’ about a spree of kidnappings across Vermont the police had been keeping quiet. He said his father had told him and that’s why he knew, that the killer tended to pick victims out that looked just like her.

She was so easy to bend to his will, this was more of an amusement for him. Tyler couldn’t lie, the deception, the manipulation, gave him a certain thrill.

Quickly, he shifted back into his human form and fell to the ground beside the dying girl. He hadn’t been aiming for her, he’d been aiming for the hiker but the hiker had ran and as Tyler had cut him down, Y/n had appeared out of nowhere. She had gotten caught in the crossfire.

Now here she lay, Tyler holding her intestines into her stomach as her chest heaved and tears filtered from her lovely eyes. And still, she gazed at him with that same affection, as if she didn’t know, as if she didn’t care.

“T-Tyl-ler” she stuttered out, trying and failing to lift a hand to his face.

“sh sh sh, save your breath.” Tyler pleaded, “oh god Y/n, oh god….”

He kept trying, though in vain, to push her insides back in. Y/n jerkily lifted her hand again and tapped his arm. The movement was jolted and repeated and horribly wrong.

“Ty-le-er” she tried again.

He looked down at her, spitting up and covered in her own blood. In a sick and twisted way, one could have said she looked lovely like that.

“I am so sorry.” he said at last, the tears that had been resting in the corners of his eyes falling at last, “I am so sorry”

“I need y-you to kn-know someth-thi-ng” Y/n spluttered out, her words having too little breath behind them and coming out stunted.

“What is it?” asked Tyler leaning in closer as he still held his hands to her stomach.

“T-Ty, I th-think-k I’m gonna d-die”

Tyler could have laughed.

“You think?” he said sarcastically, unable to hold it back and regretting it immediately.

Tyler could have sworn that the guttural and cracked sound that came from the girl next was a laugh.

“I love you Tyler.” she said, almost entirely clearly before her head tilted to the side and she fell limp.

Tyler was worried he wouldn’t be able to make it to the hospital in time. He had thrown on the clothes he had hidden near by and ran all the way to the nearest hospital, carrying Y/n’s limp body in his arms. It was if her words had unlocked something caged within him, something he’d locked up deep down inside.

I love you Tyler

Y/n has actively picked those to be her last words, that have to have meant something. When he got to the emergency room at last, she had already been unconscious for twenty minutes. As he had run, Tyler had begun to feel her body grow cold. He had tried his best not to think about it as he knew he wouldn’t be able to continue if he did.

He had made up some bullshit story about how he’d been for a walk and found her and another man he didn’t know like this. When he asked why he only brought Y/n, he answered that the other man was already dead while Y/n had been conscious when he’d first arrived. It wasn’t all entirely untrue. The best lies are always in some way close to the truth.

The doctors, miracle workers that they are, had quite literally brought her back to life before his very eyes but she was in a coma. Tyler had spent every moment he could in her hospital room, but she’d been asleep for weeks now. He was beginning to lose hope.

When he had gotten the call telling him she was awake, he was at work. Y/n had been asleep for so long, he had had to go back otherwise he would have been fired. He saw Wednesday beckoning him over from a nearby booth as he softly spoke to the doctors.

“She keeps asking for you.” the doctor sighed, exhaustion evident in their voice.

“I will be there as soon as I can.”

“Tyler?” she asked as he stepped into the room, her voice small.

“I am so glad you’re awake.” he responded, shutting the door and taking the seat next to her bed, “I thought I’d lost you Y/n”

“I thought I’d lost me too.” she chuckled and the pair fell back into silence again.

“What do you remember?” Tyler asked at last and Y/n shrugged.

“Honestly? not much.”

“Not even who attacked you?”

Y/n shook her head and Tyler felt himself relax.

“I remember you, that’s all. I remember you trying to, you know, keep my innards… in? and I remember… well…”

Her cheeks flushed pink and she looked away embarrassed.

“Anyways, I have a super gnarly scar now across my stomach. So that’s fun.” said Y/n, clearly trying to change the subject.

Tyler turned her head back towards him, lifting her chin with his hand.

“Hey.” he said and then went quiet, he never thought he’d get to see those eyes open again.

“hey..?” questioned Y/n, shaking him out of his thoughts.

Tyler said nothing, simply leaned forward and kissed her. He’d had a lot of time to think while Y/n had been asleep, a lot of time to realize that maybe that warm fuzzy feeling and those butterflies he got and the way he saw her wasn’t exactly normal for someone who was just friends. A lot of time to realize that that platonic type of love they’d always talked about having for one another, maybe wasn’t the right classification. The kiss confirmed it all.

Y/n looked dumbstruck, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open.

“I am sorry.” Tyler exclaimed, forcing his cheeks to go red and pretending as if he didn’t know exactly what he was doing, “i am so sorry, I really don’t know what came over me, I can leave if you want?”

Y/n shut her mouth and shook her head slowly before leaning forward and giving him a slight peck on the lips.

Tyler smiled. Sure, he had her right where he wanted her, all trusting and soft before him but what if she was really the one in charge? The thought was gonna as soon as it came. He didn’t care. This felt right, more right than anything else had. In that moment they both knew.

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[waterfiltergurus]

Is Poland Spring Water Good & Where Does It Come From?

Poland Spring bottled water lines the shelves of most supermarkets in the US - but is it good water? Here, we've shared our opinion on the taste, quality, and value for money of Poland Spring bottled drinking water. I've also looked at where this water comes from - and the controversy surrounding the brand's claims in this regard. 📌 Key Takeaways: - I think that the Poland Spring brand is good, but not the best. - This water tastes pleasant and is relatively affordable, but there have been arguments that the water source isn't natural springs, as claimed by the brand. - A better spring water alternative is Mountain Valley Spring Water, while Aquafina is our preferred affordable bottled filtered water. Alternatively, filter your water at home to have complete control over what it contains. 🔎 Is Poland Spring Good Water? In our opinion, Poland Spring water is good, but it's certainly not the best. We judge the quality and overall "good-ness" of a water product by its taste, source, contaminants, and value for money. Poland Spring water tastes pleasant due to its natural mineral content, but it doesn't have the freshness or crispness of a more expensive bottled spring water product. Plus, there has been some controversy over the source of Poland Spring water, and I highly doubt that it's 100% natural spring water. This makes us question the water quality and the value for money of this mid-priced product. 🤔 Where Does Poland Spring Water Come From? Poland Spring water comes from several different sources in Maine. The obvious source is the Poland Spring in Poland, Maine. Water is also sourced from the Garden Spring in the same region, as well as Cold Springs in Denmark, Spruce Spring in Pierce Pond Township, Clear Spring in Hollis, White Cedar Spring in Dallas Plantation, Evergreen Spring in Fryeburg, and Bradbury Spring in Kingfield. There has been some debate over the legitimacy of Poland Spring's marketing in the past. Nestlé, the company that owns Poland Spring, was sued for false advertising back in 2003, due to claims that its "spring" water was actually heavily treated common groundwater. The same lawsuit stated that Nestlé's hired hydro-geologists found that one of Poland Spring's water sources stood over a former refuse pit, amongst other disturbing claims. Nestlé never admitted to these allegations and the lawsuit was settled later in the year, on the grounds that the company made significant charitable donations over the next 5 years. Nestlé faced another lawsuit in August 2017, this time due to claims that its water doesn't comply with the Food and Drug Administration definition of "spring water". This was supported by evidence that Poland Spring in Poland, Maine, actually ran nearly dry half a century ago. The company attempted to dismiss the lawsuit, but in April 2019, a US District Court judge allowed the case to go forward in 8 states. The case for Vermont didn't go forward because it has a different definition of “spring water” than the FDA’s. I couldn't find any updates on the case since 2019. Why is it such a big deal where Poland Spring water comes from? Technically, it isn't. Many bottled waters on our shelves are nothing fancier than municipal water, including groundwater, and there's certainly no rule that says bottled water has to be spring water. The problem is in the marketing. Nestlé has marketed Poland Spring water as "100% natural spring water", which has led to claims that the company has frauded customers into overpaying for a "premium" water source, when the reality is that the water is apparently just treated groundwater - the same water that many states use as their drinking tap water. ⚖️ Pros And Cons Of Poland Spring Water Controversy aside, let's weigh up the pros and cons of drinking Poland Spring water: Pros - Poland Spring bottled water has a fresh, pleasant taste thanks to its natural mineral content. - The rPET bottles used for this water product are virtually BPA-free. - You can find Poland Spring drinking water in almost every store. It has good availability and is cheaper than premium bottled waters. - Like any drinking water, you can drink Poland Spring bottled water to stay hydrated and quench your thirst. Cons - There are arguments that the famous Poland Spring that gives the water its name actually ran dry nearly 50 years ago. The brand has since updated its marketing to say that the Poland Spring source is no longer used, but water flows naturally into the historic spring house (which is open to visitors). - There are also claims that "not one drop" of Poland Spring water emanates from the actual regulatory definition of a natural spring. - The moderate pricing seems a bit steep, all things considered. You can find cheaper bottled water that uses a public water source. ✅ Is Poland Spring Water Worth It? In our opinion, no, Poland Spring water isn't worth it. There's too much controversy surrounding this bottled spring water company. If you're looking for natural spring water, avoid the Poland Spring brand and choose a bottled water product that has a genuine source. Your money can be better spent elsewhere! 🔂 Alternatives To Poland Spring Water Here, I've shared a few of our favorite alternatives to Poland Spring water, for folks looking for a good bottled spring water product, an affordable water alternative, or the best method of filtering water at home. Natural Spring Water: Mountain Valley Spring Water If you enjoy the taste and quality of bottled spring water, our top recommendation for you is Mountain Valley Spring Water. I love this water because it's naturally filtered as it flows through granite-based aquifers, picking up calcium, magnesium, and potassium, in the source location of the Ouachita Mountains in Little Rock, Arkansas. Plus, importantly (though this should be a given), I could find no controversy around the validity of the water source for this product. Affordable Bottled Water: Aquafina Aquafina water never pretends it's anything it isn't: it's purified water that's obtained from public water supplies. I'd argue whether any bottled water product can really be considered "cheap", but Aquafina is more affordable than most due to its municipal source. However, the water is cleaner and purer than normal tap water due to its reverse osmosis water purification process, which removes the majority of dissolved solids. Filtered Water At Home: Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher I think the best way to avoid drinking contaminated water is to stay away from all bottled water companies and filter your water at home. Filtering your water at home is more cost-effective than sustaining a bottled water habit, and it also gives you more control over what your water contains. It doesn't matter where your tap water comes from - the importance is how you treat it. You can choose to remove the contaminants you're most concerned about, purify your water completely, add healthy minerals, and boost your water's alkalinity. It's your choice. We recommend the Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher for anyone who's just dipping their toe into the world of water filtration. This affordable pitcher removes 300+ contaminants, including lead, chlorine, fluoride, VOCs, heavy metals, PFAS, and much more, while retaining the healthy minerals naturally present in your water. Continue Reading: - 's Best Bottled Water Ranked and Reviewed - Where Does Bottled Water Really Come From? - Is Your Water Bottle a Breeding Ground for Germs? ❔ FAQ How safe is Poland Spring bottled water? Poland Spring bottled water is, as far as I can tell, safe to drink. While the Poland Spring brand Nestlé has come under fire for "deceiving customers" about its water source, there is no evidence to suggest that Poland Spring water products contain dangerous contaminants with health risks. Is Poland Spring real spring water? No, according to a class action lawsuit, Poland Spring water isn't real spring water - it's actually just treated groundwater (which is also used for various municipal water supplies). If you're specifically looking for drinking water sourced from a natural cold spring, you're best looking at other bottled water brands. Is Poland Springs purified water? No, I couldn't find evidence to suggest that Poland Spring water is purified - either naturally or artificially - before bottling. However, like all groundwater sources, the water is naturally filtered by rocks and soils as it seeps underground, and the water is apparently treated with ozone disinfection to ensure it's safe from microorganisms. Is Poland Spring water high quality? Poland Spring water is moderate quality. It's groundwater, so it's better protected against pollution than surface water, and has a higher natural mineral content. However, like most drinking water sources, the water may still contain low levels of contaminants, so while it's safe enough to drink, it probably isn't contaminant-free. Read the full article

[twentiethcenturymoviesandtv]

Dead Poets Society: The Story

Dead Poets Society opens in a pretty traditional way: with the first day of school.

It’s the beginning of a fresh school year for transfer student Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke), new, shy kid on the block at Welton Academy, a prestigious prep-school for boys, located in Vermont.  At the opening ceremony, older recruits march through a church, down the aisles full of other students, carrying banners that display the words: Tradition, Discipline, Honor, and Excellence.  New students light candles, and, most importantly, headmaster Nolan takes to the podium to welcome the new students, and shy, quiet Todd Anderson sits in the pew, looking nervous as Headmaster Nolan begins his speech, discussing the four Pillars of the school, the prestigious nature of the establishment, and introducing the new English teacher: John Keating (Robin Williams).

The panel of teachers, sitting behind Nolan, is notably older and grayer than Keating, who, while not a terribly young man, is considerably more lively and animated than his new colleagues.  This will be important later, but not right now. (Spoilers below!)

After the ceremony, the courtyard in front of the school is full of parents saying goodbye to their sons.  It is here that we learn something interesting about Todd: he has, as Nolan puts it, “big shoes to fill” .  As it turns out, Todd’s older brother was a student here, and a pretty good one.  Even more nervous, Todd files out of the courtyard with the rest of the students, where we meet Todd’s to-be roomate: Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard).

Neil Perry seems to be Todd’s complete opposite in personality.  He’s confident, and out-going, and is expected by Nolan to be doing ‘great things’ this year.  He takes Todd up to their dorm room, and there, Todd meets Neil’s friends: Knox Overstreet (Josh Charles), Richard Cameron (Dylan Kussman), Stephen Meeks (Allelon Ruggiero), Gerard Pitts (James Waterson), and Charlie Dalton (Gale Hansen).  The boys get comfortable in Neil and Todd’s room, teasing Neil for being made to take chemistry courses over the summer.  The laid-back nature of the introductions is cut short, however, by a knock at the door.

It’s Neil Perry’s father (Kurtwood Smith).

Mr. Perry tells Neil that he has spoken to Mr. Nolan, and has cut all of Neil’s extra-curricular activities for the year, including the school yearbook, as he doesn’t want Neil distracted from the end-goal of medical school.  Neil tries to argue, but is quickly shot down.

After Mr. Perry leaves, the other boys encourage Neil to stand up to his father, but he refuses, resigned to doing what he’s told.  The other boys leave, inviting Todd to join them for a Latin study group the next day.

The next day, on the first true day of classes, the boys pass through lesson after lesson, taught by wizened, distinguished men who bore their students to tears.

And then comes English class.

Mr. Keating enters the room, passes his entire classroom, and heads for the opposite door, telling his class to follow him.  Confused, the class obeys.

Keating takes them out to the hallway, encouraging them to look at the case full of pictures of Welham alumnus, and tells them that those who first attended Welton, explaining that these people who were once young, are now old, or even dead.

“Carpe diem, seize the day. Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.”

He also recites to them some poetry:

“O Captain, my Captain. Who knows where that comes from? Anybody? Not a clue? It’s from a poem by Walt Whitman about Mr. Abraham Lincoln. Now in this class you can either call me Mr. Keating, or if you’re slightly more daring, O Captain my Captain.”

After class, Cameron remarks that Keating seems rather odd, but the rest of the boys seem to like him, or at least, find him interesting.  While the boys hit the showers, Knox reveals that he has to attend a dinner at the Danburys’ (whoever they are, more on that later) explaining that he can’t meet to study with them tonight.  The boys pick on him a little and then invite Todd, who doesn’t seem to be on board for the plan.

That night, the boys meet to study, and Knox comes in late, elated.  See, he’s met the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen: Chris.  The bad news is that she’s engaged to a guy named Chet, but that doesn’t seem to deter Knox that much.  He remains completely smitten.

The next day, Keating’s class remains as unconventional as the day before.  This is no course where the first class is fun and then it’s down to business the next day: Keating seems to mean business about seizing the day.

He opens class by requesting that Cameron reads the first page of the introduction of their poetry book, an introduction about how to rate a poem’s ‘greatness score’.  As he reads, Keating writes on the board, allowing him to reach the end of the page before telling Cameron, and the rest of the class, to rip out the introduction.

At first, the class hesitates, but after a moment, many of the students gleefully obey.  As they tear out the pages, another teacher, Mr. McAllister stops to investigate.  Keating explains that he is teaching the boys to think for themselves, to enjoy the use of language and the power of words.  

“No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.”

The boys contemplate this as Keating adds:

“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, “O me! O life!… of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless… of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?” Answer. That you are here – that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”

At dinner, McAllister sits next to Keating and chastises him warningly about his choice to educate the boys to think for themselves, encouraging them to be creative.

“Show me the heart unfettered by foolish dreams and I’ll show you a happy man,” McAllister quotes.

Keating smiles and replies with a verse of his own: “But only in their dreams can men be truly free. ‘Twas always thus, and always thus will be.”

