h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Alji. We psychologists accept a version of a similar aspect of personality called 'locus of control'. Here is a test to determine whether it is more internal or external in the test taker's case: http://www.dushkin.com/connectext/psy/ch11/survey11.mhtml

At the bottom of the page are links to sites that cover this concept.

Hi Jez


Could you explain for us Yanks what a
"general boshie git"
is. I don't think I ever met one before...

diversity

Diversity

Ooops...

Er... General - I'll be bolshie about anything, I'm not proud, and I am sometimes bored enough to stir trouble even where there isn't any, just to see the ants wave their antennae...

Bolshie - Bolshevik, originally, but used in this country to mean a stubborn shit-stirrer... Normally, bolshie bastards are looked upon with amused tolerance, rather than aggression, and are not taken particularly seriously.

Git - older stubborn person (silly old git) who has seen better days...

Jez - witch. heathen and general boshie git...

Just posting to change the title back to something like the original - with a small, polytheistic adjustment

Jez

The two theories (creation and evolution) do not have to be exclusive.


2of3

Toxx, my score was 50.

Alji

Thanks, Jez

diversity

Jez - you spent ages defining "bolshie" then called yourself "boshie" at your signature. Just trying ta be helpful, that's me.
I got 30. And yet I couldn't be bothered to follow the links. Ach well.

I got 85... Hurray?

Anyways, why would I want to brainwash myself? Like I said, I found God for myself, without the aid of anyone else. Only two people that I know outside of hootoo know that I had lost my faith, one an atheist, the other our new pastor at my church. While I was finding God, no-one knew. No outside influences.

How, then, am I brainwashed?

Methinks you're missing the point about self-persuasion, Myst. One entire paragraph of that post was superfluous to the question.

OK. So my faith is invalid because I believe in it so strongly? Isn't self-persuasion what keeps every belief going?

I see the evidence of God. You just won't believe that I do. It's easier to believe that I'm some disillusioned dolt who's decided it's easier to follow an outdated belief system than think about the infinitly high odds of everything being random chance...

I tried that test again to see what score I would get if I was self centered, over confident and presumptuous. I got 95 !!!

Not something I would shout about.

Alji

Or the equally high odds of a perfect alpha male organising your life for you.
I don't have self persuasion, except where it comes to arguing against closeminded Christians, about which I admit I have a hangup. I don't believe strongly in atheism, agnosticism, zen buddhism, discordianism, or any of them, because as someone who ACTUALLY WANTS TO KNOW THE TRUTH, I recognise that
a) once you are happy with an answer, especially one with little evidence, as religions often are, then you lose any other possibility of finding the real answer, and
b) debate is the mother of discovery, and the daughter of conflict, and the step-sister of invention.
I think, instead of saying "disillusioned dolt", you meant "illusioned dolt", but it doesn't roll off the tongue half so well.

Fnord

>>Jez - you spent ages defining "bolshie" then called yourself "boshie" at your signature. Just trying ta be helpful, that's me.<<

Gee, thank you. (Is there an ironic smiley?)

>>I got 30. And yet I couldn't be bothered to follow the links. Ach well.<<

Yes, that figures.

Jez - witch, heathen and generally really bollllshie git...

After checking up on those links now, I've decided you have a point.
But wouldn't external locus of control mean I believe in determinism? When actually I'm a strong individualist and etc etc?

Fnord. Yep. Getting to the truth is my intention too. I'm not inclined to compare religions, just to figure out if there's a god and, if so, of what kind. I have it narrowed down to Theism but I'm still working on it. That's because my approach is that of Natural Theology.

Odd, that, I haven't narrowed it down at all yet. Does that necessarily mean that you're winning?

Myst. You were the nearest to my score of 80. I don't presume to infer much from that one parameter. Just wanted Alji to know that we psychs have found it to be important in understanding personality variables.

Fnord. Doubt it means much more than I'm a tad elderly and you're young.

Presumably it would be slightly believable if administered by an expert human being who could actually rate your scores rather than giving you a binary choice.