01 What It Is About

PSYCHOTOONS

I have arranged the posts from number 01 on to start at the top and proceed down to 20 at the bottom so you can read it as a book.

This blog is about human nature in general, more specifically how personality works to affect individuals, family, groups, and nations. I want to make psychology easier for those who have not already slaved over psych books. So I have used cartoons to represent key ideas. A review of these can be found in my web site Psychotoons.com. But I will explain them here also. They are not the traditional jargon of past writers but the ideas are still there. I want this endeavor to be fun for me and you. Post comments or questions and I will review them. If you do not want them published please tell me so. The next post is the key to the key concepts. Remember, I will make it simple as it should be for adults and children.

02 The Key to key ideas.

(See previous post)

There it is, my key. Don't let it boggle your mind, I will explain it. Our lower nature is our inborn selfish or self centered instincts. Our upper nature is the inborn altruistic or help others, even sacrifice self for others, instincts. Natures ultimate goal is to preserve the species or life in general, so it is survival of the fittest group capable of carrying on life in general. It is not survival of the biggest bully, but survival of the group.

The upper nature is ran by Mr. Do. He is the upper part of the brain that runs our bodies. That is unless Dragon from the lower nature does not rush in from the survival mode. If we are in a dangerous situation the Survival mode is the instinct to save us. First we Freeze and assess the situation, next we will Flight or get out of harms way, if trapped we will Fight, lie, cheat, steal, or even kill to survive. If it is activated or let loose without real danger it can cause lots of unnecessary drama and pain to self and others. Dragon is aggressive and will try to take over. Remember Dragon is selfish.

The Next Post will explain the widgets that help Mr. Do and Dragon.

03 The Widgets of Our Upper Nature

(See previous two posts for background)

The widgets are the little guys or gals that help Mr. Do or Dragon navigate in the world. The brain goes through steps or stages in processing the world. First we have to perceive the world. Ant sees detail and Bee can fly around and see more of the patterns. That takes up the back of the brain and near the ears.

Next we must decide to approach, or love, what we see or fear it and avoid it. Cuddles the loving dog and scarty cat Macho dwell in the middle of the brain.

Next Geru the bird can fly and gather more information and from that plan what to do. That takes the frontal lobes.

Lastly we will go ahead and act on the situation. Mr. Do operates the body but must have energy, so we have Rabbit. But at times Rabbit needs to slow down so Turtle will help out.

This cycle is repeated over and over. If we are Obsessive Compulsive the cycle is very very strong and insistent.

The Next Blog will cover our Lower Nature Widgets

04 The Widgets of Our Lower Nature

(See previous three posts for explanation)

Dragon runs our Lower Nature. Dragon has four widgets for the four steps or stages of the brain. Spidie deceives Ant and Bee so we do not perceive correctly.

Raccoon is not fearful or loving but is very greedy. What is his is theirs and what is yours is theirs.

Crow flies around but looks for excuses and justifications. He just does not ever see a big enough picture to forgive or share.

Coyote is the energy, he grabs. steals, and bullies.

In survival mode these five take over and have a party of destruction.

The next post will cover how the widgets vary in each person to create a basic personality type.

05 Personality Types

(See previous three postings)

This is a statistical model of probability. Our biological personalities are formed by chance, the chance of genetics. This chance happening determines if we will have a little or a lot of the traits or abilities or talents of Ant (detailed observation), Bee (puzzles and patterns), Macho (innate fears or anxiety), Cuddles (love and empathy), Geru (the gist or overview of things) , Rabbit (energy), or Turtle (patience).

That gives us a cluster of four basic Biological Personality Types, observers, feelers, thinkers, and doers.

Genetic chance also determines the strength or weakness of our lower nature traits of Spidie (deceiver), Raccoon (greedy), Crow (excuses), and Coyote (stealer). But these types are so influenced by childhood experiences I reserve them for a second cluster of personality types I call Family Personality Types. They vary by how childhood experiences affect the four Biological Personality Types, making them weaker and stronger, and how they affect and allow the Lower Nature Widgets to rule or not.

A third cluster is how Social Factors affect the widgets and interplay with the four Biological Personality Types. Basically it is society permissions to allow certain widgets free reign or not.

A fourth cluster is how our Habits and learned tasks affect the widgets and interplay with the four Biological Personality Types. It is basically how our learned behaviors change us.

You may have figured out that the clusters also reflect the four Biological Personality Types. We have the Bio (what we are born with or whats left after medical problems or accidents), Family (feelings changed by family dynamics), Social (how we socially learn to think about what we can do), and the Habits (how we develop habits and patters by what we do). The interplay of the Biological traits and the other three learned clusters form an infinite variety of personalities.