At their own table, the boys unearth an old yearbook, searching for Mr. Keating’s page.  They learn that he was involved in a group called the ‘Dead Poets Society’.  

Curiosity piqued, the boys ask Keating about the Dead Poets Society after dinner.  Keating explains that it was a secret society, inspired by the words of Henry David Thoreau to ‘suck the marrow out of life’.  This group would gather in a nearby cave and read poetry aloud, and write some of their own.

Neil suggests to the rest of the boys in private that they should revive the Dead Poets Society and meet that night.  In his room, he finds a book called Five Centuries of Verse, with an inscription from Keating: the opening to every Dead Poets Society meeting.

“I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.  To put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived.”

That night, the boys all sneak out of the school and meet in the caves.  Neil begins the meeting, reading the opening, and then the group takes turns reading poems and talking, getting progressively more spirited.  After a while, they conclude, heading back to the school and singing.  

The next day, in English class, Mr. Keating shows the boys how to read Shakespeare: not dull and stuffy, but full of life, (doing impressions of Marlon Brando and John Wayne to illustrate) and then does something even stranger.

Keating climbs onto his desk and asks the class why he does this.  Charlie suggests that it is to feel taller.

“No!  Thank you for playing, Mr. Dalton. I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way.”

With that, Keating encourages his class, one at a time, to stand on his desk, looking at the room from a different perspective.  As class comes to a close, Keating announces that the boys are to write, and then read aloud, their own poems, privately telling Todd that he is quite aware how much this assignment must scare him.

In his room, Todd attempts to write a poem as Neil bursts in, full of excitement.  He has discovered a flier for a community play of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and intends to try out, realizing that he wants to be an actor.  He says:

“For the first time in my whole life, I know what I wanna do! And for the first time, I’m gonna do it! Whether my father wants me to or not! Carpe diem!”

The next class, Keating takes the boys out to the field, handing them each a line of poetry.  He begins an exercise where each boy must read aloud the line before running up and kicking a ball, one after another, while he plays classical music.  Directly after, Neil blazes through the dorm, shouting that he’s secured the part in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, his enthusiasm undaunted by the fact that his father will never write the approval letter necessary.  He forges the necessary letter from his father for the theater and the school principal as Todd looks on.  

It is the next English class, and it is time to read the poems from the class.  Knox, who has ridden his bike to Chris’s school to watch her at least once, reads aloud a poem dedicated to her.  Other students read, and finally, it comes time for Todd’s turn.

Todd, as it turns out, hasn’t written a poem.

Undaunted, Keating brings Todd to the front of the class, covering his eyes and encouraging him, helping him create a poem on the spot.  Todd’s spontaneous poem brings the class to applause, and Mr. Keating moves the class outside for some more ‘poetry in motion’.

At this point in the story, we’ve got a lot of information about quite a few characters.

Protagonists Todd and Neil, originally apparently the opposites of one another, are similar in pressures from home: Todd to be like his older brother, and Neil to follow the carefully laid plan that his father has set out for him.  Neil is already moving outside of that plan, pursuing acting, and Todd, with some encouragement, manages to come up with an intense poem in front of an entire class, despite his shyness.

Even the other boys in the group have unique characterization: Charlie, the anything-for-a-joke class clown, Knox, the hopeless romantic, and Cameron, the reluctant tag-along.  (Meeks and Pitts are there too, but they have far less screen time and personality than the rest of the DPS.)  We as an audience are watching their growth and personal arcs after the catalyst that is John Keating.

Oddly enough, Keating is the main character that we spend the least amount of time with, and know the least about.  We don’t know a lot about his home life, or what his background is, or what his thoughts are.  All we see is his direct influence on the boys at the school, and his unintentional inspiration to restart the Dead Poets Society.

Speaking of which:

At the next Dead Poets Society meeting, Knox seems uneasy, announcing that he’s going to kill himself if he can’t be with Chris, and leaves the meeting to call her.  The boys follow, cheering him on, as he makes the call, hanging up at first, before working up his nerve (Carpe Diem) to call her again.  Chris invites Knox to a party, saying she was thinking about calling him, and elated, Knox accepts the invitation.

The next night is the night of the party.  Knox heads off to the Danbury house, where he’s swallowed up by a rowdy crowd of teenagers.  Soon enough, Knox (and everybody else) is at varying levels of intoxicated.  Inhibitions loosened, Knox kisses the forehead of a passed-out Chris, enraging her boyfriend and starting a fight, ending the party abruptly.

Meanwhile, Todd is given the exact same birthday present as last year: a desk set that he didn’t even like, yet another sign of his parents not really paying attention to him.  Neil, noticing Todd’s disappointment, cheers him up, throwing the desk set off the roof, before taking him to another Dead Poets Society Meeting, where Charlie (now insisting on being called Nuwanda) has brought girls in to impress them with poetry.

Charlie also announces that he published an article in the school newspaper demanding that girls be admitted to Welton, signing it the Dead Poets Society.  The rest of the group is justifiably angry, afraid that this will put the school’s administration onto them.

Sure enough, at an assembly, Headmaster Nolan demands to know which of the students was responsible for the article.  At first, none of the students come clean, until a phone rings.

Charlie picks it up, and announces that it’s from God, saying they should admit girls to Welton.

This prank inevitably ends with Charlie getting paddled in the Headmaster’s office (1959, remember?) and threatened with expulsion.  Nolan wants the names of the other members of the Dead Poets Society, but Charlie won’t tell.  

After dismissing Charlie, Nolan calls Keating in, questioning him about his teaching methods.  Keating explains that he’s trying to teach the boys individualism.

“I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself.”

“At these boys’ age? Not on your life!”

Afterwards, Keating approaches the boys, specifically Charlie, and gently scolds him for his stunt.

“There’s a time for daring and there’s a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for,” he says, explaining that being stupid is not the same as being an individual.

This is a common theme of the entire story, actually.  As much as Keating encourages free-thinking and exploration of ideas, he knows the difference between bucking authority for the sake of it versus nonconformity.  Each of the boys is exploring this aspect in their own way, from Todd’s slow-growing confidence to Neil’s direct disobedience of his father’s oppressive plan to Charlie’s defiance, even to Cameron’s caution against ‘disobeying rules’.  Dead Poets Society is a story about encouraging people to think for themselves, but to be wise about what they do once they start, and while some are more obvious than others (Charlie’s foolishness and Knox’s overzealousness contrasted with Cameron’s blind following of ‘the rules’, all portrayed as kind of problematic), some examples are more ambiguous.

Such is the case with Neil.

After a rehearsal for the play, Neil comes back to his dorm to find his father, very displeased with him.  He’s incredibly angry about Neil joining the play, and instructs him to quit the play the next morning, the same day as the first performance.  Upset, Neil goes to Mr. Keating’s office to ask him for advice.

Keating listens to him, and suggests trying to talk to his father, for Neil to show him how passionate he is about acting so that he will allow him to do the play, encouraging him to come to his father earnestly before the play.

On a slightly lighter note, Knox enters Chris’s high school and follows her to class with flowers, trying to apologize for the previous night.  She’s understandably embarrassed and tells him that her boyfriend, Chet, is still upset with Knox and is out to get him.  Undeterred, Knox follows her into class and reads a poem about Chris aloud, in front of all of her classmates.

Remember what I said about ‘wise’ ways to deal with free thinking?

A little later, Neil lies to Keating, telling him that he’s talked to his father, and that he’s allowed to stay in the play.

The next night, Keating and the boys prepare to go see Neil perform, with Chris even turning up and deciding to accompany Knox to the play.  It’s well worth it.  Neil is in his element, comfortable and dynamic on stage, and his classmates and teacher cheer him on, awestruck by his talent.

Before the last monologue, Neil spots his father, entering the theater.  Clearly daunted, he goes out and sells his final monologue anyway, to the wild applause of the audience.  

All but his father.

After the performance, Neil’s father brings him home, informing him that he is being pulled out of Welton, and enrolled into a military school, immediately followed by medical school.  Neil attempts to argue, to plead his case, but his father shuts him down, and Neil stops arguing.

Later that night, after his parents go to bed, Neil sneaks into his parents’ room wearing his costume, opens the drawer, taking his father’s gun, before retreating to his father’s study and killing himself.

It is right here that the movie goes from a good, even average film about ‘seizing the day’ and living life to the fullest, to a great movie about the consequences of doing it.

In another movie, Neil’s father would have seen the performance and realized his son was right.  Or if he hadn’t, Neil would have finally stood up for himself, and his parents might have seen the light.

In another film, Neil wouldn’t have died.  Especially not like that.

It is this moment, this gear-switch, that the audience is forced to contend with the implications, the fallout of these actions, and that sometimes, even ‘seizing the day’ is impossible, depending on your circumstances.

It’s not an easy idea to swallow.  It’s not one we’re used to in movies.  But it’s here, nonetheless.

Back at Welton, the boys tearfully wake Todd up to tell him the news.  Upset, Todd runs out into the snow, as the boys follow.  He remarks on how beautiful the snow is before throwing up and breaking down, rushing into the snow alone.  In the classroom, Mr. Keating paces empty desks, arriving at Neil’s and removing the poetry book he left for him with the Dead Poets Society inscription.

The next morning, it turns out that the fallout affects more than Neil.

Headmaster Nolan announces that he intends to conduct an investigation into what happened.  The boys gather to talk as Nolan interrogates Cameron, the rule-abider.  The remaining Dead Poets are certain that Cameron is going to sell them out, and sure enough, that’s exactly what he does.  Cameron enters, telling the group that he told them everything, and that they all should too, as it’s too late to save Keating, but not to save themselves.

Charlie reacts to this by punching Cameron in the face, getting him expelled.

The next boy called in is Todd, who enters Nolan’s office to find his parents there, too.  Nervously, he sits as Nolan tries to get Todd to sign a document blaming Mr. Keating for Neil’s death.  Todd glances at the page: the rest of the Dead Poets have signed too.

Later, in English class, Headmaster Nolan arrives and announces that he will be teaching until they can find a permanent replacement for Keating.  As he opens class (encouraging people to read the ‘excellent’ ripped out introduction from the book) Keating enters the room to collect his things.  After long moments of silence of the boys keeping their heads down as Keating gathers his belongings, Todd finally breaks, calling out to Mr. Keating and telling him that the school forced them to sign the confession.

As Nolan tries to get him to sit down, Todd shouts out: “O Captain, My Captain”, and stands on his desk.  Many other students follow, one by one, as Keating tearfully watches.

Keating gratefully thanks the boys, and the film ends on a closeup of Todd’s face, after he’s finally stood up for himself, and seized the day.

Make no mistake, this is not a happy ending.  Keating is forced to leave the school.  Neil has taken his own life, trapped into a lifetime he didn’t want.  Charlie has been expelled, and it’s likely the rest of the boys will be too.  This is a movie based on, and ending with, great uncertainty.  Not every boy stood up.  Not everyone is coming out of this okay.

The question is, what are we supposed to take away from this?

The message of the film, the core theme that people remember, is Seize the Day.  And yet, of those who ‘Seize the Day’, very few come out of it unscathed, if any.  Instead, people are left with heartbreak, making bad decisions or, even if the decisions may have been morally ‘right’, or what they felt they had to do, consequences must follow.  Charlie’s overzealous sense of humor and bucking of authority gets him expelled.  Knox’s over-the-top romanticization of Chris nearly drives her away and gets him in trouble.  Neil kills himself because the restricting nature of his family won’t allow him to ‘Seize the Day’.

And Todd?

Todd finally speaks out, but too late to fix any of the damage.

Despite the focus on Mr. Keating in most of the promotional material, the protagonist of the movie is, of course, Todd.  Once Neil dies, Todd is who we are left with, and it is Todd who changes from shy boy who won’t speak out to the leader of a final daring farewell to a teacher that changed his life.  He’s the one that grows.  He changes.

It’s just too little too late.

The story of Dead Poets Society is a sobering one, and not exactly a story you’d expect.  The first two-thirds could have been part of any typical, ‘feel good’ teen drama about self-discovery, but the last third takes expectations and turns them on their head.  This is real life: it doesn’t always work out.  People get fired for trying to do the right thing.  Parents don’t see the harmful impact they have on their children.  People value rules and tradition over the dreams of the young.

It is in this devastating third act that Dead Poets Society earns its place as a classic: by refusing to allow the cliched beginnings to define its ending.

It would have been so easy to allow Neil to convince his father to allow him to act.  It would have been simple to allow Keating to change the mind of the establishment, for the Dead Poets to take Welton by storm.

But real life doesn’t always work out like that.  Sometimes, the way we go about ‘seizing the day’ can end badly depending on our circumstances and the wisdom in the method we choose.  The film isn’t telling us how to do it right.  It’s showing you the lives of people who did it wrong, or at least, who seized the day, tried to make their lives extraordinary, and failed, due to many different reasons.

But.

That doesn’t mean we should stop trying.

For every failure, for every mistake (Neil sneaking to do the play, Charlie’s pranks, etc.), Todd’s example stands above and beyond.  Yes, he might get into trouble.  But this moment, this act of telling a beloved teacher that his work was not in vain, that his students will remember him, that he was not to blame, feels right.  This is what he is supposed to do.

We cheer for that moment, we feel the weight of the movie lift just a smidge, because in the end, we have to seize the day.  We have to try to make our lives extraordinary, but we have to find the right way to do it, the wise way to do it.

Because, for all of the mistakes made, Keating is right: Words and ideas will change the world.  It is up to us how to use them, when to use daring, or caution, and in the end, try to find the meeting place between doing what is right, and doing what is true to yourself.

The ending is uncertain, yes.  But it’s the only satisfying ending that an honest movie could give us.

Dead Poets Society is an emotional story, bringing up questions about non-conformity and following the rules that go beyond a surface: ‘yes or no’.  A gripping story full of great performances, a warm atmosphere, and immortal dialogue, Dead Poets Society will continue to be a testament to words as long as we care to use them.

In the articles ahead, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the other important elements of Dead Poets Society, so if you enjoyed this one, stick around and join us!  Don’t forget to leave a comment, like, or some other form of love if you enjoyed it, and follow for more!  Thanks so much for reading, and I hope to see you in the next article.

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6 cách thể hiện mạch cảm xúc trong Storytelling

Hôm nay GenZ Academy sẻ chia sẻ về “6 cách thể hiện mạch cảm xúc trong Storytelling”. Storytelling chính là hình thức marketing dựa trên việc xây dựng, phát triển và lan tỏa những câu chuyện lý thú, có liên quan trực tiếp hoặc gián tiếp tới thương hiệu sản phẩm hay hình ảnh của một doanh nghiệp. Storytelling là phương pháp giúp thương hiệu bạn được “tỏa sáng”, thông qua câu chuyện bạn kể và cả những gì người ta nói về câu chuyện của bạn.

Vậy làm thế nào để các Marketer có thể thể hiện được cảm xúc trong Storytelling? Làm thế nào để xuất bản được một “Câu chuyện” thành công? Hãy cùng GenZ Academy đọc qua bài viết dưới đây nhé!

Xem thêm: Làm Thế Nào Để Đưa Ra Ý Tưởng Nội Dung Tiếp Tuyến?

Nhà văn Kurt Vonnegut trong cuốn tự truyện Palm Sunday năm 1981 đã viết “Những đóng góp tuyệt vời nhất của tôi cho nền văn hóa, với tư cách là một giáo sư nhân loại học, đã bị Đại học Chicago chối bỏ từ cách đây rất lâu”.

Ông nói, lúc đó luận án đã biến mất từ ​​lâu. (“Nó đã bị từ chối vì nó quá đơn giản và trông có vẻ quá hài hước,”) Nhưng ông ấy vẫn tiếp tục mang ý tưởng đó trong nhiều năm sau đó và đã công khai trình bày về nó nhiều lần. Về cơ bản, nó là thế này: “Không có lý do gì mà những cung bậc cảm xúc trong những câu chuyện không thể được mô phỏng bởi máy tính. Chúng thật đẹp đẽ ”.

Lời giải thích cho phát biểu đó xuất phát từ một bài giảng trước đây của ông ấy trên YouTube, liên quan đến việc Vonnegut lập một biểu đồ đường cong mô tả các mạch cảm xúc phổ biến theo một hệ quy chiếu đơn giản. Trục X đại diện cho trình tự thời gian từ đầu đến cuối câu chuyện; trong khi trục Y thể hiện trải nghiệm của nhân vật chính, mô tả bằng mức độ may mắn, từ “ill fortune – xui xẻo” đến ‘good fortune – vận khí”. Vonnegut giải thích: “Đây thực chất là sự vận dụng của thuyết tương đối, rằng dạng đường cong của biểu đồ là điều cần phải chú ý tới.”

Dạng biểu đồ gây hứng thú nhiều nhất cho ông ấy, hóa ra, là dạng biểu đồ phản ánh câu chuyện nàng Lọ Lem. Vonnegut hình dung biểu đồ của nó giống như một chiếc cầu thang hướng lên đỉnh của vận may, từng bậc thang được đại diện bởi sự giúp đỡ của bà tiên, từng bước dẫn dắt mọi thứ tới cao trào, nhưng sau đó biểu đồ đột ngột lao dốc trở lại vì vận rủi xảy ra vào lúc nửa đêm. Dẫu vậy, không quá lâu sau đó, biểu đồ vận may của Lọ Lem được đánh dấu bằng một bước nhảy vọt, bao gồm toàn bộ các sự việc như thử vừa chiếc giày thủy tinh và có được hạnh phúc mãi mãi về sau.

