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this experiment is divided up into a few
sub-categories and should be analyzed as
a whole. the scenario is divided in such a
way as to give full potential to each
segregating segment.
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THE CAGE
imagine that on the day you were born, you were placed into a box.
<ul type="square">[*] the only light you saw
was that which was present when the box was
opened[*] the only sound you heard was the sound
of your 'owners' when the box was opened or
when they spoke just outside of the box[*] the only things you learned was that
of what your owners told you, and what
you heard being spoken on the other side of
the box[*] the only thing you could touch were the
limited small items placed in the box every
so often[/list]
... you were never removed from the box.
as time grows on, you grow larger...
and the box is replaced with a cage just
large enough to let you move around. this
cage is adjusted in size as you grow...
but again, only just large enough for you
to lay down and move around in.
though you can see and hear better than in
the box, you are still confined to a cage.
you are not allowed tv nor radio... though,
upon occasion you are allowed to listen
to some music, as selected by your owners.
you are allowed food and drink and the usual
'necessities' as it is to 'live like a human' (bed, et al)
you never leave the cage and the cage is
never moved from the location it was first
placed in... except on the slight occasion
when your owners have no choice but to
carry you along somewhere.
you are never allowed to complain or act in
such a manner as to bring condescention upon
your owners... for they alone have the power
to end you.
THE OTHERS
this is how you learn of a world outside of
the room the cage is in. this is when you
realize that there is SOMEthing other than
the cage, your owners, and all that you have
seen so far.
upon these 'trips' you see others like you...
though not like you, for they are free.
since you do not understand 'free' nor the
idea that there is more knowledge that you
do not know, you view these 'others' as an
outside force... since you do not know anything
of them, you assume they know nothing of you.
<ul type="square">[*] you are not allowed socialization outside of the cage... ever.[*] though you can speak, you are only allowed
to speak when directed to do so.[*] though you are allowed to speak to 'others',
you are not allowed to discuss your cage
or your owners[/list]
when holding discourse with the 'others'
you find yourself lacking in obvious communication
skills as well as the inability to comprehend
what is being said to you. the 'others' are
just as strange and distant as your owners.
THE PROGRESSION
you are held in the cage for 20 years...
undergoing the exact process as described
above. somewhere in the middle of the
experiment you realize that your every action
is being watched, recorded, analyzed, and
redirected.
(let's add another extreme twist to the game [img]graemlins/devil.gif[/img] )
suppose that every day in the box/cage,
you are beaten. though no reason is given
you assume it is because you are different
and because you cannot seem to figure out
how to behave like a normal human.
suppose that in addition to this torment,
you are also verbally and socially abused
by the 'others'.
___________________________________________
DAY 7300 (give or take)
it is your 20th year, you are set free.
as the one in the cage:
<ul type="square">[*] how do you react to your owners?[*] how do you react to the 'others'?[*] how do you feel about yourself?[*] how do you view your first 20 years?[*] how do you feel about the rest of your life?[*] how do you treat new 'others'?[*] what is the first thing you'd do when released?[/list]
as a normal poster:
<ul type="square">[*] how do you view this experiment?[*] what would you suggest to be done differently?[*] how do you view the 'one in the cage'?[*] how do you view the owners/others?[/list]
the first set of Qs asks you to be the 'one
in the cage' and asks you to determine your
feelings and actions after day 7300.
as a normal poster (as you are now), how
do you justify your feelings/actions as the
'one in the cage'?
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how do you react to your owners?
> Shy away, submit to owners, etc. (People who tend
> to be abused generally believe that behaviour is 'normal.)
> Even moreso since i know that it happens to others.
how do you react to the 'others'?
> That would be the wierdest thing there is, i could never connect to the owners, i mean, they feed me, and keep me alive, there is this love-hate thing i have with them, mostly i love them i think. but the others, they are so much like me, but they're not me. Which is odd, because they are not me. I would not seek any conversation with them.
how do you feel about yourself?
> How do you mean feel about myself? There is only me! I have never learned to think about others, maybe about getting beaten, but it's hard to do introspection when you were never able to sharpen your mind on judging others.
how do you view your first 20 years?
> At coming out of the cage? Something simple, not all fun, but at least i could grasp that.
> I am only starting to grasp the idea of not being in a cage, and i think it would frighten me.
how do you feel about the rest of your life?
> Frightened, unsure, what to do, why am i here.
> Can't i go back in?
how do you treat new 'others'?
> Hmm.. Good one, if i'd assume mistreatment as being 'normal' i'd use it on others, i mean, not much chances to learn empathy when you're in cage.
what is the first thing you'd do when released?
> Get my own cage. Sleep in it, use it as a save haven from where i can explore life. If life doesn't really turn out to be as it is, i'd curl up in there, might die from malnourishment if it's really bad, or just perpetuate my existence in that safe, good old cage. Maybe add in a few luxuries if i'm optimistic, or if i dare to think 'outside the box'.
as a normal poster:
how do you view this experiment?
> Inhuman, but then again, quite human.
what would you suggest to be done differently?
> The scientist in me is just screaming out for control groups and alternate versions, E.G. cages with tv-sets to teach some basic human interaction, maybe stimulate that empathy a bit, etc.
how do you view the 'one in the cage'?
> To be honest, i'd feel sorry for him/her, but to be honest yet again i've always wondered how people would react if i would put them in certain enviroments from birth.
Even though my enviroments were a little more.. open, they were potentially more dangerous, but a prison is the safest place to be anyway. (This kind of prison, not the kind where you have to bend over to get the soap jason)
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I'm afraid I can't answer this.
Because, like usual, there are variables that simply aren't accounted for in this small of time frame, and... I don't see what this has to do with artificial intelligence.
but... errrm.... I guess I think too much like a psychologist for this [img]biggrin.gif[/img]
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I like this topic.
As far as artificial intelligence goes, i'm not sure where you want to take it, but there are some parallels to childhood, for instance.
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I don't feel like answering 20 questions, so I'm just gonna give one broad answer.
There are people that want to be jail. Once released, they find a way to go back. I believe this person from the cage would want to be back in the cage, or something similar to the cage. It feels normal to him/her. The harshness of life, is much for us "normal" people to bear. This person would be unable to deal with life outside the cage. Also, most reactions are from past experiences. Life would seem like a foreign film, without subtitles. Though, I believe it could be possible for this person to live without the cage, if him/her was in an abusive relationship. That "strangely enough" would make him/her feel safe. However, I highly doubt this person would be able to find a relationship because of his/her lack of basic communication skills. Personally, I would see no hope for this person, and without some sort of miracle, he/she would be better off dead. Sorry for not showing more compassion, but that’s just what I think. Take this for what it is... Perhaps better answers might come from Jews which were in WWII camps while children.
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i appreciate all the posts so far.
they are really great posts...
very interesting [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]
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I don't understand your title, I view your whole topic post as typical childrearing.
The only difference being that instead of always being in the cage, a chain is attached to the child, and every year, the chain is lengthened. The child is allowed to venture out of the cage, as far as the leash will allow.
Eventually, the leash is untethered.
The hope is before the leash is untethered, the child will have made connections with other similarily caged and tethered children to help them as they make their way in life.
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er.....
are you implying that 'normal childrearing' is
up to par with daily beatings, verbal and social
abuse by outsiders... as a child?!?!?!
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From the childs viewpoint, anything short of getting the child getting their way can be viewed as abuse by that child.
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well, i'm not talking about semantics here....
consider it literal beatings:
belts, yard sticks, canes, utensils, etc
*rolls eyes*