Seems complicated but don't feel overwhelmed, I will go over it slower and show some of the dynamics and how they shape personalities.

06 Normal Personality

(Please read previous four posts)

Normal Personality

Enough of theory, lets start looking at personalities. The statistical model looks at normal as the average person and other personality types are variations from normal.

The figures at the top show what the pets widgets look like. The widgets are placed on the statistical bell curve. We will make two extremes or a bi-polar extremes. As the widgets are placed at the very left they are saintly, much more than the average person. Those that migrate to the left are the opposite of saintly and so are more devilish.

In general, the upper nature is more saintly and the lower nature more devilish, but not a huge difference in the average person. Our upper natures are more cooperative, loving, and lead to life being sustained. Our lower natures come into play in defense when we are threatened. The survival mode, so to speak. It is less cooperative, less loving, and often leads to the hurt or death of others, or of self if others retaliate back with their survival mode.

The next post will deal with another personality type. I have not settled on which one yet. Have you any requests?

07 EVIL PERSONALITY

Devil Vs Saint

Some people are very saintly at some times under certain conditions, such as sitting in church, and very devilish at other times, such as tipsy on a bar stool.

Some people tend to be saintly all the time, such as Mother Teresa, and some very devilish all the time, such as a psychopath.

Next I will look at certain personality types and or disorders. If you want me to map out any certain one let me know. Also you can give it a try.

08 First Personality Type, The Senses

Nerd

There are four basic biological personality types that reflect the four basic steps of the brain goes though. We perceive things with our senses, then feel fear or love, then we think about what to do, then we do it. Nerds are very strong with the senses. They see lots of detail and dwell on the data more than most. This makes them very good at computers and such.

Biologically nerds tend to have a typical body style of a bit heavy set. They tend to be hard to wake up as they produce a lot of sleep hormone once they decide to go to sleep. They tend to be night owls. They tend to have inherited these traits; as the ones in the picture, detailed, puzzle people, and not always as social as the average.

Feeling-wise, they can be very softhearted. But they tend to not communicate it or act on it. So in reality they seem a bit heartless.

They are thinkers, but usually about details. They see the world from bottom (details) up. They usually are not philosophers or deep psychological thinkers.

On the doing side their energy level is usually low and they seem very passive and patient. They tend to be very loyal but may not show it. People that live with them often feel they are selfish and self centered.

Next we will talk about the second basic personality times, emotional. But first I want to look at the opposite of nerds, Attention Deficits.

09 ADHD PERSONALITY

ADD ADHD

The attention deficit disordered person, or ADD, has an underdeveloped ability to perceive. Because they do not take note of things in their environment they may make noise so they are not so bored in a blank or non interesting environment. If their Rabbit is strong they may make so much noise that they irritate others and their behaviors are punished or frowned upon and they react again in irritating behaviors. We call this ADHD, attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity.

Once on medication that opens up the brain to more stimulation from the environment you may find they have a normal heart and their behaviors shape up. Then all the widgets shift to the left as Ant and Bee get stronger and Rabbit settles down.

10 Second Basic Personality Type, the Emotional

The Emotionally Oriented Second Basic Personality Type

In general, this type of personality is more social, more energetic, more verbally intact with their emotions, and tend to think about emotions in depth. Because they are more empathetic they also tend to throw Dragon back to the subconscious and follow the social rules of diplomacy a little easier than the first personality types, the senses oriented. I have put fear as larger because they tend to fear for others but its not over powering the love. I have done the same with the thinking and energy. They tend to have more energy than type one and think more deeply about issues around people.
 Next Post: When fear is too great.

11 When fear is too great.

When fear is too great it tends to rule.  It takes over the other widgets.  It can make Ant and Bee too active looking for danger or shrink Ant and Bee for fear of seeing more danger.  Anxiety can do the same to Cuddles, over dependent for safety needs or no love for fear of rejection.  Geru too, too much analyzing to avoid danger or too little, withdrawing from scary thoughts.  Same with Turtle and Rabbit.  The dare devil and the sloth.

The lower nature widgets can also increase or decrease.  More or less deception, more greed or less, irrationality or loss any thought, less or more violence.

Our basic personality from birth and experience will make the difference in choosing which way to go.  Anxiety can be so debilitating with panic attacks that people may not leave their home.  Often this condition involves the heart acting up when it spends up.