Điều này có vẻ không có gì đặc biệt – theo lời Vonnegut. Trên thực tế, ông ấy đã nói rằng, “nó thật trông giống như rác rưởi” – cho đến khi ông ấy nhận ra rằng các câu chuyện nổi tiếng khác cũng có chung dạng biểu đồ này. “Những bước khởi đầu ấy tương tự với sự hình thành của hầu hết các câu chuyện thần thoại trên thế giới. Và sau đó tôi thấy rằng biến cố lúc nửa đêm của nàng Lọ Lem trông giống hệt như những gì đã xảy ra trong truyện Old Testament”. Giờ giới nghiêm của Lọ Lem, theo biểu đồ Vonnegut, sẽ là hình ảnh tương đồng với việc Adam và Eva bị đuổi khỏi Vườn Địa Đàng. “Cuối cùng tôi nhận thấy các nhân vật có được cái kết hạnh phúc phản ánh kỳ vọng được cứu rỗi theo giáo lý trong Cơ đốc giáo. Tất cả những câu chuyện đều giống hệt nhau. “

Trên một khía cạnh nào đó, Vonnegut khá hài lòng với bản thân vì đã tìm ra mối liên hệ này. Và 35 năm sau, ý tưởng của ông đã gây ấn tượng với một nhóm các nhà toán học và khoa học máy tính đến nỗi họ quyết định xây dựng một thí nghiệm xung quanh nó. Vonnegut đã lập biểu đồ bằng tay, nhưng vào năm 2016, với sức mạnh tính toán tinh vi của máy tính, khả năng phân tích ngôn ngữ tự nhiên và hàng loạt văn bản số hóa, họ đã có thể lập biểu đồ mẫu từ kho tài liệu văn học khổng lồ. Từ đó, có thể yêu cầu máy tính xác định biểu đồ mạch cảm xúc của bất kỳ câu chuyện nào.

6 loại mạch cảm xúc chính trong Storytelling

Đó là một nhóm các nhà nghiên cứu từ Đại học Vermont và Đại học Adelaide. Họ đã tập hợp các biểu đồ cảm xúc do máy tính tạo ra cho gần 2.000 tác phẩm hư cấu, phân loại chúng thành sáu loại mạch cảm xúc chính (dựa trên những gì xảy ra với nhân vật chính):

Rags to Riches (chỉ gặp may mắn)

Riches to Rags (chỉ gặp xui xẻo)

Man in a Hole (bắt đầu bằng xui xẻo nhưng kết thúc bằng may mắn)

Icarus (bắt đầu bằng may mắn nhưng kết thúc bằng xui xẻo)

Cinderella (bắt đầu bằng may mắn, sau đó gặp xui xẻo và kết thúc bằng may mắn)

Oedipus (bắt đầu bằng xui xẻo, sau đó gặp may mắn và kết thúc bằng xui xẻo)

Họ tập trung vào quỹ đạo cảm xúc của một câu chuyện, không chỉ là cốt truyện của nó. Họ cũng phân tích cấu trúc cảm xúc mà người viết sử dụng nhiều nhất và sự tương quan với cấu trúc cảm xúc mà độc giả thích nhất.

Đầu tiên, các nhà nghiên cứu phải tìm ra một cơ sở dữ liệu khả dụng. Từ bộ sưu tập tiểu thuyết của thư viện số Project Gutenberg, họ đã chọn ra 1.737 tác phẩm hư cấu bằng tiếng Anh có độ dài từ 10.000 đến 200.000 từ.

Sau đó, họ phân tích tập dữ liệu của mình bằng phương pháp phân tích cảm xúc trong mạch truyện để tạo ra một hành trình cảm xúc cho mỗi tác phẩm. Andy Reagan, nghiên cứu sinh Tiến sĩ toán học tại Đại học Vermont và là tác giả chính của bài báo cho biết: “Chúng tôi không áp đặt bất cứ dạng biểu đồ nào mà đúng hơn là toán học và máy học đã xác định chúng”.

Họ đã làm điều này bằng cách huấn luyện chương trình máy tính thu thập tất cả các từ của cuốn sách, theo từng hồi một và đo mức độ hạnh phúc trung bình của một nhóm từ nhất định dựa trên điểm số của từng từ riêng lẻ trong nhóm. Các nhà nghiên cứu đã chỉ định điểm số hạnh phúc cho hơn 10.000 từ được sử dụng thường xuyên bằng cách sử dụng đánh giá của cộng đồng trên trang web Mechanical Turk. Theo đó, 10 từ được xếp hạng với mức độ hạnh phúc cao nhất là laughter, happiness, love, happy, laughed, laugh, laughing, excellent, laughs, và joy, trong khi 10 từ được xếp hạng là kém hạnh phúc nhất là terrorist, suicide, rape, terrorism, murder, death, cancer, killed, kill, and die. (Bạn có thể xem tất cả các từ được xếp hạng như thế nào bằng cách truy cập trang web này).

Có một số giả thuyết nói rằng mọi câu chuyện thần thoại mà con người biết đến có thể được thu gọn thành một trong số các nguyên mẫu, có thể kể đến như một cuộc viễn chinh, chiến đấu với quái vật, tái sinh,… nhưng lại không thống nhất về việc những nguyên mẫu đó là gì. Trong trường hợp này, các nhà nghiên cứu đã chọn ra sáu nguyên mẫu phổ biến nhất từ tập hợp danh sách các loại mạch cảm xúc mà máy tính nhận dạng được nhiều nhất. Và mặc dù các nhà nghiên cứu tập trung vào các cung bậc cảm xúc của một cuốn sách – không phải cấu trúc của cốt truyện, nhưng họ nhận thấy sự trùng lặp trong cách các điểm trong cốt truyện phản ánh mức cao nhất và mức thấp nhất của mạch cảm xúc thông qua phân tích.

Ví dụ trong Harry Potter và Bảo bối Tử thần chẳng hạn, trong khi cốt truyện của nó được cho là “lồng ghép và phức tạp” thì “mạch cảm xúc liên quan đến mỗi mạch truyện phụ lại hiện lên rõ ràng.” (Điều đó chứng tỏ rằng, những khoảnh khắc tình cảm được thể hiện quá chóng vánh. như nụ hôn đầu tiên giữa Harry và Ginny, sẽ không được ghi nhận.)

Nhìn chung, các câu chuyện thuộc nguyên mẫu “Rags to Riches – Chỉ gặp may mắn” đại diện cho khoảng 1/5 tổng số các tác phẩm được phân tích. Điều này không có gì đáng ngạc nhiên vì có thể dễ dàng liên tưởng đến những câu chuyện như vậy trong văn học cổ điển. Các tác phẩm kinh của Charles Dickens, Edith Wharton và Jane Austen được cho là hình thành dựa trên nguyên mẫu này.

Reagan bày tỏ rằng “Đường cong của mạch cảm xúc “Rags to Riches” thể hiện một câu chuyện mà tất cả chúng ta đều muốn tin tưởng, phổ biến rộng rãi trong chính câu chuyện về giấc mơ Mỹ. Đó là một câu chuyện về niềm hy vọng và sự công bằng, nơi mà cho dù gặp phải một khởi đầu tệ hại, nhưng với nghị lực, mọi thứ sẽ trở nên tốt đẹp hơn và cuối cùng sẽ gặp được may mắn.”

Theo các nhà nghiên cứu, ví dụ nguyên mẫu của mạch cảm xúc này là tác phẩm Cuộc phiêu lưu của Alice trong lòng đất của Lewis Carroll – sau đó được xuất bản với tên Cuộc phiêu lưu của Alice ở xứ sở thần tiên. Tiểu thuyết Dreams, xuất bản năm 1890 của nhà văn Olive Schreiner, cũng là một nguyên mẫu rõ ràng khác cho mô hình “Rags to Riches”. Đối với biểu đồ cảm xúc của cả hai câu chuyện, máy tính tìm thấy sự trùng khớp gần giống với hình dạng của biểu đồ “Rags to Riches” trong khi có rất ít kết nối nếu có với các loại biểu đồ cảm xúc khác. Dưới đây là biểu đồ mô tả top 20 câu chuyện phù hợp với chế độ “Rags to Riches” xuất hiện trên bài báo của họ:

“Rags to Riches” có thể phổ biến đối với các nhà văn, nhưng nó không nhất thiết phải là mạch cảm xúc mà người đọc tiếp cận nhiều nhất. Các nhà nghiên cứu nhận thấy rằng danh mục bao gồm các tác phẩm hay nhất không phải là những cuốn sách phổ biến nhất. Họ đã kiểm tra tổng số lượng sách được tải xuống từ Project Gutenberg, sau đó phân loại chúng theo các loại mạch cảm xúc ở trên. Theo cách này, “Rags to Riches” đã xếp sau “Oedipus” , “Man in a Hole” và có lẽ không ngạc nhiên khi “Cinderella” được yêu thích hơn cả. Reagan nói rằng anh ấy và các đồng nghiệp dự định phân tích cách các mạch cảm xúc khác nhau được thể hiện trong một câu chuyện riêng lẻ, như trong ví dụ về Harry Potter ở trên.

Cuối cùng, Reagan nói, nghiên cứu này có thể giúp các nhà khoa học huấn luyện các chương trình máy tính thiết kế ngược những gì chúng được học về mạch cảm xúc trong câu chuyện để tạo ra các tác phẩm gốc hấp dẫn. Đã có các cuộc thi viết truyện dành cho chương trình máy tính. (Tình cờ, tôi đã tham gia một thử nghiệm tương tự và nó không diễn ra chính xác như kế hoạch.)

“Đây là một lĩnh vực nghiên cứu tiềm năng, và còn rất nhiều vấn đề khó khăn chưa được giải quyết. Ngoài cốt truyện, cấu trúc và cung bậc cảm xúc, để viết nên những câu chuyện tuyệt vời, máy tính sẽ cần tạo ra các nhân vật và lời thoại hấp dẫn và có ý nghĩa” – Reagan nói.

Tất nhiên, Vonnegut luôn làm cho nó nghe có vẻ dễ dàng. Hãy xem xét cách ông ấy mô tả mạch cảm xúc “Man in a Hole”, được đặc trưng bởi tác phẩm Ghost Stories of an Antiquary của M.R. James – hoặc khá nhiều bộ phim sitcom dài 22 phút bất kỳ: “Khi gặp rắc rối, hãy thoát ra khỏi nó một lần nữa”. Như Vonnegut đã từng nói trong một bài giảng: “Mọi người thích câu chuyện đó. Họ không bao giờ thấy chán nó”.

GenZ Academy hy vọng bạn sẽ hiểu về nghệ thuật Storytelling hơn thông qua bài viết trên đây. Nếu có bất kỳ điều gì thắc mắc bạn hãy bình luận ở bên dưới để GenZ có thể giải đáp thêm. Hãy theo dõi Website của GenZ để đọc thêm nhiều bài viết bổ ích trong Marketing nữa nhé.

Nguồn: The Atlantic

[genz-academy123]

