“When I First Heard It, From A Dog Trainer Who Knew Her Behavioral Science, It Was A Stunning Moment.

“When I first heard it, from a dog trainer who knew her behavioral science, it was a stunning moment. I remember where I was standing, what block of Brooklyn’s streets. It was like holding a piece of polished obsidian in the hand, feeling its weight and irreducibility. And its fathomless blackness. Punishment is reinforcing to the punisher. Of course. It fit the science, and it also fit the hidden memories stored in a deeply buried, rusty lockbox inside me. The people who walked down the street arbitrarily compressing their dogs’ tracheas, to which the poor beasts could only submit in uncomprehending misery; the parents who slapped their crying toddlers for the crime of being tired or hungry: These were not aberrantly malevolent villains. They were not doing what they did because they thought it was right, or even because it worked very well. They were simply caught in the same feedback loop in which all behavior is made. Their spasms of delivering small torments relieved their frustration and gave the impression of momentum toward a solution. Most potently, it immediately stopped the behavior. No matter that the effect probably won’t last: the reinforcer—the silence or the cessation of the annoyance—was exquisitely timed. Now. Boy does that feel good.”

— Melissa Holbrook Pierson, The Secret History of Kindness (2015)

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schu-lore

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i would rather help 100000 fakers than make life harder for a single disabled person

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schu-lore

8 years ago

Sauron: *after LotR* as much as being a spirit sucks, at least I’m not trapped under a mountain

Ar-Pharazôn: as much as being trapped under a mountain sucks, as least I got betrayed by someone cool

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Hurin: I hate this game

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schu-lore

8 years ago

Matt Burnett Is Genuinely Asking The SU Fandom To Avoid Hunting For Spoilers For Weeks 3 And 4 Of Summer

Matt Burnett is genuinely asking the SU fandom to avoid hunting for spoilers for weeks 3 and 4 of Summer of Steven.

This must be something incredibly groundbreaking for him to do so, and I for one intend to keep myself in the dark to savor the surprise!

31K notes View Post

schu-lore

2 years ago

absolutely iconic (”the ‘perpetual broths’ that simmer for decades”, atlas obscura)

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schu-lore

1 year ago

You Promised you wouldn't do anything WIERD!

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schu-lore

2 years ago

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schu-lore

2 years ago

a lot has been said about how ancient aliens stuff is racist, and that is true, but i think it's important that we remember ancient aliens stuff is also extremely extremely stupid. like yes if someone is into that stuff they're probably a racist, but they're definitely a moron.

17K notes View Post

schu-lore

8 years ago

Hobbit au where Tolkien can’t write poetry very well, but still wants to, so the dwarf song is:

Roses are red

Thorin’s our captain

Now let’s all go kill

That big fuckin’ dragon

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schu-lore

2 years ago

In light of recent events, I would like to remind everyone that the correct pro choice talking point that will actually pull people to our side is NOT whether a fetus is human or not because you'll never win. The correct argument is how the state should never have the power to force you to give up physical autonomy for the sake of any other being.

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schu-lore

1 year ago