12 Addictions

Addictions are there because we are creatures of habit.  But addictions are more than just habits.  They are being feed by the fountain of pleasure that floats your boat, tells you that you are doing the right and efficient thing, but you are not.  Geru and Cuddles have lost their purpose as the addiction gives you pleasure more than other's love.  Ant and Bee just look for more opportunities to partake of the addiction.  Rabbit and Turtle live for the actions needed to feed the addictions, such as parties or the club.  Spiedie deceives you by hiding the pain and damages your addiction does, Raccoon feeds your greed or desire to get or do more of the addiction, Crow justifies it, and Coyote aggressively seeks out the addiction.  Without our Cuddles there is no morality towards others. Without fear, as Macho is numbed or the addiction may be for the adrenaline that was produced by the dangerous situation, without fear one is psychopathic.  Do what you want, when you want, how you want to feed the addiction no mater if it hurts self or others.

Because of neglect of the important things in life you loose brain connections.  Your brain looses intelligent reactions, you get a barren brain.  Then there is nothing to live for but the addiction.

Addictions to substances or addictions to routines, jobs, gambling, sex,  and or adrenaline cause a lot of problems in relationships and citizenships.  They cost society uncountable woes and money.  And we all are prone to get addicted to something, Computer addictions, trills addiction, You name it.

Next Post: Personalities interact, Group Personalities

13 Widgets Need a Car

Our minds are like a car on a journey.  We are driven to seek out the next helpful task or journey.  Our minds need to be headed somewhere or boredom sets in.  We can think of Mr Do as the Driver.  Ant and Bee are the windshield, they let you see and hear what is going around.

The gas is the Cuddles widget, love is a great motivation.  The breaks would be macho, the fear factor.
We could make Geru the GPS system that tells you where you are and where you need to turn to get to your destination.

We can call Rabbit the engine and Turtle the key to turn the car on or off.  Mr. Do ultimately applies the breaks but Ant and Bee show you the road, Macho yells danger, Geru confirms it and tells Macho to slow us down so Turtle can stop Rabbit or at least put him in idling.

Spiedy is the dirt on the windshield or the little voice that says go for the gusto without discernment, say pass someone when there is no time to make it because of an oncoming car.  Raccoon says its ok to be a road hog and disregard other cars, the road belongs to you.  Crow throws out the map or disables the GPS and says you are controlled by Luck so why not do what you want and drink and drive.  Coyote is now the engine that is going at high speed and Dragon, the driver, is at war with the other drivers.

14 When love is too great.

By now you have noticed that when a widget is in excess it can increase or decrease the other widget's power, love can make the Mr. Do take better notice of things or stop him/her by turning away to stop harm.  If love rules over Geru we can have the love of logic or less logic so that logic does not hurt.  If loves rules over fear, we can love scary things or protect others or self from scary things.  Love action or love to disappear into one's shell.  Love to deceive, horde, be illogical, or be aggressive.  That is not love in relation to others but to things or actions.

One very debilitating problem can be the over powering love of love, to the point that one does not know how to live without it.  Cuddles like Ant, Bee, and Macho need each other and Geru and Rabbit and Turtle to understand the situation and adjust herself to fit in. Without the other widgets love can be very helpless to adjust to a situation.  A person becomes dependent on another to make those choices and decisions.

Cuddles' love can be a guide when dealing with others, empathy tells us if we are helping or hurting them and, if it's hurt, adjust things to live and let live.

Next Post: Logic, too little or too much.

15 Logic, a blessing or a curse.

Geru is the most versatile and varied widget.  Environment affects its more than the others to small or great heights of thought.  From foolish to wisdom logic can glorify or discredit you and the other widgets.  It is the one widget that out strips the animals.  Instincts have shrunken in importance as thought has grown.  It gives us the agility to overcome situations, change them, to build and destroy beyond the ability of other animals or creatures and plants.  We have the ability to understand beyond our place in the scheme of things or to have less understanding than simple insects, germs, plants as we loose tough with nature and our other widgets.

As with the other widgets it can increase or decrease the influence and acuity of the other widgets.  Science sees beyond our senses or fantasy ignores them, we fear or love beyond reason with false beliefs and imagination, we walk on the moon or lay and do nothing with the proper or missing information.

The lower nature can soar above our upper nature to the detriment of all other widgets, deceive beyond need, horde beyond benefit, fool us into wasting our time and life or that of others, destroy ourselves.

Personality can change with the knowledge of how to arrange the widgets to overcome our limits of perception, fears, loves, thought, action, deception, greed, rationalizing, or anger.

Next Post: How

16 Geru Widgets and Maturity.

Maturity is the process of understanding the widgets, their possibilities of harm or helpfulness to self and others and the art of balancing them to the benefit of self and others.  It is the ability to take memories of the senses, of fears from the depths of the past, empathy, to take wisdom from books, elders, science, religion, and literature of the ages, the skills and possible actions, deceptions, hoarding, defenses, and anger and shape them all the benefit of self and others in the now and future from glimpses of the past.