6 cách thể hiện mạch cảm xúc trong StorytellingHôm nay GenZ Academy sẻ chia sẻ về “6 cách thể hiện mạch cảm xúc trong Storytelling”. Storytelling chính là hình thức marketing dựa trên việc xây dựng, phát triển và lan tỏa những câu chuyện lý thú, có liên quan trực tiếp hoặc gián tiếp tới thương hiệu sản phẩm hay hình ảnh của một doanh nghiệp. Storytelling là phương pháp giúp thương hiệu bạn được “tỏa sáng”, thông qua câu chuyện bạn kể và cả những gì người ta nói về câu chuyện của bạn. Vậy làm thế nào để các Marketer có thể thể hiện được cảm xúc trong Storytelling? Làm thế nào để xuất bản được một “Câu chuyện” thành công? Hãy cùng GenZ Academy đọc qua bài viết dưới đây nhé! Xem thêm: Làm Thế Nào Để Đưa Ra Ý Tưởng Nội Dung Tiếp Tuyến? Nhà văn Kurt Vonnegut trong cuốn tự truyện Palm Sunday năm 1981 đã viết “Những đóng góp tuyệt vời nhất của tôi cho nền văn hóa, với tư cách là một giáo sư nhân loại học, đã bị Đại học Chicago chối bỏ từ cách đây rất lâu”. Ông nói, lúc đó luận án đã biến mất từ ​​lâu. (“Nó đã bị từ chối vì nó quá đơn giản và trông có vẻ quá hài hước,”) Nhưng ông ấy vẫn tiếp tục mang ý tưởng đó trong nhiều năm sau đó và đã công khai trình bày về nó nhiều lần. Về cơ bản, nó là thế này: “Không có lý do gì mà những cung bậc cảm xúc trong những câu chuyện không thể được mô phỏng bởi máy tính. Chúng thật đẹp đẽ ”. Lời giải thích cho phát biểu đó xuất phát từ một bài giảng trước đây của ông ấy trên YouTube, liên quan đến việc Vonnegut lập một biểu đồ đường cong mô tả các mạch cảm xúc phổ biến theo một hệ quy chiếu đơn giản. Trục X đại diện cho trình tự thời gian từ đầu đến cuối câu chuyện; trong khi trục Y thể hiện trải nghiệm của nhân vật chính, mô tả bằng mức độ may mắn, từ “ill fortune – xui xẻo” đến ‘good fortune – vận khí”. Vonnegut giải thích: “Đây thực chất là sự vận dụng của thuyết tương đối, rằng dạng đường cong của biểu đồ là điều cần phải chú ý tới.” Dạng biểu đồ gây hứng thú nhiều nhất cho ông ấy, hóa ra, là dạng biểu đồ phản ánh câu chuyện nàng Lọ Lem. Vonnegut hình dung biểu đồ của nó giống như một chiếc cầu thang hướng lên đỉnh của vận may, từng bậc thang được đại diện bởi sự giúp đỡ của bà tiên, từng bước dẫn dắt mọi thứ tới cao trào, nhưng sau đó biểu đồ đột ngột lao dốc trở lại vì vận rủi xảy ra vào lúc nửa đêm. Dẫu vậy, không quá lâu sau đó, biểu đồ vận may của Lọ Lem được đánh dấu bằng một bước nhảy vọt, bao gồm toàn bộ các sự việc như thử vừa chiếc giày thủy tinh và có được hạnh phúc mãi mãi về sau. 3Do4iK6xfMrhV2Gzxfaysh3Ys49ivrMiKLNqTk5PuEc8raQbGQ46ba pE8h6Hz mPEFmLBjkjgERKEC6rjWvwl5s7Điều này có vẻ không có gì đặc biệt – theo lời Vonnegut. Trên thực tế, ông ấy đã nói rằng, “nó thật trông giống như rác rưởi” – cho đến khi ông ấy nhận ra rằng các câu chuyện nổi tiếng khác cũng có chung dạng biểu đồ này. “Những bước khởi đầu ấy tương tự với sự hình thành của hầu hết các câu chuyện thần thoại trên thế giới. Và sau đó tôi thấy rằng biến cố lúc nửa đêm của nàng Lọ Lem trông giống hệt như những gì đã xảy ra trong truyện Old Testament”. Giờ giới nghiêm của Lọ Lem, theo biểu đồ Vonnegut, sẽ là hình ảnh tương đồng với việc Adam và Eva bị đuổi khỏi Vườn Địa Đàng. “Cuối cùng tôi nhận thấy các nhân vật có được cái kết hạnh phúc phản ánh kỳ vọng được cứu r��i theo giáo lý trong Cơ đốc giáo. Tất cả những câu chuyện đều giống hệt nhau. “ Trên một khía cạnh nào đó, Vonnegut khá hài lòng với bản thân vì đã tìm ra mối liên hệ này. Và 35 năm sau, ý tưởng của ông đã gây ấn tượng với một nhóm các nhà toán học và khoa học máy tính đến nỗi họ quyết định xây dựng một thí nghiệm xung quanh nó. Vonnegut đã lập biểu đồ bằng tay, nhưng vào năm 2016, với sức mạnh tính toán tinh vi của máy tính, khả năng phân tích ngôn ngữ tự nhiên và hàng loạt văn bản số hóa, họ đã có thể lập biểu đồ mẫu từ kho tài liệu văn học khổng lồ. Từ đó, có thể yêu cầu máy tính xác định biểu đồ mạch cảm xúc của bất kỳ câu chuyện nào. 6 loại mạch cảm xúc chính trong StorytellingĐó là một nhóm các nhà nghiên cứu từ Đại học Vermont và Đại học Adelaide. Họ đã tập hợp các biểu đồ cảm xúc do máy tính tạo ra cho gần 2.000 tác phẩm hư cấu, phân loại chúng thành sáu loại mạch cảm xúc chính (dựa trên những gì xảy ra với nhân vật chính): Rags to Riches (chỉ gặp may mắn)Riches to Rags (chỉ gặp xui xẻo)Man in a Hole (bắt đầu bằng xui xẻo nhưng kết thúc bằng may mắn)Icarus (bắt đầu bằng may mắn nhưng kết thúc bằng xui xẻo)Cinderella (bắt đầu bằng may mắn, sau đó gặp xui xẻo và kết thúc bằng may mắn)Oedipus (bắt đầu bằng xui xẻo, sau đó gặp may mắn và kết thúc bằng xui xẻo)Họ tập trung vào quỹ đạo cảm xúc của một câu chuyện, không chỉ là cốt truyện của nó. Họ cũng phân tích cấu trúc cảm xúc mà người viết sử dụng nhiều nhất và sự tương quan với cấu trúc cảm xúc mà độc giả thích nhất. Đầu tiên, các nhà nghiên cứu phải tìm ra một cơ sở dữ liệu khả dụng. Từ bộ sưu tập tiểu thuyết của thư viện số Project Gutenberg, họ đã chọn ra 1.737 tác phẩm hư cấu bằng tiếng Anh có độ dài từ 10.000 đến 200.000 từ. Sau đó, họ phân tích tập dữ liệu của mình bằng phương pháp phân tích cảm xúc trong mạch truyện để tạo ra một hành trình cảm xúc cho mỗi tác phẩm. Andy Reagan, nghiên cứu sinh Tiến sĩ toán học tại Đại học Vermont và là tác giả chính của bài báo cho biết: “Chúng tôi không áp đặt bất cứ dạng biểu đồ nào mà đúng hơn là toán học và máy học đã xác định chúng”. Họ đã làm điều này bằng cách huấn luyện chương trình máy tính thu thập tất cả các từ của cuốn sách, theo từng hồi một và đo mức độ hạnh phúc trung bình của một nhóm từ nhất định dựa trên điểm số của từng từ riêng lẻ trong nhóm. Các nhà nghiên cứu đã chỉ định điểm số hạnh phúc cho hơn 10.000 từ được sử dụng thường xuyên bằng cách sử dụng đánh giá của cộng đồng trên trang web Mechanical Turk. Theo đó, 10 từ được xếp hạng với mức độ hạnh phúc cao nhất là laughter, happiness, love, happy, laughed, laugh, laughing, excellent, laughs, và joy, trong khi 10 từ được xếp hạng là kém hạnh phúc nhất là terrorist, suicide, rape, terrorism, murder, death, cancer, killed, kill, and die. (Bạn có thể xem tất cả các từ được xếp hạng như thế nào bằng cách truy cập trang web này). Có một số giả thuyết nói rằng mọi câu chuyện thần thoại mà con người biết đến có thể được thu gọn thành một trong số các nguyên mẫu, có thể kể đến như một cuộc viễn chinh, chiến đấu với quái vật, tái sinh,… nhưng lại không thống nhất về việc những nguyên mẫu đó là gì. Trong trường hợp này, các nhà nghiên cứu đã chọn ra sáu nguyên mẫu phổ biến nhất từ tập hợp danh sách các loại mạch cảm xúc mà máy tính nhận dạng được nhiều nhất. Và mặc dù các nhà nghiên cứu tập trung vào các cung bậc cảm xúc của một cuốn sách – không phải cấu trúc của cốt truyện, nhưng họ nhận thấy sự trùng lặp trong cách các điểm trong cốt truyện phản ánh mức cao nhất và mức thấp nhất của mạch cảm xúc thông qua phân tích. Ví dụ trong Harry Potter và Bảo bối Tử thần chẳng hạn, trong khi cốt truyện của nó được cho là “lồng ghép và phức tạp” thì “mạch cảm xúc liên quan đến mỗi mạch truyện phụ lại hiện lên rõ ràng.” (Điều đó chứng tỏ rằng, những khoảnh khắc tình cảm được thể hiện quá chóng vánh. như nụ hôn đầu tiên giữa Harry và Ginny, sẽ không được ghi nhận.) X faX1mtHlN7AgLRRXpC4u3qYKTW0Ncl78yDXwCGXsh1NXBTqjmggPQKGo5SolHj3enjHmlxNhìn chung, các câu chuyện thuộc nguyên mẫu “Rags to Riches – Chỉ gặp may mắn” đại diện cho khoảng 1/5 tổng số các tác phẩm được phân tích. Điều này không có gì đáng ngạc nhiên vì có thể dễ dàng liên tưởng đến những câu chuyện như vậy trong văn học cổ điển. Các tác phẩm kinh của Charles Dickens, Edith Wharton và Jane Austen được cho là hình thành dựa trên nguyên mẫu này. Reagan bày tỏ rằng “Đường cong của mạch cảm xúc “Rags to Riches” thể hiện một câu chuyện mà tất cả chúng ta đều muốn tin tưởng, phổ biến rộng rãi trong chính câu chuyện về giấc mơ Mỹ. Đó là một câu chuyện về niềm hy vọng và sự công bằng, nơi mà cho dù gặp phải một khởi đầu tệ hại, nhưng với nghị lực, mọi thứ sẽ trở nên tốt đẹp hơn và cuối cùng sẽ gặp được may mắn.” Theo các nhà nghiên cứu, ví dụ nguyên mẫu của mạch cảm xúc này là tác phẩm Cuộc phiêu lưu của Alice trong lòng đất của Lewis Carroll – sau đó được xuất bản với tên Cuộc phiêu lưu của Alice ở xứ sở thần tiên. Tiểu thuyết Dreams, xuất bản năm 1890 của nhà văn Olive Schreiner, cũng là một nguyên mẫu rõ ràng khác cho mô hình “Rags to Riches”. Đối với biểu đồ cảm xúc của cả hai câu chuyện, máy tính tìm thấy sự trùng khớp gần giống với hình dạng của biểu đồ “Rags to Riches” trong khi có rất ít kết nối nếu có với các loại biểu đồ cảm xúc khác. Dưới đây là biểu đồ mô tả top 20 câu chuyện phù hợp với chế độ “Rags to Riches” xuất hiện trên bài báo của họ: EFhXgQkZHOc8cnJU0t6AVCpxBzP8ePiHC93n1GG0FAVsh1TgT3tFrkrMJ5IQ9B4ljnor7z5Wj1xwtTTMR9fgQw EAZ3i2Nn4oAVLz2HW RUNEWr4GPerLOavX15J0vZR9 fsbvmS=s0“Rags to Riches” có thể phổ biến đối với các nhà văn, nhưng nó không nhất thiết phải là mạch cảm xúc mà người đọc tiếp cận nhiều nhất. Các nhà nghiên cứu nhận thấy rằng danh mục bao gồm các tác phẩm hay nhất không phải là những cuốn sách phổ biến nhất. Họ đã kiểm tra tổng số lượng sách được tải xuống từ Project Gutenberg, sau đó phân loại chúng theo các loại mạch cảm xúc ở trên. Theo cách này, “Rags to Riches” đã xếp sau “Oedipus” , “Man in a Hole” và có lẽ không ngạc nhiên khi “Cinderella” được yêu thích hơn cả. Reagan nói rằng anh ấy và các đồng nghiệp dự định phân tích cách các mạch cảm xúc khác nhau được thể hiện trong một câu chuyện riêng lẻ, như trong ví dụ về Harry Potter ở trên. Cuối cùng, Reagan nói, nghiên cứu này có thể giúp các nhà khoa học huấn luyện các chương trình máy tính thiết kế ngược những gì chúng được học về mạch cảm xúc trong câu chuyện để tạo ra các tác phẩm gốc hấp dẫn. Đã có các cuộc thi viết truyện dành cho chương trình máy tính. (Tình cờ, tôi đã tham gia một thử nghiệm tương tự và nó không diễn ra chính xác như kế hoạch.) “Đây là một lĩnh vực nghiên cứu tiềm năng, và còn rất nhiều vấn đề khó khăn chưa được giải quyết. Ngoài cốt truyện, cấu trúc và cung bậc cảm xúc, để viết nên những câu chuyện tuyệt vời, máy tính sẽ cần tạo ra các nhân vật và lời thoại hấp dẫn và có ý nghĩa” – Reagan nói. Tất nhiên, Vonnegut luôn làm cho nó nghe có vẻ dễ dàng. Hãy xem xét cách ông ấy mô tả mạch cảm xúc “Man in a Hole”, được đặc trưng bởi tác phẩm Ghost Stories of an Antiquary của M.R. James – hoặc khá nhiều bộ phim sitcom dài 22 phút bất kỳ: “Khi gặp rắc rối, hãy thoát ra khỏi nó một lần nữa”. Như Vonnegut đã từng nói trong một bài giảng: “Mọi người thích câu chuyện đó. Họ không bao giờ thấy chán nó”. GenZ Academy hy vọng bạn sẽ hiểu về nghệ thuật Storytelling hơn thông qua bài viết trên đây. Nếu có bất kỳ điều gì thắc mắc bạn hãy bình luận ở bên dưới để GenZ có thể giải đáp thêm. Hãy theo dõi Website của GenZ để đọc thêm nhiều bài viết bổ ích trong Marketing nữa nhé. Nguồn: The Atlantichttps://genzacademy.vn/6-cach-the-hien-mach-cam-xuc-trong-storytelling/

[randoreviews]

