Violence in Modern Society

[PhilGR]

Why people like violence in entertainment products like music, movies, series and video games. What approach would you give on the topic?

Do you think even a moderate consumption of this culture is harmful for the psyche? Is anything valuable?

[Strangeloop]

I think this violant entertaintment speaks to our roots when we lived one with nature. We are violant creatures. We kill animals to get food, hell we even kill one of our own. Since in modern society violence is forbidden we seek to entertain these insticts per say through other means like video games and movies. It's interesting to watch. And in reality some people are not watching, they are living it.

[No Self]

The problem would be solved via evolving humanity spiritually, away from the primal, and certainly not censorship.

[Preety_India]

 

34 minutes ago, No Self said:

The problem would be solved via evolving humanity spiritually, away from the primal. 

Yes. This is the only way to solve all  the problems of humanity. 

It sucks how little  people care about spirituality. 

[snowyowl]

Sport is rather like a sanitised and ritualised version of violence; a safety valve in society to express emotions in a safer way. 

Also, I've often wondered why violence in popular media is more acceptable than sex. I mean, there's plenty of films, detective stories etc about murder and other violence, but sex is much more heavily censored. I'm all for protecting children from inappropriate content, but there does seem to be an inconsistency. 

[randomguy123]

On 3-12-2020 at 10:38 PM, PhilGR said:

Why people like violence in entertainment products like music, movies, series and video games. What approach would you give on the topic?

Violence is just what people turn to, when they can't feel anything anymore. If you feel bad enough, you will start cutting yourself, just to feel something. Having been there in some way, I can tell you that it's the only thing that registers. Even something like sports becomes a chore to watch, you would much rather have loud music, crude tv shows, porn and violence. It's just what gets you off, instead of scrolling through facebook or watching netflix, you would much rather do something even more degenerate, cuz it just feels better, it's more satisfying. It goes without saying that as long as we have a society in which people end up in these situations, this sort of thing will keep existing.

 

On 3-12-2020 at 10:38 PM, PhilGR said:

Do you think even a moderate consumption of this culture is harmful for the psyche? Is anything valuable?

What is valuable is relative to where you are, if you feel like you've been a pushover your entire life, yh maybe some kickboxing classes will do you good. If you've been a by the book person your entire life, then yh some competitive esport may be for you (although I think there are more sensible options here).

[Lyubov]

I don't see anything wrong with it per-say. Some of you guys are subtly resisting the shadow with how you speak about how it should be removed or humanity should evolve beyond it. A few centuries ago it was common place to have an army come into your town and raze it to the ground. I think having people watch a movie or play a video game where they get to steal a car and explore that side through entertainment is far more preferable than what society was like centuries ago. 

Edited December 5, 2020 by Lyubov

[No Self]

4 hours ago, Lyubov said:

Some of you guys are subtly resisting the shadow with how you speak about how it should be removed or humanity should evolve beyond it.

A world of highly evolved beings - Jesuses, Ramanas, etc. - would be a world with either zero violence, or practically none. 

[Lyubov]

3 hours ago, No Self said:

A world of highly evolved beings - Jesuses, Ramanas, etc. - would be a world with either zero violence, or practically none. 

that is purely speculative. I don't disagree that a more conscious society is less violent though. In the far future something like this will be the case. The thread was on violent media though. I don't think violent media is entire unhealthy to consume depending on how consciously it is done. I write this as someone who doesn't desire to play Call of Duty games where you get to kill middle eastern "terrorists." 

[Village]

On 12/4/2020 at 2:17 PM, Strangeloop said:

I think this violant entertaintment speaks to our roots when we lived one with nature. We are violant creatures. We kill animals to get food, hell we even kill one of our own. Since in modern society violence is forbidden we seek to entertain these insticts per say through other means like video games and movies. It's interesting to watch. And in reality some people are not watching, they are living it.

Good comment.

If we don't hunt then we'll play sports or violent video games or watch violent films. In the bubble of modern times we've been conditioned to believe that violence is bad, in reality it's just natural.

[DocWatts]

How Violence is Contextualized in the media it's employed in matters a great deal here; using 'Violence' as a catch all term is about as helpful as using 'Drugs' as a catch all category to refer to psychedelics and also to Meth. 

Professional sports, the Godfather films, and a video game like Space Invaders all employ violence, but in each case its contextualized completely differently, employed for different purposes, and the violence is at different levels of abstraction. 

Edited December 11, 2020 by DocWatts

[Roy]

On 12/3/2020 at 1:38 PM, PhilGR said:

Why people like violence in entertainment products like music, movies, series and video games. What approach would you give on the topic?

Because the idea of it offers something exciting in a modern life where we are relatively extremely safe.

[DocWatts]

20 minutes ago, Roy said:

Because the idea of it offers something exciting in a modern life where we are relatively extremely safe.

While I think that evolutionary psychology explanations can sometimes be Reductionist when describing the complexity of  the modern world, in this particular case, looking at it from an evolutionary perspective can perhaps explain a great deal. For the vast majority of our history humans were hunter gatherers, and our basic psychology was formed under survival conditions that were much more brutal than the world we find ourselves living in today.

Edited December 11, 2020 by DocWatts

[Brittany]

Violence comes from the WIN/LOSE mentality.

"If you lose, I will gain."

People who live under that mentality, won't necessary like violence, but it will resonate with the chemicals in their psyche.... if that makes any sense. 

All perceived gains, give off pleasurable chemicals.

"Gaining" feels good to the ego. 

This is why it is recommended to switch to a WIN/WIN mentality. And then violence won't resonate anymore.

Edited December 11, 2020 by Brittany

[Soulbass]

it's good for catharsis.

when an emotion is integrated, then move on to the next thing (no need to experience it again).

movies can result in avoiding painful experiences in life, this way you're not involved.

[Epikur]

There is a reason there are bouncers at the nicht club. The threat of violence is always there. You better keep yourself sharp.

You want the goodies and keep the goodies you can not trust anybody fully to keep you safe. Actually most people don't give a shit about you. 

Modern society is not a peaceful society.

[PhilGR]

All your comments where great, I can really understand where the root of violence  is coming from, resisting BY will to commercial and violent goodies I dont think it works, better to elevate through spirituallity so at one point you won't need those things around you. For now as an 18yo full of hormones I dont think is bad to enjoy some goods here and there, watching a little bit of Martin Scorsese movies, play some Call of Duty or watch some soccer. Like once an a while with friends. Everything is part of our Experience anyways. 

"Everything in Moderation" as  Cleobulus used to say.