The other blogs address some of these issues.  This blog will eventually address how to increase the senses to the benefit of the logic, of science and living.  The blog on the family address emotions. The blog on battle of the sexes expands logic between the sexes.  Jobs looks at situations in the work places. Other blogs will ensue as time goes on.

Some people just have an inability to think ahead, or deeply.  The may be slow at everything or just slow at seeing things in depth.  We call them shallow.  It can be a biological weakness in the Geru or the under or over reaction of the other widgets.  Too inattentive, too anxious to think (Histrionic), slow, too tired or too active to stop and think, too deceptive, greedy, weird thinking from biological (psychotic) or beliefs (astrology or other beliefs that we know are not very reliable but we like them or really do believe them as we never really tested them), or we are too rebellious to care.

In general, the widgets need to be balanced with each other, not over dominate unless the situation calls for it.  In most situations the upper nature should rule more than the lower.

Next Post: Actions speak louder than words.

17 The Lower Nature and Personality

Lets sum this up quickly.  When the Upper Nature is not yet mature, for what ever reason, age, lack of socializing, or needed for necessity we get personalities that are like one of the widgets or a combination.  There are liars, thieves, odd beliefs, and aggressive people or liars that steal, or thieves that lie and hurt others that try and justify what they do.  You could say they are little kids in adult bodies or adults who are just plain psychopathic.

Psychopathic is basically someone who has no fear, so are impulsive, and no love so have no morals.  They do what they want, when they want, when they think they will get away with it or do not care if they get caught.  Maybe they think they can wiggle out of it or they want to be punished.  When there is enjoyment at being a psychopath and being chased we can say perhaps it was learned or certainly not unlearned.  Without love there is an emptiness that can be haunting or unbearable.  Drugs and alcohol can enter the picture to numb the bad feelings.  Or the adrenaline of the chase, the cops and robbers game can become the fireworks, the take note, the false pleasure that tells us we are doing the right thing.

That takes us to addictions, the Next Post.

18 Actions speak louder than words.

We sense a lot, fear and love a lot, even think a lot.  But our actions can rule over our better judgement.  Habits and addictions can lead us into temptation, into trouble or save us from evil.  We are creatures of habit.  It is the way of live.  When an animal tromps all over the woods for hours hunting food and finds the mother load the widgets do a dance, fireworks go off, and note is taken of the location.  The next day the animal will go directly to the same spot without wasting time and effort.  That is the most efficient way to go.  If the food is there day after day, the animal will automatically go back at certain intervals without much effort or thought.  He has a habit that is efficient and fruitful.

We get into habits of the senses, feelings, thoughts and actions that have lost their usefulness but we do not realize it.  This can be from biological shortcomings, as attention deficit, anxiety, lovelessness,  thoughtlessness, tiredness, mischiefs, self involvement, justifications, or rages.  It can also be from personality problems that we learned, to be careless, cold hearted, thoughtless, lazy, deceptive, greedy, judgmental, and vicious.

We may also have never been taught to think or perhaps taught to over think.  We read too much into it.  What ever the reason our actions will not be advantages for us and others in a particular situation.

Next Post: The Lower Nature and Personality

19 Balance, the Role of Mr.Do and Dragon, why we have both

Mr/Ms Do ( the 'I') controls, the body (the 'myself').  Mr/Ms Do has to decide what the body should do.  So Mr/Ms Do listens to the widgets ( the 'me').

The upper nature widgets tend to become socialized by society.  Geru ( part of the 'me' or widgets) has the plans, the beliefs, and will try and shape up the other widgets to see, feel, think and do the 'right' things for the moment.

But Mr/Ms Do (I) gets feedback from the body (myself), such as pleasure or pain, and from the upper nature widgets (me) and the the lower nature widgets and Dragon (the other half of 'I'). They tend to want instant pleasure and all of it.

A struggle will occur over what to do in any situation, the body, Dragon and lower nature wants instant pleasure and Mr/Ms Do, and the upper nature wants what is best for (my)self and others, past, present, and future.

Who wins depends on the strength of different widgets (upper and lower), which gives strength to Mr/Ms Do or Dragon.  The strength of the widgets depends on the biological or genetics, family and other emotional upbringing, beliefs, and habits, the four different personalities.

Mr/Ms Do and crew, upper nature widgets strive to do what works for the good of self and others. Dragon and crew, the lower nature widgets, is pure survival.  The body is an entity unto it's self that the others can use to their advantage.  It tends to be the robotic, not so bright, follower or adventurer.  It strives for survival but is not sure how or what to do.  This leaves lots of open space for drama as they all interact.