CAR INTERVIEW WITH JERRY

Jerry: You’re a lot taller than you were... Ben: Haha. Jerry: When did you have the spurt of... growth? Ben: I think... I’m not sure? These kind of... add a half an inch or so. (points to boots) Jerry: Mm, but not that much.  Ben: I dunno. Yeah. Jerry: After high school or...? Ben: I guess? Probably college or maybe a little bit after. Jerry: Oh yeah? Where did you go to school? Ben: Uh, Saint Michael’s College? Jerry: Where’s that? In Vermont?  Ben: In Vermont, yeah. Yeah, Dave and I were confirmed at Saint Mary’s together but... I’m kind of scared of... of the Catholics. Spent too much time under the cross, I guess. Jerry: Oh, okay, yeah. So you must ski, huh? Ben: I do love skiing. When I went to college I actually didn’t ski because, uh, it was like, Vermont is like a different kinda cold. Just the five, ten degree difference makes a big difference. And I preferred to just sleep on the weekends so... and not pay the money... So yeah, these are very simple, should I just start askin ya?  Jerry: Sure! Yeah. Ben: Yeah, okay, make sure that’s... yeah... So yeah, what was your first car? Jerry: First car that I owned was a 1960 MGA.   http://www.sportscarshop.com/1960-mg-mga/ Ben: Mm. Was that a sports car or...? Jerry: Yeah, it was a two-seater, roadster.  Ben: Nice. And what color? Jerry: Gray, with a I think it was black interior. Ben: Nice. And how long did you have it for? Jerry: I had it when I was going to college. So I had it for prolly, three to four years. Ben: Yup. Good car? Jerry: Uh, no, it used to break down a lot. Ben: Haha, that’s usually how it goes with first cars. Jerry: Yeah, I had to leave it on the side of the road and call a friend to come and pick me up. Ben: And how did you first acquire it? Jerry: I just went to a dealer and bought it, and paid fifty dollars a month on the loan and... that was it. Ben: Was it pretty sharp-looking though, despite the engine troubles?  Jerry: Yeah, it was pretty good. Ben: Was it like a chick magnet at all or...? Jerry: Um, it’s hard to say. It didn’t have windows, it had side curtains. And in the winter it was pretty cold to drive it, but I drove it all year round. Ben: Okay. Was there heating? Jerry: There was heating. But sometimes it didn’t work. Ben: Did they have the heat seats back then? Jerry: No. Nothin like that. And it was very drafty cuz of the side curtains. And it leaked when it rained and, all those things. Ben: So when did you get your license? Do you remember the year or the age you were? Jerry: Uhh, it would have been, 1959, 1960? You know, right when I turned sixteen. Ben: Okay. Were you like really raring to get it or? Jerry: Yeah, yeah. Ben: Okay, so... I dunno if you remember Bill Funsch? Jerry: Yeah, sure. Ben: Cuz he’s a little bit older than us even though he’s in our grade, he was the first of our friends to get a driver’s license, so I remember riding in this old, like his dad’s hand-me-down red Jetta. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Jetta_(A2)  And, uh, just like the feeling of liberation. Wasn’t even when I got the license, it was like my friend driving. Being out from under my parents’ wing. I was like, we should just drive to the moon or something! Jerry: Right, right, right. Ben: Did you have a similar experience or? Jerry: Uh, yeah... I would say so, yeah. I liked to drive, go on errands, whatever, just to be able to drive the car. Ben: Just be out? Jerry: Yeah. Ben: Was it kind of like American Graffiti where you just spend Fridays and Saturday nights just cruisin around, lookin for stuff to do? Jerry: Yeah, yeah, that was typical.  Ben: Yeah. So do you remember what your parents drove? Was there like a memorable car from your childhood? Jerry: Uhh... they drove, you know, Fords and Mercurys.  https://fiftiesweb.com/cars/album-ford/  https://fiftiesweb.com/cars/mercury/  Nothing, uh... and then when I was older my father got a Camaro. That was, you know, like a hot car. That was, you know, say the early 60s. So nothing too fancy. Camaro’s probably the fanciest.  https://www.dancummins.com/the-best-camaros-from-the-60s/ Ben: That’s pretty good. Jerry: Yes, yeah. Cuz it was kind of a cool-looking car.  Ben: Yeah. Any station wagons or big sedans? Jerry: No, but when David was young with the kids, we had a station wagon. Ben: Did it have like the wood panel sides?  https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/comments/3iavks/wood_panel_station_wagons/ Jerry: No, those were long gone in the 70s. https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2019/07/22/6-coolest-woody-cars-according-to-you  Lisa was born in 1975. That sorta wood paneling or fake wood paneling was long gone. Ben: Right, yeah. And was your dad into cars? Jerry: Mm, no, not really? He did buy that Camaro so he obviously liked the looks of that. But he never worked on cars or anything like that. Ben: Gotcha. That leads perfectly to my next question, do you have a trusty mechanic? Or do you do any of the work on the cars yourself? Jerry: Yeah, no, I have a mechanic do the work. A couple of them. Right now there’s like three that I go to in the Boston area, that are pretty good with the older cars.  Ben: Yeah. Yeah, my dad would only go to one guy and he would drive like 45 minutes from Mansfield up to Hudson. Jerry: Oh yeah? Ben: Yeah, Jake was the name of the guy. He loved the guy. I guess it’s like, he just had a loyalty to him. You know how some people are loyal to their barbers or whatever. So you have a vintage Porsche? What model is it?  Jerry: Yeah, it’s a 1960 356 A Roadster. https://www.mecum.com/lots/CA0813-161526/1960-porsche-356-roadster/ Ben: Mhm. Jerry. I can send you a picture after. Ben: Yeah, I would love that. And how long have you had it? Jerry: I bought it in ‘94 and I had it restored, it took a couple years. And I’ve been drivin it since ‘96.  Ben: Oh man. I have my dad’s old Porsche, which is a 2013, just the Boxster. https://www.carfax.com/Research-2014-Porsche-Boxster_z118  I feel like a total fraud driving it cuz I’m like, I didn’t earn this really. But uh, it’s a beautiful experience driving it. Jerry: Yeah, Porsche makes a nice, solid car. Ben: Just the design is very... sexy. Like chick magnet again. Very sexy. Um, and what do you think put the idea in your head to get it in the first place? Jerry: Well I was probably always into cars, you know, when I was goin to college I had that MGA. So in the mid-90s I was lookin for a car and came across this, so... it’s a classic, so... it’s better than the MGA, the British sports cars. It’s just, you know, looks and everything.  Ben: Is there a lot of upkeep to it, kinda going back to the mechanics question? Jerry: Not really. It’s in the garage right now, sort of preempting the rush for the spring. I usually have it tuned up at the beginning of the driving season, which is, say, April. And then after that, I’ve been lucky. Really haven’t had any trouble. Ben: Mm, good. Well, I’ll say my dad I think got his because, well he had a gray Boxster, I think 1999 he bought it? It was definitely a mid-life crisis purchase, but he really enjoyed driving it. And then he got the new one 2013, which is black and beautiful. Very beautiful. So it was a good mid-life crisis purchase. And Dave says you get your car shipped around so you can drive it in different places? Jerry: Yeah, I’ve driven cross country the last four years, each year, starting from a different place. Rather than driving out, driving back, I ship it out. I shipped it out to San Francisco? No, LA, San Diego, Phoenix, and Colorado Springs and drove back from those four places. Ben: Oh man. And where did you stop along the way? Jerry: Oh, a lot of places. Lot of places. Ben: Any favorite national parks or anything? Jerry: We stopped at a number of national parks... Yosemite, Grand Canyon. Mount Rushmore. I don’t know if any more? Everything was nice. Nice to see. Ben: Yeah, I’ve made that drive a couple times cuz I used to live in LA. I love Los Angeles. I really love Nebraska? I’ve only spent a couple nights there but it was very nice. Everyone’s nice. Slower pace. Just wheat fields sprawling around you? It’s very nice. I can see the appeal. If you could have another car, any car in the world, what would it be? Or are you happy with your Porsche? Jerry: Yeah, I’m happy with the Porsche. I’d probably get a new Targa. A new Porsche Targa.  https://www.americanmusclecarmuseum.com/porsche-vehicles/324-2019-porsche-911-targa-4-gts.html Ben: Mhm. That’s a new model?  Jerry: Yeah, it’s a convertible hardtop. So yeah, they’re pretty nice.  Ben: I’m sure, I’m sure. And a kind of car, usually if I see older cars and the person isn’t wearing like a full camo suit, if they look approachable I’ll usually go up and talk to them, like I love vintage trucks. Do those appeal to you at all? Do they catch your eye?  https://vintagewiring.com/product/ford-vintage-trucks-1942-47-6-cyl-dash-harness/ Jerry: Yeah. Yeah, they do.  Ben: Will you just admire from a distance or will you go talk to the owner? Jerry: No, usually people like to talk about their cars and are approachable. Ben: Yes, as this interview proves. Um, and are you particular about your tire brand? Jerry: Yeah, but I don’t know too much about the tires. I’ve got some German brand on the ‘60 Porsche. I’ve got a 2011 911 Porsche also.  https://www.ccsmotors.com/2011-porsche-911-carrera-4s-c-138.htm Ben: Oh, nice. Jerry: It’s a C 4s, which means Carrera, all-wheel drive. Ben: Shewww. That’s very serious. Jerry: And that’s got Michelin. The people I talked to said those are the tires for that car. Ben: But you get the older Porsche shipped around? Jerry: No, the newer one, shipped around. Ben: Oo, okay. Jerry: But the older one I’ve driven to Saint Louis, to Memphis, to Hilton Head a few times. So I’ve driven it, say, out of New England a number of times. Ben: Still very reliable? Jerry: It has been. Ben: And what do you think about Tesla? How long before electric cars take over?   https://carbuzz.com/news/all-new-tesla-model-s-could-look-like-this Jerry: Uh, they’re here.  Ben: It’s happenin? Jerry: Yeah, Porsche I think in a couple years that’s all they’ll be making.  Ben: Right. There’s this company, I believe in California called, I think it’s Electron Monkey, where they’ll take vintage cars that people love and they’ll put electronic, they’ll replace the old engines with electronic, I think it’s like seventy-five grand to do it or some stupid amount of money. But I guess if you have the money and love your car that much. And do you go to any car shows? Jerry: Yeah, at the Museum of Transportation in Brookline, during the summer they have a number of car shows. They have a German day, which is all Porsches, and Mercedes https://www.vintageindustrialstyle.com/mercedes-benz-300-roadster-vintage-legend-turns-year/, and whatever. Then they have Italian day with a lot of Ferraris https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/best-vintage-ferraris-2852791/ and Alfa Romeo https://petrolicious.com/articles/these-are-the-simple-joys-of-touring-in-a-vintage-alfa-romeo. So if I’m around I’ll go to the shows there. There’s a number of shows that I haven’t been to, there’s one in Greenwich. I think it’s early June, Greenwich, Connecticut, that’s a big one. This past year there was a big one down in Newport that I missed, which I would have liked to have gone to. Every three years Porsche has a big car show. It’s sort of a rally. They have races. They have thousands of cars. And Porsche sends over a lot of cars from Germany to be on display. And the past two times it’s been in Laguna Seca, outside of Monterey, California.  Ben: Oh, beautiful. Jerry: Yeah, and I’ve gone to each of those. So yeah, that was two years ago. Next summer after that there’ll be another and it’ll probably be in Laguna Seca again and I’ll probably go to that. There’s races goin on all the time, thousands of cars, all kindsa vendors. Lot of people. It can be overwhelming. Ben: Sure. Jerry: It’s a week event. But the big things, say, starting from Thursday through Sunday.  Ben: Is it summertime or? Jerry: It’s usually, say, end of September. I think this weekend there’s a big one down in Florida, in Amelia Island, outside of Jacksonville. It’s probably the second most prestigious car show in the country.  Ben: No way. Jerry: Pebble Beach is number one, and that’s usually sometime in August. And Amelia Island is number two. And then there’s others. Hilton Head has one usually the first week of November, so if I’m down there and the weather’s good I’ll usually go to that. So there’s a lot of shows. Ben: And I imagine people there are very friendly because, again, it’s just talkin about, sharing things that you love.  Jerry: Right, yeah.  Ben: I imagine you have to pack pretty lightly when you go on these trips because the sports cars don’t have much room?  Jerry: Yeah. Right, right. Ben: I remember my dad used to put his golf clubs in shotgun and he’d tell my mom she would have to take the Volvo. https://www.edmunds.com/volvo/v70/  So you obviously have to plan for packing lighter. Jerry: Right, yeah. Ben: And so because it’s kind of an election season, what’s your favorite American car? Jerry: Let’s see, I dunno... There’s some nice-lookin cars... (thinks for a few seconds) I dunno, I don’t have one. I can’t think of one. Ben: I always tell people if you think of one ten minutes, half an hour from now, you can let me know. There’s no rush. But yeah, I think that was it, I didn’t want to take up too much of your time. Are there any other things that you wanted to talk about? Jerry: Well there’s races up in Lime Rock, Connecticut. You drive out the Mass Pike and I think it’s Exit 3? And then drive about an hour and a half through northeast Connecticut to get to Lime Rock. And they have races there just about every weekend. They have big races, some national races. And their vintage car weekend is always Labor Day. And if I’m around, I’d go there. There’s races down in Florida all the time. I’d like to go to the track and watch the races. Ben: Very nice. Have you ever been in a race yourself of any kind? Jerry: No, I’ve driven on tracks, but it was just... what would you call it?... Certain events they allow people to drive the track in like a caravan. So you’re not racing, you’re not supposed to pass or anything like that. Ben: Were you kind of inspired by guys like Steve McQueen or Paul Newman, I know those guys loved their cars? Jerry: Used to see Paul Newman often at Lime Rock, cuz that’s where he raced on a regular basis. Ben: Did he live in Connecticut? Part-time?  Jerry: He did, yup. He lived, let’s see, outside of Greenwich, Connecticut. But he was there and you’d see him in the pit and you’d be from here to you away from him. Ben: That’s so cool. Jerry: I remember one time, you know, the sports cars, the cars that they race, they don’t have doors, you have to climb through the window to get in. Ben: Right. Jerry: And he was like, I dunno how old but he was like 65 or 70. And he was havin a hard time crawlin through the window and I was standin there and I looked at him and I sort of smiled and he knew what I was smilin about and he smiled back.  Ben: Haha. And do you remember when that was? Jerry: It must have been at least ten, fifteen years ago, cuz he’s been dead for a while. And, yeah, there’s a few clubs here that have events. I belong to two vintage Porsche clubs which, they have events and we go away for the weekend.  Ben: Oh, cool. Jerry: And it’s just a driving club. Also they’re a source of information too that you can fall back on, if you have a question or a problem with your car, they’re a good resource. And if they have a good experience with a mechanic or a garage or somethin, they’ll send it out in an email. My 356 is in a garage now and that’s how I became aware of this particular garage.  Ben: Nice. That sounds like a good group to be a part of. Is it mostly via email that they’ll share information and then you guys’ll get together? Jerry: Yeah. And talk about our cars. You know, stand around, shoot the breeze. Ben: Sure, that sounds pretty good. Um, what was I gonna say, I had one more question... So when you go to these events, will... I love it when there will just be like a caravan of vintage cars and there’ll be like thirty and it’s just like this is like a bit of magic that just came out of nowhere. So are you one of those cars sometimes? Jerry: Yeah, we were someplace outside of Worcester, it may have been Sutton, and it was a Sunday morning and people were coming outta church and we had a caravan of maybe twenty cars, and you could see their heads, just walking down the steps lookin, like that. And then another time someone was leading a drive and it was through a windy road but there was a lot of houses, and I think it was around Acton or Concord or somewhere around there, and someone that lived on that road called the police and said we were racing.  Ben: Haha. Jerry: And the police came out and stopped us and asked us what was goin on. We weren’t racing, we were just, it was a windy road, somewhere off the beaten path and just drivin prolly thirty miles an hour. But there was probably twenty of us and someone got a little excited. Ben: Mm. And have you driven an electric car?  Jerry: No, I haven’t. I’ve only ridden in a Tesla once. Ben: Right. How did you like that? Jerry: Well, it was a short ride so I really couldn’t tell. But the people who have them love them. Ben: Right, right. It’s a cult.  Jerry: Yeah. They’re supposed to be extremely fast. Ben: I think it was an Audi electric car https://www.thedrive.com/news/25162/the-audi-e-tron-gt-is-bringing-the-high-performance-electric-car-fight-to-tesla but I had the Porsche in New Hampshire and this Audi was in front of me and we were going on an on ramp that had a bit of an ascent to it, and the thing just took off. And it was like, this car is from the future. And I was in the Porsche, so it goes zero to sixty pretty quickly but I had to work the stick and this person was just gone. It was like they were flying. But I think I probably will miss, I know it’s bad for the environment but, the gasoline, that feeling of the engine, that’s so much of the connection, it’s like a very visceral thing. I don’t know if you’ll get that with the electric cars. Jerry: I’ve read that they can put in, make it noisy... Ben: If you want it. Jerry: Yeah, and you can switch that on and off, I think. Ben: Okay. Have you seen the new Tarantino movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood? Jerry: Yeah, that was pretty good. Ben: Oh yeah, I loved it. There was an older gentleman sitting a few seats over from me when I saw it and he mentioned that Brad Pitt was driving a Karmann Ghia https://www.imcdb.org/v001250044.html was the little like beat up convertible, which is another car my dad had.  Jerry: Right, right. Ben: I love those scenes of Brad Pitt just driving around by himself in the convertible. A few friends I talked to were just like, this is boring, and I was like, you guys should ride in a convertible, I think you’d understand. Jerry: One of my early cars was a Karmann Ghia but it was a hardtop. Ben: Seems like everyone had one.  Jerry: Yeah, it was pretty good. Ben: What color was that one? Jerry: It was red. Red Karhmann Ghia, yup. Ben: Nice... Well I think that’s it. Jerry: Okay, let me get my phone and I’ll show you that picture...

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Former Vice President Joe Biden has gotten a lot of good news over the past few days. A huge, almost 30-point win in South Carolina. A series of impressive endorsements. Other candidates in the moderate lane — namely, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who were among those endorsers — dropping out.

But one thing we haven’t had a lot of since South Carolina was hard data. That changed late last night with a flurry of new polls — we now have at least two polls conducted since South Carolina in every single Super Tuesday state. So by the time we froze the FiveThirtyEight forecast at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning,1 the Super Tuesday picture was a lot clearer — and overall, things look good for Biden.

Biden is now about twice as likely as Sanders to win a delegate plurality, according to our primary model, which gives him a 65 percent chance of doing so compared with a 34 percent chance for Sanders. This represents the culmination of a trend that has been underway in the model for about a week; it started to shift toward Biden once polls showed the potential for him to win big in South Carolina — and it anticipated a polling bounce in the Super Tuesday states if he did win big there. Still, even after South Carolina, Biden’s plurality chances had risen only to 32 percent, compared with 64 percent for Sanders. That means the polling bounce from the events of the past few days has been bigger than the model anticipated.

To be clear, however, there is still a lot of uncertainty. We’ve been talking about delegate pluralities, which obscures the fact that the most likely outcome in the model is still that no one wins a majority of pledged delegates. And we should note that the lack of a majority does not necessarily imply a contested convention. For instance, if Biden enters the convention with 46 percent of delegates and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg with 10 percent, they could strike a deal where Bloomberg delegates vote for Biden on the first ballot.

Still, in the overnight polling, the numbers for Bloomberg — and to a slightly lesser extent, Sen. Elizabeth Warren — held up better than you might have expected. The model has Bloomberg projected to finish with at least 15 percent of the vote in most states, which is the threshold required to receive delegates allocated at the state and district levels — and it has Warren projected to do so in most states outside of the South. While to our eye, the model’s numbers look a little optimistic for Bloomberg, the whole point of a model is to rely on objective data. And that says Bloomberg could still accumulate plenty of delegates, even though he isn’t a favorite in any state. Keep in mind that both Bloomberg and Warren also benefit from Buttigieg and Klobuchar dropping out — it’s easier to get 15 percent in a four-way race than a six-way one.2

Overall, the model has “no majority” happening 61 percent of the time, a Biden majority 31 percent of the time and a Sanders majority 8 percent of the time. Anyone else winning a majority would require a minor miracle.

In delegate terms, Biden is projected to finish about 375 delegates ahead of Sanders in the average simulation — but keep in mind that the average obscures a huge amount of variation. Still, this provides for a helpful benchmark. Bloomberg is projected to finish with an average of 555 delegates, and Warren with 283 delegates — so their combined delegate tally projects to be more than twice as large as the projected margin separating Biden and Sanders. That’s why the model tends to land on “no majority” outcomes. If Bloomberg, Warren and other candidates are keeping 15 or 20 percent of the overall pledged delegate haul for themselves, then either Sanders or Biden needs to beat the other one by quite a bit to get an overall majority.

Below are our final forecasts for the 15 states and territories that will finish voting today. As you can see, Biden is favored to win in the seven Southern states, although he is anywhere from a very slight front-runner in Texas to a solid favorite in Virginia. And Sanders is favored in the seven remaining states across the Northeast, Midwest and West; his lead is most tenuous in Massachusetts and safest in Vermont. The model isn’t really sure what’s going to happen in American Samoa, where it gives Biden, Sanders and Bloomberg all decent chances.

Biden is favored in the South, Sanders in the North and West

Percent chance each top Democratic presidential candidate has of winning each Super Tuesday contest, according to the FiveThirtyEight primary forecast as of 9:30 a.m. Eastern on March 3

Contest Biden Bloomberg Sanders Warren California 22% 1% 76% 0% Texas 55 2 43 0 North Carolina 95 0 4 0 Virginia 98 0 2 0 Massachusetts 20 4 51 25 Minnesota 19 2 53 2 Colorado 20 6 69 5 Tennessee 68 5 25 1 Alabama 92 3 5 0 Oklahoma 78 2 18 2 Arkansas 69 17 12 1 Utah 28 11 59 3 Maine 23 7 68 3 Vermont 0 0 100 0 American Samoa 36 20 36 8

That regional divide in who wins what states has been clear for a while, but to repeat, the real prize of Super Tuesday is pledged delegates to the Democratic National Convention. And our forecast now says that Biden (484) will get more delegates, on average, out of Super Tuesday than Sanders (463) will. That’s a big shift from as recently as Sunday, when we were forecasting Sanders to get an average of 540 delegates on Super Tuesday and Biden to get an average of 395.

Biden and Sanders are neck and neck in delegates

Average number of pledged delegates each top Democratic presidential candidate is forecasted to receive from Super Tuesday contests, according to the FiveThirtyEight primary forecast as of 9:30 a.m. Eastern on March 3

Contest Biden Bloomberg Sanders Warren California 133 63 164 55 Texas 84 43 81 21 North Carolina 54 17 31 7 Virginia 52 14 26 7 Massachusetts 23 15 29 24 Minnesota 20 9 26 9 Colorado 18 13 24 11 Tennessee 26 12 20 6 Alabama 28 9 11 4 Oklahoma 16 5 11 5 Arkansas 12 8 7 3 Utah 8 7 10 4 Maine 7 5 9 3 Vermont 2 1 12 2 American Samoa 2 1 2 1 Total 484 222 463 162

Why this sudden turn in Biden’s favor? As we said, it’s mostly about the polling showing an even bigger bounce for Biden than the model expected. On Monday night and Tuesday morning, we got our first glimpse of polls in which a significant number of interviews were conducted after Buttigieg’s and Klobuchar’s withdrawals from the race, and several were startlingly good for Biden. For instance, we got four polls3 in rapid succession of Virginia, a state that had looked like a tossup before South Carolina — and all four gave Biden a lead of at least 14 points. He is now virtually certain to win the state as a result. In the same way, North Carolina is now firmly in Biden’s camp with the release of three new polls4 that gave Biden an average lead of 16 points in the Tar Heel State.

Biden had already been gaining ground in our California polling average, but new Swayable and Data for Progress polls caused Biden to improve further in our forecast for the state. Although Sanders still has a lead there and is the likely winner, Biden has cut his projected margin to the single digits — and both Bloomberg and Warren project to get at least 15 percent of the vote in California, meaning they’ll get delegates of their own and prevent Sanders from running up the score. On the flip side, if Sanders overperforms in California and keeps Warren and Bloomberg from getting 15 percent there, he has some upside relative to our projections.

Granted, other new polls showed less dramatic movement. Swayable and Data for Progress released polls of Texas confirming what our forecast already thought: that Sanders and Biden are neck and neck in the Lone Star State, in what is probably the most interesting contest of the evening. Other polls featured results that looked a little flukish, like Bloomberg leading in Maine and Utah, per two Swayable polls. (This still hurt Sanders’s chances, though, especially in Utah, which was previously expected to be an easy win for him.) But few new polls (outside those of his home state of Vermont) were unambiguously good for Sanders.

We should keep in mind that none of these new polls are traditional, live-caller telephone polls; there just wouldn’t have been enough time to conduct many of them anyway after South Carolina. So that increases the uncertainty — although our model accounts for a lot of uncertainty. For example, in California, we think Sanders could get anywhere from 26 to 39 percent of the vote, while Biden could get anywhere from 21 percent to 32 percent. And those are merely 80 percent confidence intervals; vote shares will fall outside of those ranges 20 percent of the time.

But Biden sure seems to have a lot of upside in today’s contests, especially when you consider that even the polls above aren’t even pricing in the full impact of the last 72 hours. Most of them still included Buttigieg and Klobuchar as options, even though some respondents answered them knowing that they had dropped out. Perhaps Biden’s rally in Texas last night and endorsement from former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke could help him there; that’s also too recent to be reflected in any of the polling.

On the other hand, millions of early votes have already been cast by mail-in states like California and Colorado, where Sanders has been (and remains) strong. When watching the results tonight, you should be careful; early ballots are counted first in some states (though not all) and they may not match election-night returns. Early voters can also skew older than younger ones, which can be a disadvantage for candidates such as Sanders who rely on young voters.

And in terms of delegates, it’s possible for either Biden or Sanders to walk away from Super Tuesday with a big lead. Our model thinks Biden could get as many as 639 delegates or as few as 341, and Sanders could get as few as 325 or as many as 608. We’ll only know after all today’s votes have been counted — which, thanks to those mail-in ballots in the West, could take several days.

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

Take Back Your Life: Recovering From Cults & Abusive Relationships

Take Back Your Life: Recovering From Cults & Abusive Relationships

2006

by Janja Lalich and Madeleine Tobias (Authors)

Bay Tree Publishing

_______________________________________

Cult victims and those who have experienced abusive relationships often suffer from fear, confusion, low self-esteem, and post-traumatic stress. Take Back Your Life explains the seductive draw that leads people into such situations, provides insightful information for assessing what happened, and hands-on tools for getting back on track.

Written for victims, their families, and professionals, this book leads readers through the healing process.

_______________________________________

About the Authors

Janja Lalich, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Sociology at California State University, Chico. She has been studying the cult phenomenon since the late 1980s and has coordinated local support groups for ex-cult members and for women who were sexually abused in a cult or abusive relationship. She is the author of Bounded Choice: True Believers and Charismatic Cults, and co-author, with Margaret Singer, of Cults in Our Midst.

Madeleine Tobias, M.S., R.N., C.S., is the Clinical Coordinator and a psychotherapist at the Vet Center in White River Junction, Vermont, where she treats veterans who experienced combat and/or sexual trauma while in the military. Previously she had a private practice in Connecticut and was an exit counselor helping ex-members of cultic groups and relationships.

_______________________________________

Introduction

Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships gives former cult members, their families, and professionals an understanding of common cult practices and their aftereffects. This book also provides an array of specific aids that may help restore a sense of normalcy to former cult members’ lives.

About twelve years ago, we wrote our first book on this topic: Captive Hearts, Captive Minds: Freedom and Recovery from Cults and Abusive Relationships. Over the years, we received mounds of positive feedback about that book in the form of letters, phone calls, postcards, emails, faxes, and personal contact at conferences and in our professional lives. Former cult members, families, therapists, and exit counselors continually told us that Captive Hearts, Captive Minds was always their number-one book. That positive reception (and the need to provide up-to-date information) was the impetus for this new book. We are delighted to offer this new resource to people who want to evaluate, understand, and, in many cases, recover from the effects of a cult experience. We hope this book will help you take back your life.

Cults did not fade away (as some would like to believe) with the passing of the sixties and the disappearance of the flower children. In fact, cult groups and relationships are alive and thriving, though many groups have matured and “cleaned up their act.” If there is less street recruiting today, it is because many cults now use professional associations, campus organizations, self-help seminars, and the Internet as recruitment tools. Today we see people of all ages— even multigenerational families—being drawn into a wide variety of groups and movements focused on everything from therapy to business ventures, from New Age philosophies to Bible-based beliefs, and from martial arts to political change.

Most cults don’t stand up to be counted in a formal sense. Currently, the best estimates tell us that there are about 5,000 such groups in the United States, some large, some remarkably small. Noted cult expert and clinical psychologist Margaret Singer estimated “about 10 to 20 million people have at some point in recent years been in one or more of such groups.”(1) Before its enforced demise, the national Cult Awareness Network reported receiving about 20,000 inquiries a year.(2)

A cult experience is often a conflicted one, as those of you who are former members know. More often than not, leaving a cult environment requires an adjustment period so that you can put yourself and your life back together in a way that makes sense to you. When you first leave a cult situation, you may not recognize yourself. You may feel confused and lost; you may feel both sad and exhilarated. You may not know how to identify or tackle the problems you are facing. You may not have the slightest idea about who you want to be or what you want to believe. The question we often ask children, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” takes on new meaning for adult ex-cult members.

Understanding what happened to you and getting your life back on track is a process that may or may not include professional therapy or pastoral counseling. The healing or recovery process varies for each of us, with ebbs and flows of progress, great insight, and profound confusion. Also, certain individual factors will affect your recovery process. One is the length and intensity of your cult experience. Another is the nature of the group or person you were involved with—or where your experience falls on a scale of benign to mildly harmful to extremely damaging. Recovering from a cult experience will not end the moment you leave the situation (whether you left on your own or with the help of others). Nor will it end after the first few weeks or months away from your group. On the contrary, depending on your circumstances, aspects of your cult involvement may require some attention for the rest of your life.

Given that, it is important to find a comfortable pace for your healing process. In the beginning, particularly, your mind and body may simply need a rest. Now that you are no longer on a mission to save the world or your soul, relaxation and rest are no longer sinful. In fact, they are absolutely necessary for a healthy, balanced, and productive life.

Reentering the non-cult world (or entering it for the first time if you were born or raised in a cult) can be painful and confusing. To some extent, time will help. Yet the passage of time and being physically out of the group are not enough. You must actively and of your own initiative face the issues of your involvement. Let time be your ally, but don’t expect time alone to heal you. We both know former cult members who have been out of their groups for many years but who have never had any counseling or education about cults or the power of social-psychological influence and control. These individuals live in considerable emotional pain and have significant difficulties due to unresolved conflicts about their group, their leader, or their own participation. Some are still under the subtle (or not so subtle) effects of the group’s systems of influence and control.

A cult experience is different for each person, even for members of the same group, family, or situation. Some former members may have primarily positive impressions and memories, while others may feel hurt, used, or angry. The actual experiences and the degree or type of harm suffered may vary considerably. Some people may leave cults with minimum distress, and adjust rather rapidly to the larger society, while others may suffer severe emotional trauma that requires psychiatric care. Still others may need medical attention or other care. The dilemmas can be overwhelming and may require thoughtful attention. Many have likened this period to being on an emotional roller coaster.

First of all, self-blame (for joining the cult or participating in it, or both) is a common reaction that tends to overshadow all positive feelings. Added to this is a feeling of identity loss and confusion over various aspects of daily life. If you were recruited at any time after your teens, you already had a distinct personality, which we call the “pre-cult personality.” While you were in the cult, you most likely developed a so-called new personality in order to adapt to the demands and ambiance of cult life. We call this the “cult personality.” Most cults engage in an array of social-psychological pressures aimed at indoctrinating and changing you. You may have been led to believe that your pre-cult personality was all bad and your adaptive cult personality all good. After you leave a cult, you don’t automatically switch back to your pre-cult self; in fact, you may often feel as if you have two personalities or two selves. Evaluating these emotions and confronting this dilemma—integrating the good and discarding the bad—is a primary task for most former cult members, and is a core focus of this book.

As you seek to redefine and reshape your identity, you will want to address the psychological, emotional, and physical consequences of living in or around a constrained, controlled, and possibly abusive environment. And as if all that weren’t enough, many basic life necessities and challenges will need to be met and overcome. These may include finding employment and a place to live, making friends, repairing old relationships, confronting belief issues, deciding on a career or going back to school, and most likely catching up with a social and cultural gap.

If you feel like “a stranger in a strange land,” it may be consoling to know that you are not the first person to have felt this way. In fact, the pervasive and awkward sense of alienation that both of us felt when we left our cults motivated us to write this book. We hope that the information here will not only help you get rid of any shame or embarrassment you might feel, but also ease your integration into a positive and productive life.

We were compelled to write this book because more often than not, people coming out of cults have tremendous difficulty finding practical information. We, too, experienced that obstacle. Both of us faced one roadblock after another as we searched for useful information and helping professionals who were knowledgeable about cults and post-cult trauma.

❖

A matter we hope to shed light on in this book is the damage wrought by the so-called cult apologists. These individuals (mostly academics) allege that cults do no harm, and that reports of emotional or psychological damage are exaggerations or even fabrications on the part of disgruntled former members. Naturally we disagree. It is unfortunate that there is still so little public understanding of the potential danger of some cults. Certainly there are risks and harmful consequences for individuals involved in these closed, authoritarian groups and abusive relationships. If there weren’t, there would be no need for cult research and information organizations, or for books such as this. Added to individual-level consequences, there are documented dangers to society as a whole from cults whose members carry out their beliefs in antisocial ways— sometimes random, sometimes planned—through fraud, terrorist acts, drug dealing, arms trading, enforced prostitution of members, sexual exploitation, and other violent or criminal behaviors.

From our perspective, a group or relationship earns the label “cult” on the basis of its methods and behaviors—not on the basis of its beliefs. Often those of us who criticize cults are accused of wanting to deny people their freedoms, religious or otherwise. But what we critique and oppose is precisely the repression and stripping away of individual freedoms that tends to occur in cults. It is not beliefs that we oppose, but the exploitative manipulation of people’s faith, commitment, and trust. Our society must not shy away from exposing and holding accountable those social systems (whether they be communities, organizations, families, or relationships) that use deception, manipulation, coercion, and persuasion to attract, recruit, convert, hold on to, and ultimately exploit people.

Also, it’s important to note that there are many non-cult organizations to which people can dedicate their lives and may experience personal transformation. Many religious and self-help institutions, as well as mainstream political parties and special-interest groups, are examples of such non-cult organizations. We do not call them cults because they are publicly known institutions that are usually accountable to some higher body or to society in general. When people join, they have a clear idea of these organizations’ structures and goals. Deceptive or coercive practices are not integral to the growth of these organizations or their ability to retain their members.

In contrast, cult membership is less than fully voluntary. Often it is the result of intense social-psychological influence and control, sometimes called coercive persuasion. Cults tend to assault and strip away a person’s independence, critical-thinking abilities, and personal relationships, and may have a less-than-positive effect on the person’s physical, spiritual, and psychological state of being.

We wrote this book for the many individuals who have experienced harm or trauma in a cult or an abusive relationship. Because it is awkward to continually repeat the phrase “cult or cultic relationship,” in many instances throughout this book we simply shortened it to “cult” or “group,” which are meant to be inclusive of all types of cultic involvements. In the same vein, while we recognize the existence of many one-on-one cultic relationships and family cults, we tend to use simply “cult leader” or “leader” rather than always specifying “leader or abusive partner.” Also, we tend to use masculine pronouns when referring to cult leaders in general. This is not to ignore the fact that there are many female cult leaders, but merely to acknowledge that most cult leaders tend to be men. However, whether male or female, most are equal-opportunity victimizers, drawing men, women, and children of all ages into their webs of influence.

We have included case examples and personal accounts throughout the chapters to illustrate the specifics of involvement, typical aftereffects, and the healing process. Some examples are composites based on interviews and our personal and professional experiences with many hundreds of former cult members. Some former members made specific contributions or allowed us to quote them and use their real names, while others asked for pseudonyms to protect their privacy. These latter, as well as the case examples, are indicated in the text by the use of first name and last initial on the first mention of that name.

If you are a former cult member, you may identify personally with some of the experiences, emotions, challenges, and difficulties discussed here. Other topics may appear quite foreign and unrelated to your experience. It may be helpful to look them over anyway, as there may be lessons or suggestions that could be useful for your situation.

The keys to recovery are balance and moderation, both of which were quite likely absent in the cult. Now you can create a program for recovery that addresses your needs and wants, and you can change it at will to adapt to any new circumstances or needs. The important thing is to do what feels right. Most cults teach you to squelch your gut instincts, but you can now let your self speak to you—and this time, you can listen and act. From now on, only you are responsible for setting and achieving your goals. Our hope is that this book will be useful to you in your recovery process, and we wish you well.

_______________________________________

Contents

Acknowledgments  ix

Introduction  1

Part One – The Cult Experience  7

1. Defining a Cult  9

2. Recruitment  18

3. Indoctrination and Resocialization  36

4. The Cult Leader  52

5. Abusive Relationships and Family Cults  72

Part Two – The Healing Process  87

6. Leaving a Cult  89

7. Taking Back Your Mind  104

8. Dealing with the Aftereffects  116

9. Coping with Emotions  127

10. Building a Life  151

11. Facing the Challenges of the Future  166

12. Healing from Sexual Abuse and Violence  180

13. Making Progress by Taking Action  196

14. Success Is Sweet: Personal Accounts  212

Part Three – Families and Children in Cults  239

15. Born and Raised in a Cult  241

16. Our Lives to Live: Personal Accounts  259

17. Child Abuse in Cults  280 Nori J. Muster

Part Four – Therapeutic Concerns  287

18. Therapeutic Issues  289

19. The Therapist’s Role  305 Shelly Rosen

20. Former Cult Members and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder  314

Appendixes

A. Characteristics Associated with Cultic Groups  327 Janja Lalich and Michael Langone

B. On Being Savvy Spiritual Consumers  329 Rosanne Henry and Sharon Colvin

C. Resources  332

D. Recommended Reading  336

Notes  345

Author Index  359

Subject Index  363

_______________________________________

Repairing the Soul – Janja Lalich

VIDEO: Why do people join cults?  – Janja Lalich

Cult Indoctrination – and the Road to Recovery

Re-forming the Self: The Impact and Consequences of Institutional Abuse

Excellent podcast: Ford Greene, Attorney and former Moonie, on the Death of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Video: Paul Morantz on Cults, Confession and Mind Control

[plusorminuscongress]

New story in Politics from Time: Senate Will Vote on Withdrawing Aid for Saudi War in Yemen Over Journalist’s Murder

(WASHINGTON) — Senators are expected to vote Thursday on a resolution that would call on the U.S. to pull assistance from the Saudi-led war in Yemen, a measure that would rebuke Saudi Arabia after the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The Senate may also consider a separate resolution condemning the journalist’s killing as senators have wrestled with how to respond to the Saudi journalist’s murder. U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman must have at least known of the plot, but President Donald Trump has been reluctant to pin the blame.

Senators voted 60-39 on Wednesday to open debate on the Yemen resolution, signaling there is enough support to win the 50 votes needed. But it’s unclear how amendments to the measure could affect the final vote, which is expected to come Thursday.

While enough Republicans support the resolution, which was sponsored by Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and most other Republicans oppose it.

“I think every single member of this body shares grave concerns about the murder of Khashoggi and wants accountability,” McConnell, R-Ky., said on the Senate floor Wednesday morning. “We also want to preserve a 70-year partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia, and we want to ensure it continues to serve American interests and stabilizes a dangerous and critical region.”

Senators have been enraged by Khashoggi’s October killing and the White House response, and that outrage prompted several Republicans to support the Yemen resolution because it would be seen as a rebuke to the longtime ally. Others already had concerns about the war in Yemen, which human rights groups say is wreaking havoc on the country and subjecting civilians, many of them children, to indiscriminate bombing and disease.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, a Republican from Tennessee, is preparing the separate, alternate resolution condemning the journalist’s killing. McConnell urged senators to vote for Corker’s measure, which he said “does a good job capturing bipartisan concerns about both the war in Yemen and the behavior of our Saudi partners more broadly.” Corker has not released the full text of that resolution.

It appears unlikely that the House would be willing to consider either measure. House leaders added a provision to an unrelated House rule that would make it harder for lawmakers there to call up a Yemen resolution if the Senate passes it. The rule barely passed, 206-203, after Democrats railed against the Yemen provision.

CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed House leaders on the Khashoggi slaying on Wednesday, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis are scheduled to brief the full House on Thursday.

Pompeo and Mattis briefed the Senate last month and told senators that there was “no direct reporting” or “smoking gun” to connect the crown prince to Khashoggi’s death at a Saudi consulate in Turkey. But a smaller group of senators leaving a separate briefing with Haspel days later said there was “zero chance” the crown prince wasn’t involved.

Khashoggi, who had lived in the U.S. and wrote for The Washington Post, had been critical of the Saudi regime. He was killed in what U.S. officials have described as an elaborate plot as he visited the consulate in Istanbul for marriage paperwork.

Pressed on a response to the slaying, Trump has been reluctant to condemn the crown prince. He said the United States “intends to remain a steadfast partner” of the country, touted Saudi arms deals worth billions of dollars to the U.S. and thanked the country for plunging oil prices.

Saudi prosecutors have said a 15-man team sent to Istanbul killed Khashoggi with tranquilizers and then dismembered his body, which has not been found. Those findings came after Saudi authorities spent weeks denying Khashoggi had been killed in the consulate.

Whatever is passed this month, lawmakers in both chambers have signaled that they will continue to press Saudi Arabia next year.

The top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, is pushing tough legislation with a growing bipartisan group of senators that would halt arms sales and impose sanctions, to send what he called a “global message” to not just the Saudis but also to other regimes. “Just because you’re our ally, you can’t kill with impunity,” Menendez said.

“The current relationship with Saudi Arabia is not working,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who supports Menendez’s measure and is expected to become chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2019. “You’re never going to have a relationship with the United States Senate unless things change.”

House Democrats are also expected to keep the issue alive when they take the majority in January. The top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, California Rep. Adam Schiff, said he intends to lead a “deep dive” into Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel of New York, the likely incoming chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he would hold hearings on Saudi Arabia early next year.

By Mary Clare Jalonick / AP on December 13, 2018 at 02:04AM

[himbocj]

Gas Station AU!

So, I work overnights at Circle K, and I was inspired to write a Gavin-centric fluff piece after a shitty night I had, which, may or may not have accidentally turned into an entire AU? Either way- here’s the first fic. Enjoy!

—————————————————-

All in all, working the night shift isn’t so bad, Gavin thinks. Especially in a convenience store as slow as the one he worked in, and with such a laid back manager. As long as the floors are swept and mopped, the day is closed out and reopened at two, and the coffee is made every morning, Hank genuinely gave no fucks about what he did. He could sit on his phone and play games, hell, even watch Netflix if he wanted. As long as the tiny store was clean and well-kept, Gavin was in the clear.

Not to mention, Connor’s hot older brother came in every single morning, so that was a plus. His sleep schedule may be a bit fucked, but it was fucked before he got this job anyway. Besides, he only worked three days a week.

Well, four, this week. Connor, on his way home a couple days previous had been pulled over. Apparently, Connor Davis was a really common name. One such Connor Davis, of fucking Vermont, had three warrants out for his arrest, and an unpaid DUI.

So, Connor, their Connor, got dragged to jail. Gavin almost laughed aloud when Tina told him. Connor, sweet, innocent Connor, got arrested? He would have paid to see that.

Hank, in a moment of desperation, had begged him to pick up one of Connor’s shifts, being the only other overnight guy. Just one, he promised, he’d take the other two. The fifty bucks he threw into the deal was pretty sweet too. Besides, it’s not like he had to twist Gavin’s arm. Not only did he need the extra hours, but, he wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to see Niles in all his glory, maybe flirt it up a little.

“Hey, Gavin.” Chris greets him as he walks in.

“Hey, Chris.” Gavin waves back at him, quickly plugging his login to the timeclock database. “No Tina tonight? I thought she was mid.”

“She was, but we switched. I’m guessing you heard what happened to Connor.”

“Yeah, pretty fuckin’ hilarious honestly. I’d’ve loved to see his face.” Gavin smirks as he sets up his phone charger. “I mean, it’s terrible and all, and I feel bad for the guy, but I would have paid good money to see that.”

“I’m pretty sure he cried.” Chris muses. “At least he sounded it when he was finally able to call Hank.”

Oh. Well. Now he just felt like a prick.

“So, I guess Hank was pretty anxious to get his shift covered today?” Chris asks.

“Yeah. Connor was released I guess, after they realized how royally they fucked up, given that the other Connor Davis is, in fact in jail. He offered to come in but Hank just told him to take it easy this week.”

“Yeah. Makes sense.”

Gavin glances at the fogged up windows as he logs into the terminal. The humidity has been a bitch, but at least that means Niles’ hair will have that nice curl by the nape of his neck. Connor, however. Hoo, boy, his hair must be as messy as his life has reportedly been the past few days.

“Nice horror movie aesthetic.” Gavin murmurs. He adjusts the nametag on his polo.

“I know right? All you can see out the windows is headlights. Fuckin’ creepy as hell.” Chris shudders. “Anyway. Hope you don’t mind if I head out a bit early. I’ve gotta be at my other job by eight tomorrow morning.”

“Yeah, go ahead, man. It’s gonna be a slow night, anyway.”

“Isn’t it always?”

“True. But like, slower than usual. No deliveries to deal with, except maybe the donut guy. It’s usually the not-creepy one on Wednesday nights, right?”

“Hell if I know.” Chris shrugs. “Anyway. Think I’m gonna grab something for Sadie and head out.” Chris busies himself with shutting his drawer down as Gavin pays in.

Slow night, indeed. Gavin resigns himself to a night of shitty phone games, maybe a few episodes of a new Netflix series.

“When’s Sadie due, anyway?” Gavin finds himself asking.

“Three weeks.”

“Holy shit. You ready to be a dad?”

“Fuck no.” Chris snorts, ringing himself out for a bag of candy on Gavin’s register. “But, at the same time, yeah? I dunno, it’s weird. Like, I’m nervous but I’m also like. Stoked as hell to finally see him, you know?” Chris sighs. “Anyway. Don’t have too much fun.”

“Yeah, no promises. You know me. I’m a regular party animal.”

“Ever the social butterfly.” Chris chuckles. “Have a good night, Gavin.” with one last wave, Chris is out the door and Gavin is alone.

***

All is well for quite a while. Gavin sits on his phone for a good hour or so. He has maybe two customers before eleven. Some kid draws a smile in the condensation on the window outside. Gavin turns the radio on for a bit of background noise.

And then, it happens.

It’s pretty damn normal for people to come in looking rough, and Gavin learned pretty quick to not judge a book by its cover. But the girl that comes in at eleven or so…well, Gavin tries his best to ignore her, even as she ambles through the store for a good twenty minutes, picking things up, putting them down, mumbling to herself. Right when he had to sweep and mop too. It takes all of his willpower to snap at her and tell her he has an actual shit to do.

“Can I help you find something ma’am?” he asks as politely as he’s able. The girl sneers at him. Furrowing his brow, Gavin turns his attention to his phone. Maybe she’s having a bad day.

Finally, finally, she walks up to the counter, placing several items down. Now, it’s only been two weeks that he’s worked for the company, but he likes to think he’s rather good on the register, given that it’s easy as hell.

“How’s your night goin’?” Gavin asks, as he scans each item. No answer.

Okay then.

“…right. Do you need a bag?”

“Yeah.” her tone is annoyingly succinct, like Gavin is the scum of the earth.

“Nine seventy six for you.” Gavin busies himself with putting the items in the bag as the girl slaps a fifty on the counter.

“I need the rest on pump five.”

“Sure thing.” Gavin nods, selects the pump number and presses the ‘rest in gas’ button. “Have a great night.” without another word, the girl briskly walks out of his store. Gavin mumbles under his breath as he puts the money away.

So this is how his night is going to go. Okay, yeah. He’ll just roll with the punches. He’s flexible.

It’s blissfully empty for a few minutes, and Gavin is actually able to sweep up some of the store. He’s almost done when the girl walks back in.

“Hello again.” Gavin calls, hurrying back behind the counter.

“I need my change back.”

“Okay, sure thi-,” Gavin stops when he notices that there’s no option to do so. “Your car took the rest of the gas.”

“But it only took thirty nine dollars out.”

“…right. Plus everything else makes an even fifty.”

“How does that make sense when my total was seven and some change?”

“Wait, what?”

“Can you reprint my receipt?”

“Um…sure…” Gavin does so, and grabs a pen.

“All this should’ve added up to only seven dollars. Ring it up again.” She pulls all her stuff out of the bag, and Gavin stares in disbelief for a second before sighing and doing as she asked. He doesn't have time for this. There’s another customer waiting in line.

“Right, so, it’s nine seventy six. Plus the thirty nine seventy five on the pump.”

“You rang it up wrong. It’s simple math, honey.”

Ooh. Yeah. No. Not today. Gavin can’t handle condescension at the best of times.

“I’d appreciate a little less attitude, ma’am.” He bites out.

“You’re the one who did it, not me!” she snaps back.

“Okay, look right here on the receipt-,” before Gavin can show her the forty nine dollars and fifty one cents that was her subtotal, and the forty nine cents that was her tax, which equals fifty fucking dollars, the lady snatches her receipt back.

“I don’t have time for this, I have to get to work. I’m gonna call corporate, you’re refusing to give me my money back.”

Oh, great. The corporate excuse. Not to mention, she wouldn’t be late for work if she didn’t wander around the store for twenty fucking minutes!

“Jesus Christ, take your three fucking dollars.” Gavin opens his drawer, yanks the three dollars out and hands them over, hands shaking. “You have a wonderful night.” he drives his point home by slamming his register shut.

Okay, so, maybe he should’ve handled that better but Jesus Christ.

Gavin smiles as much as he can at the next customer, only managing a thin, sickly sweet looking curve to his lips.

“Sorry about tha-,”

“I should have two dollars off on this.” the man slams two energy drinks down on the counter.

All-fucking-righty then.

Gavin nods, rings up the two drinks. Strangely enough, the discount doesn’t show up.

And Gavin doesn’t know how to put it on manually. Furrowing his brow, he gets up on his tiptoes to try and check the sign.

“How much is it?” the man all but demands.

“Well, right now it’s five dollars and some change, but-,”

“Five dollars?” the man all but shouts. “For two energy drinks? And that’s with the discount?”

“Well, it’s not on there yet. It should have gone on there automatically, so I’m trying to figure out-.”

“Then why does it say buy two and get two dollars off!?”

“I don’t know sir, it might be part of our rewards program-,”

“It doesn’t say that on the sign.”

If this dude interrupts him one more time.

“I’m trying to figure it out for you, sir.”

“You need to take that sign down, it’s misleading.” the man’s voice is steadily rising in volume. Gavin takes a good look at him. Middle aged, well dressed, absolutely oozing privilege. Figures. The guy probably hasn’t worked a day of customer service in his life.

“I’ll let my manager know tomorrow that-,”

“No, take it down right now.” there he goes again.

“Are you kidding me.” Gavin deadpans.

“Where’s your manager?”

“I’m the only one in the store right now, my manager comes in at six in the morning.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

Gavin purses his lips. “I’ll go take it down right now.” he tells the man.

“Put these back while you’re at it.” the man shoves the cans back at him and storms out of the store.

“Fucking wow!” Gavin shouts as soon as the door closes. He grabs the two cans, storms over to the cooler, and shoves them back in, hands still trembling. He storms back over to the door, checking to see if anybody is in his parking lot. No sign of the two assholes. Good. He locks the door, and just as he does, the angry tears start falling, rapidly.

Gavin storms into the bathroom. The urge to punch something is severe. His hands are still shaking, and he’s still crying angry tears. God, he hates that about himself. He always cries when he’s angry, which makes him even angrier, which makes him cry harder. It’s a vicious cycle.

Gavin crouches, hands gripping his hair as he tries to get a hold of himself. It takes a minute or two to calm down, but he gets there. He fixes his hair in the mirror, wipes his face down with wet paper towels, and goes to unlock the door.

His hands still tremble lightly, but he thinks he’ll be okay. He rubs his hands over his face and takes a deep breath, leaning against the counter. He steels himself when the door opens again, ready to face another asshole.

“Hey there- oh! Hey, Niles.” Gavin furrows his brow as steel grey eyes meet his. “Not that I’m not happy to see my favorite regular, but what are you doing here so early? Or, well, late, I guess, for you.” a ghost of a smile passes over Niles’ lips.

“Connor asked me to check on you. He forgot to tell you about the drug addict that comes in every Wednesday and kicks up a fuss about nonexistent change.”

Oh, yeah. That made sense.

“Yeah, she uh.” Gavin clears his throat. “She was interesting.”

“Oof. Already met her, huh?” Niles’ gives him a sympathetic look. “Connor tells me she can be a downright nightmare.”

“That’s one way of putting it.” Gavin goes for casual, but the crack in his voice gives him away. Niles furrows his brow, steps closer to the counter.

“You alright, Gavin?”

“Oh, me? I’m peachy. After the tweaker came your classic middle aged white man, so that’s great. Also, the windows are fogged so like, I’ve got the horror movie aspect too.” his attempt at a joke is weak at best, voice quavering pathetically. “It’s fine, everything’s fine.”

Everything is not fine.

Gavin opens his mouth to say something more but only manages a pathetic soundle garble.

And just like that, he’s losing his shit again.

“Fuck, sorry, I’m not- it’s not-,” he slams one hand down on the counter, the other moving up to viciously wipe his eyes.

“Gavin.” Suddenly, there’s a warm hand on his. Gavin startles, gaze snapping back up to Niles. He’s smiling, a proper, warm and comforting smile. “It’s okay. Come here.” he gestures Gavin over. He hesitates for a brief moment, before throwing caution to the wind and making his way out from behind the counter. As soon as he’s close enough, he’s gently pulled into a tight hug.

Normally, he doesn’t like to be held like this, even when he’s crying. But…it feels nice, Niles holding him, rubbing soothing circles into his back. It’s totally unprofessional, but fuck it. He allows himself to cry again, and he allows himself to be calmed and soothed by the man holding him.

“Wanna step outside with me for a minute, get some air? The parking lot is empty, so you don’t have to worry about getting customers.” he should hate the softness in Niles’ voice, but he finds he rather doesn’t. He nods, finally pulling himself together.

“Thank you.” he whispers. Niles rubs his back one last times as he pulls away, gesturing towards the door.

Patting his pocket for his cigarettes, Gavin steps out into the humid air, Niles not too far behind him. He lights a smoke, inhaling deeply, relaxing immediately. Niles is quiet beside him, and he’s grateful for that.

A sudden noise from the roof has him flinching suddenly, grabbing onto Niles’ arm. Niles lets out a soft chuckle.

“Relax, Gavin. It’s just the building settling.”

“Right. Sorry.”

“It’s quite alright.”

Gavin all but inhales his cigarette, stamping it out underneath his shoe when he’s done.

“Feel better?” Niles asks.

“Yeah.” Gavin nods. “A lot. Thank you, I…I really appreciate it.”

“Don’t mention it.”

And then Niles does something unexpected. He leans down, and presses a kiss to Gavin’s head.

“Goodnight, Gavin. Hope it gets better for you.”

Niles leaves him there, all but sputtering. He refuses to admit that he’s blushing furiously.

***

Connor stops in right before Gavin’s shift ends to grab a coffee, waves hello to Hank and Gavin in turn.

“Heard you met my friend last night.” Connor says, smile sympathetic. “I’m sorry, I totally forgot to warn you about her. She’s…interesting.”

“An understatement.” Hank grouses.

“Yeah, well, you spent a night in jail. I think the award for ‘worst night ever’ goes to you.” Gavin shrugs as Hank hands him the “Register Closed” sign and tells him he’s good to start counting down.

“It wasn’t horrible.” Connor shrugs. “More of an inconvenience.” he’s definitely lying through his teeth. Gavin huffs out a snort as he counts out his change. “Oh! Niles asked me to give you this. He told me you had kind of a rough night.”

When Gavin looks up, Connor is handing him a piece of paper.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t read it.” Connor winks at him, the asshole, and leans over the counter to talk to Hank.

Gavin finishes counting the money, dropping it in the safe when he’s done. Only after he’s logged out does he open the note.

On it, in neat handwriting is a number, along with:

Sorry I couldn’t come in this morning, I had things to take care of.  I hope you’re feeling better though.

Oh, and, let me know if you’d like to hang out sometime when you don’t have to work. I find that I rather enjoy your company, Gavin.

-Niles

Gavin is not blushing, he’s not.

But there’s no way he can fool himself.

[peopleofvermont]

Samuel Williams, Natural and Civil History of Vermont, 1794

Page 233: No measure was ever more necessary, or more happily chosen, than this. New Hampshire had wholly rejected them. They never had submitted to the government of New York, but steadfastly opposed her authority. By the dissolution of all connexion with the crown of Great Britain, they concluded they were no longer subject to the claims of New York, founded on the arbitrary decisions of that crown. The period was now come, when as the expressed it, they were reduced to a state of nature. Some form of government must be adopted. They had the same right to assume the powers of government, that the Congress had. The step seemed to be absolutely necessary, for the immediate safety and protection of the people: And now was the time, when the powers of government could be assumed, with the greatest safety and advantage. To be irresolute or timid, was to lose an opportunity, which might never return: And whatever opposition might be made to their measures, they could meet it with greater force, when they had declared themselves a free and independent state, and knew by what authority they acted. Every part of the United States, was at that period, contending against oppression; and every consideration that could justify the proceedings of Congress, was a reason, why the people of Vermont, should take that opportunity, effectual to guard against their former sufferings. Happily for themselves, and for the state, they adapted that firm and temperate policy, which alone was adequate tot he object.

Page 247: While these controversies had been carried on with New Hampshire, the debate with New York had not at all subsided. In a letter of July 7th, 1778, Mr. Clinton, governor of New York, wrote to one of his friends in Vermont, that he “would still as on a former occasion, earnestly recommend a firm and prudent resistance to the fraughting of men, raising taxes, and the exercise of every act of government, under the ideal Vermont state; and in such towns, where our friends are sufficiently powerful for the purpose, I would advise the entering into association, for the mutual defense of their persons and estates against this usurpation.” In a letter of July 8th, he warmly urged Congress to come to some decision on their controversy with Vermont; blamed the inhabitants for the violence of their proceedings, affirmed that it would soon bring on a civil war, and that all the grievances of the people of Vermont had suffered, arose from the former government of New York, and not from the present.

Page 255: On June 2nd, Congress resolved that the proceedings of the people of the New Hampshire grants were highly unwarrantable, and subversive of the peace and welfare of the United States; and that hey be strictly required to forbear from any acts of authority civil or military, over those of the people, who professed allegiance to other states: And on June the 9th, they resolved to defer the matter to the second Tuesday in September.—Upon the receipt of these resolves, the governor of Vermont, by the advice of his council, replied, that “however Congress might view those resolutions, they were considered by the people of Vermont, as being in their nature subversive of the natural right which they had to liberty and independence, as well as incompatible with the principles on which Congress grounded their own right to independence; and had a natural and direct tendency to endanger the liberties of America; that Vermont being a free and independent state, had denied the authority of Congress to judge of their jurisdiction; that as they were not included in the thirteen United States, if necessitated to it, they were at liberty to offer or accept terms of cessation of hostilities with Great Britain, without the approbation of any other man, or body of men; for, on the proviso that neither Congress, nor the legislatures of those states which they represent, will support Vermont in her independence, but devote her to the usurped government of any other power, she had not the most distant motive to continue hostilities with Great Britain, and maintain an important frontier, for the benefit of the United States, and for no other reward than the ungrateful one, of being enslaved by them; but notwithstanding the usurpations and injustice of neighboring governments towards Vermont, and the late resolution of Congress, from a principle of virtue, and close attachment to the cause of liberty, as well as from a thorough examination of their own policy, they were induced once more to offer union with the United States of America, of which Congress were the legal representative body.”

Page 263: On Feb. 2nd, 1781, Robinson wrote another letter to Allen, including a copy of the former, which he supposed had been miscarried, as he had not received any answer. In this he writes, “The frequent accounts we have had for three months past, from your part of the country, confirms me in the opinion I had of your inclination to join the king’s cause, and to assist in restoring America, to her former peaceable and happy constitution. This induces me to make another trial, in sending this to you; especially as I can now write with more authority, and assure you, that you may obtain the terms mentioned in the above letter, provided you, and the people of Vermont take a decisive and active part with us.”—He requests an answer, and that some method might be pointed out, for carrying on a correspondence for the future; and information, in what manner the people of Vermont could be the most serviceable to the British government, “either by acting with the northern army, or to meet and join an army from New York.”

Page 265: The next year, the British entered upon the business, with high expectations of success; and it was the interest of Vermont, not to undeceive them. New York had withdrawn their troops, from the post at Skeensborough; all the continental troops, had been ordered out of the territory; and the adjacent states, did not afford them any assistance. The people of Vermont were exposed to the whole force of the enemy in Canada, and had neither magazines, money, or an army, to oppose to the enemy at the northward, who were seven thousand strong. No way of safety remained for Vermont, but to endeavor to effect that by policy, which could not be done by power. The cabinet council concluded, that they were designedly forsaken by the continent, to force them into a submission to New York; and that it was clearly their duty, to provide for the safety of the people, in the only way that remained, by managing the British attempts to corrupt them, to their own advantage.

Page 267: In the winter of 1782, the enemy in Canada, were extremely impatient to know, what effect the surrender of Cornwallis had produced on the minds of the people of Vermont. In February and in April, the British agents wrote in the most pressing terms, for information. Their anxiety and views will best appear, from the style of their letters: The following extract, is from a letter from one of the British agents, dated 28th February 1782, “My anxiety to hear from you, induced me to apply to his excellency [General Haldimand] for leave to send the bearer, with this; which having obtained, I earnestly request you to send me in the most candid, unreserved manner, the present wishes and intentions, of the people, and leading men of your state, respecting our former negotiations; and what effect the late catastrophe of Lord Cornwallis, has on them.—Will it not be well to consider, the many chances and vicissitudes of war? However brilliant the last campaign may appear, the next may wear a very different aspect: Add to this, the great probability of our being ruined, by your haughty neighbors, elated by (what they call) a signal victory; and I hope you will see as I do, that it is more than ever your interest, to unite yourselves with those, who wish to make you a happy and free government. Will there be a proper time to send the proclamations? I repeat my request, that you will tell me, without reserve, what may be expected in future.”

Page 268: On the 22nd of April, the British agents write in this style, “In confidence, we take this opportunity to acquaint you, by the authority of his Excellency General Haldimand, that he is still inclined to treat amicably with the people of Vermont; and these his generous and humane inclinations, are now seconded by much stronger powers from his Majesty, than he has hitherto enjoyed for that purpose.—We do in confidence, officially assure you, that every article proposed to you in his excellency’s former offer, as well as the confirmation of the east and west unions, in their utmost limits, will be amply and punctually complied with.—We hope, your answer may be such, as to unburden our anxious minds.” Extremely fearful about the event, and impatient at not receiving an answer, on April 30th, they wrote again, and carried their offers to a still greater extent: “His excellency has never lost sight of his first object; and I am happy to be able in this, to inform you, that the general has lately received by way of Halifax, full powers form the king to establish V—t government, including the full extent of the east and west unions, with every privilege and immunity, formerly preferred to you; and he is likewise fully authorized, as well as sincerely inclined, to provide amply for …, and to make … brigadier general in the line, … field officers, with such other rewards, as your sincerity, and good services in bringing about the revolution, may in future merit. In short, the general is vested with full powers, to make such rewards, as he shall judge proper, to all those, who distinguish themselves, in promoting the happy union: And as his excellency has the greatest confidence in you, and … , much will depend on your recommendations.”

Page 272: Eight persons only in Vermont, were in the secret of this correspondence. Each of them, were known to be among the most confirmed friends, to the American cause. They had avowed their sentiments, and embraced the cause of their country, from the beginning of the American war: They had suffered severely, often borne arms, and done everything in their power, to defend the independence of the states: And through the whole of this correspondence, they gave the most decisive proofs, that they could not be bought, or bribed, by any offers of wealth or honor.—But so odious were the British proceedings and government, at that time, to the people of America, that it was with difficulty, the people of Vermont could be kept quiet, under the idea of a correspondence carried on with the British, though known to be designed for their protection. Once or twice, there were small insurrections, to demand explanations: And nothing but the well known, and strong attachment of the gentlemen concerned, to the independence of Vermont and of America, could have preserved them rom open violence, and destruction.

It may be doubted, how far such a measure was justifiable, in that, or in any other state of things. On the one hand, it may be said, when the safety of all America was in question, and in much danger, nothing ought to have been done to encourage the enemy, that they should be able to divide, and thus subdue the continent. On the other hand, it may be urged, that when thirty thousand people were deserted by the Congress, and become the objects of the intrigues and policy of the adjacent states, it was as justifiable and necessary for them, to provide for their safety, as it was for the rest of the continent.—If there was no other alternative for the people of Vermont, than to be divided, subdued, and delivered over to the power of their ancient enemies; their leaders will not be blamed, for taking necessary and adequate measures, to prevent such an evil. In such a situation, it was scarcely possible for the people of Vermont to believe, that they could be under any moral obligation, to sacrifice themselves, to procure independence for those, who by the act of their representatives, had rejected them from their confederation.

Page 273: But whatever may be thought respecting the propriety of such policy, the event showed, that the gentlemen of Vermont had formed a sound judgment, with regard to the effect. Flattered with the prospect, that they should draw off a considerable part of the continent, to their government and measures, the British carefully avoided all hostilities against Vermont, restored her prisoners, forbade their troops to enter or attack her territory, and considered the people rather in the light of friends, than enemies. Thus while the British generals were fondly imagining that they were deceiving, corrupting, and seducing the people of Vermont, by their superior arts, address, and intrigues; the wiser policy of eight honest farmers, in the most uncultivated part of America, disarmed their northern troops, kept them quiet and inoffensive during three campaigns, assisted in subduing Cornwallis, protected the northern frontiers, and finally saved a state.

Not only the British generals, but so much was the British government deceived by these appearances, that the ministers flattered themselves, that they had nearly effected the defection of Vermont from the American cause, and drawn them over to the British interest. Lord George Germain was at that time minister of state, for the American department. A letter which he wrote to Sir Henry Clinton, commander of the British troops in New York, was intercepted and carried into Philadelphia. The letter was dated Whitehall, February 7, 1781, in which he wrote thus, “The return of the people of Vermont to their allegiance, is an event of the utmost importance to the king’s affairs; and at this time if the French and Washington really meditate an irruption into Canada, may be considered as opposing an unsurmountable bar to the attempt. General Haldimand, who has the same instructions with you to draw over those people, and give them support, will, I doubt not, push up a body of troops, to act in conjunction with them, to secure all the avenues, through their country into Canada; and when the season admits, take possession of the upper parts of the Hudson’s and Connecticut rivers, and cut off the communication between Albany and the Mohawks country. How far they may be able to extend themselves southward, or eastward, must depend on their numbers, and the disposition of the inhabitants.’

Page 274: This letter was published in the Pennsylvania Packet, of Aug. 4th, 1781. Nothing could have been better suited to promote the interests of Vermont, than the style, and publication of this letter. The people of the United States, had now complete evidence that the British generals in New York and Canada, had orders to receive and support the people of Vermont, and that the British ministry were persuaded of their disposition to join the British government. They saw at once, the effect this must have upon the American war; and they knew at the same time, that nothing was wanting to prevent it, but to admit Vermont into the union of the states. The public opinion was now decidedly in favor of this measure: And it was found that the leaders of Vermont, were fully equal to the business they had undertaken; and while they had acted with great spirit and firmness, in every part of the American war, they had discovered the same activity and intrepidity, in every part of the contest respecting the independence of their own state.

Page 276: With these resolves of Congress, a verbal message was sent by General Washington to Governor Chittenden, desiring to know what were the real designs, views, and intentions of the people of Vermont: Whether they would be satisfied with the independence, proposed by Congress; or had it seriously in contemplation, to join with the enemy, and become a British province.

Page 277: The governor returned an unequivocal, and decisive answer. That there were no people on the continent, more attached to the cause of America, than the people of Vermont; but that they were fully determined, not to be put under the government of New York, that they would oppose this by force of arms, and would join with the British in Canada, rather than to submit to that government.

Page 298: The war with Great Britain, had proved greatly distressing to every part of the United States; but it had served to establish an union among the people of America, which could not have been so firmly cemented, but by the prospect of common danger. This appearance was now come to an end. On January the 20th, 1783, the preliminary articles of peace were signed by the ministers of the king of Great Britain, and the United States of America. In this treaty the former colonies were acknowledged to be free, sovereign, and independent states. By putting an end to the war, this treaty put an end to the embarrassments of Congress, and to all the fears of the people of Vermont. An union with the confederation, was no longer a matter of immediate and urgent necessity. The state had now no external enemies to oppose, or any body of troops to be raised, or kept in pay. Nearly of long and distressing a war, all parties wished for the repose and tranquility of peace; and were heartily desirous of dropping all occasions of controversy and debate:—The business of Congress, however, became more and more embarrassing.

Page 300: Like the other citizens of America, the people of Vermont were anxious to know, what would be the policy and proceedings of the federal government. Their interest had not been much promoted by the measures of the Congress, with whom they had formerly transacted business. But there was now a general expectation among the people, that something wiser and better, was to take place: But they had learned from experience, that there was no other way to judge with certainty, of the excellency of any constitution, or government, but by the good which it did to the people. In the course of one or two sessions, they found the federal government had been laboring to restore the public credit, to do justice to the public creditors, to provide for the payment of the public debt, and to establish a system of equal law and justice, in every part of the federal government. Measures thus marked with wisdom and justice, served to abate the fears that many had entertained, and to conciliate the minds of the people to federal sentiments: And the prospect seemed favorable, that every part of the American states might be brought to act with union and vigor, in support of the federal system.

Page 307: But although all parties had cautiously avoided enkindling a civil war in their country, they had been hurried into great mistakes and errors. The people of Vermont had no idea of opposing the government of New York, until the governor and council of that province had proceeded to make new grants of their lands, which they had bought under the royal grants, and subdued by extreme labor and hardship. To relinquish all their property, to reduce themselves and families to a state of beggary, and submit to have all the profit of the labor and sufferings of their whole lives wantonly taken from them, and given to others; there was an insolence and cruelty in this kind of oppression, to which they ought not to have submitted, so long as it was in their power to prevent it. Instead of being softened, the iniquity of this oppression was increased, by its being committed under the ostentatious authority of the king, the law, and the government of New York. The settlers certainly did right in opposing such pretensions, and proceedings.

Page 309: How far Congress was forced to adopt an evasive policy, by the circumstances of the war, it may be difficult for those who were not in the cabinet, to determine. Her great business, undoubtedly was to preserve peace and union among the states; and to prevent their contentions, from injuring the common cause. This end was effected: But it does not seem to have been produced by the policy of Congress, but by the virtue of the people. The measures of Congress respecting the controversies of Vermont with New Hampshire and New York, served rather to displease all parties, than to satisfy any. Such was their uncertainty, their contradictory, and evasive nature, that when the dangers occasioned by the war were removed, the people of Vermont had very little desire or inclination to be much connected with Congress. It was not until more steadiness, vigor, and ability, appeared in the federal government, that the people were willing to be brought into the American union.

Page 324: The customs and manners of nations are derived from descent, situation, employment, and all those regulations which have an influence upon the state of the people; and they serve better than other circumstances to ascertain the character of nations, and to denote the state of society at any given period in their history.—The customs and manners of the people of Vermont, are principally derived from the people of New England, from whom they are descended: But in a few particulars they have received a direction, from the state of society which takes place among the settlers in a new country.

Page 336: The people of Vermont have adopted this principle, in its fullest extent. Some of them are episcopalians, others are congregationalists, others are of the presbyterian, and others are of the baptist persuasion; and some are quakers. All of them find their need of the assistance of each other, in the common concerns and business of life; and all of them are persuaded, that the government has nothing to do with their particular and distinguishing tenets.—It is not barely toleration, but equality, which the people aim at. Toleration implies either a power or a right in one party, to bear with the other; and seems to suppose, that the governing party are in possession of the truth, and that all the others are full of errors. Such a toleration is the most that can be obtained by the minority, in any nation, where the majority assume the right and the power, to bind society, by established laws and forms in religion. The body of the people in this commonwealth, carry their ideas of religious liberty much further than this: That no party shall have any power to make laws or forms to oblige another; that each denomination may lay themselves under what civil contracts and obligations they please; but that government shall not make any distinctions between them; that all denominations shall enjoy equal liberty, without any legal distinction or preeminence whatever.

Page 340: A greater attention to the liberal arts and sciences, would be of great advantage to the religious and civil interest of the state. The people of Vermont have not the advantages for the education of their youth, or the improvement of knowledge, which the people in the other states have. The disadvantages and dangers, which arise for want of literary institutions, are greater than they are aware of. The religion of ignorance, will either be, infidelity, or superstition; and it often produces an unnatural mixture of both, greatly unfavorable to the moral, and civil interests of men. When folly, in its own view, is become infallible and sacred it opposes with obstinacy, all improvements in society; and requires, with a peculiar insolence, the submission of all other men, to its own weakness and bigotry. The only remedy for the difficulties which arise in society, from this cause, is the increase of knowledge and education. And where society is destitute of the means and institutions, which are requisite to promote knowledge, it is without one of its most essential advantages; the means of her own cultivation and improvement.

Page 403: Question 1st. Are the boundaries set forth in the written propositions delivered in by the said Agents at this time, claimed by the state of Vermont as the lines of jurisdiction, the same as contained in the resolution of Congress of the 7th of August instant? Answer. They are the same, with addition of part of the waters of Lake Champlain, for the benefit of trade.

Question 2nd. What part do the people of Vermont mean to take as to the past expenses of the present war, and what aid do they propose to afford as to men and money to the common defense? Answer. Such proportion as shall be mutually judged equitable after their admission to a seat in Congress; which has been at several different times officially proposed by agents on the part of Vermont.

Question 3rd. What are the ideas of the people of Vermont relative to the claim of private property, under grants or patents from New Hampshire, or New York previous to the present revolution? Answer. Although the state of Vermont have not hitherto authorized any courts to take cognizance of such causes as respect titles of lands, nevertheless they have had, and still have it in contemplation to adopt such modes as the circumstances arising out of each case may justify, without adhering to the strict rules of law.

Question 4th. What are the intentions of your constituents in regard to the patents that were granted on condition of settlement within a given time, and which have been prevented by the claims of the people of Vermont, and the present revolution? Answer. No forfeitures have been taken by the state of Vermont on any such grants for nonperformance of conditions of settlement, and we conceive it to be the intention of our constituents to grant a further reasonable time for fulfilling such conditions.

Page 404: Question 7th. What applications have been made either publicly or privately by the enemies of the United States, or their adherents, to draw off the people of Vermont from their affection to the United States of America? Answer. The honorable committee are possessed of copies of Bev. Robinson’s letters includes in Brigadier general Allen’s letter of the 9th day of march last, to the then President of Congress, and any private offers we cannot avouch for. 

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