JackDaniels624 has 121 chronicles

1. Psychological Analysis of Zombies Part One: Intro/Death (Edited for clarification)
   

   Player Chronicle -- Posted on Apr 28 2009

   People like zombies, that's a fact. The question that's always been on my mind, is why? So I plan on writing a few chronicles using what I know about psychology, and use it to try and understand what makes zombies so interesting to humans. ***EDIT*** By interesting to humans, I mean why zombies are still successfully used in movies, games, television, music, books, ect. ***/EDIT***Of course this is all in theory. The key word is theory. If anyone has anything that contradicts what I say, feel free to correct me, I won't be mad, if anything I'd appreciate it. And if you have something to add just let me know, I'm looking to solidify my theories so weather I'm right, great, if I'm wrong, I'd love to correct myself.
   
   In order to truly understand zombies, we must look at the interest of death. We all have, or someday will lose a close friend, relative, or pet in our lifetime. It's a very sad experience that usually stays with us until the day that we too succumb to death.
   
   I remember when I was just a kid and my aunt died of breast cancer. Before that I never even thought that I would know anyone who would die before I was at least in my 30's, or until they were at least 70 or 80. I believe she was only in her mid 30's and I wasn't even a teenager yet, and her son wasn't even in elementary school, so when she died it was a slap in the face from reality. I was really too young at the time to truly understand, but as I grew older I realized how much of an impact one persons death can have on so many people. I guess that was the moment I discovered that I had an interest in the human mind and the way it thinks.
   
   That being said, I found myself able to put myself in other peoples shoes. By doing this I realized how sad it must have been for my grandma to have to burry her own daughter, and clearly remember my mom wishing more then anything that my aunt would one day return to Earth and live eternally. This is where part of the interest in zombies comes in.
   
   Zombies are people who die, then in the same body, come back to life. Normally this is what most people who lose a loved one want...Imagine the happiness it would bring them? Zombies however are only the shells of the loved ones, the mind is completely different. They have absolutely no memory of those they were once so close to, and now only wish to feed on their flesh.
   
   Quite a horrifying experience huh? And as I will explain in a later chronicle, humans do in fact like to be scared at times. Therefore death plays a huge roll in humans interest in zombies.
   
   Here's an example to furthur explain this. Imagine you are a parent. You and your spouse have a child together. It's the happiest moment in your life and you've never loved something so much in your entire life! You truly know your purpose in life, and that is to give the child everything in life that you never had. You would do anything for them. So as time goes by and everything is peaceful, and your child is now a teenager. Then one night your child says their going to a friends house, tells you they love you, everythings perfect, you couldn't ask for anything more in life. Then your child dies in a car accident on the way to that friends house. Your horrified! Why? Why did this have to happen to them? Why couldn't you have been the one who died instead? As you weep in tears, you curse God's name and wish that even for only a moment, to see your child once again. Granted. You hear a knock on the door, you open it only to see it's your child looking pale and slightly covered in blood. Your shocked! Yet at the same time excited that your wish was answered...Only the child lunges at your throat, but your quick to dodge it. You see that you have a loaded .44 magnum fully loaded and ready to fire sitting next to the lamp (I hate to break into the story, but just go along with it, it's much easier to tell this way). What do you do? Can you honestly say that you wouldn't hesitate at all to decimate the shell of your own flesh and blood? The life that YOU gave life too? Even though it's just the shell of your child, the mind is not...But still seeing their face again...It's not an easy decision. I have no idea if I'd be able to pull the trigger right away. I know if I hadn't thought of this before I doubt I would ever be able to lay them to rest...However I'm sure now that because I have thought of it, it would take a bit of telling myself it's not them, and I'd eventually have the strength to pull the trigger, but certainly not right away. And I'm pretty sure I'd be going through a very rough experience after the job is done. Get my point?
   
   This has been the first part of my chronicle series and I hope you had the patience to read it all, being that I put a lot of effort into it. I also plan on writing about subjects such as, but not limited too anatomy, fear, cooperation, and the personal strife for survival.
   
   Note that I may have left out some details that I wish to mention, so I may update this part some day after some more thinking. I hope you enjoy it and the rest of the series, and again, do not hesitate to critizize my theories. Like I said I only want to strengthen my theories to be as factual as possible, so if I'm wrong I will admit my mistakes.

   
   

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JackDaniels624 has 2 comment s on this chronicle.

1. JackDaniels624
   Posted On Apr 28 2009

   Good to see you get the point of the hypothetical situation BEN, it would never be an easy experience for anyone. And to clarify something pretty important I forgot to mention. This isn't so much about real zombies (though that day may just come), but moreso about why we as gamers like to kill zombies in videogames, and why people like to see them in movies and such.
   
   Basically why is it that zombies have become one of the most notorious creatures that plague horror movies and games, despite being around for so long. Others would be Dracula and vampires, werewolves, witches, ect. I just don't have nearly as big of interest in any of them.

2. BEN
   Posted On Apr 28 2009

   I enjoyed this read and always get excited when our members start mini-series! This series should be interesting, but the tricky part will be that you're trying to associate theories to situations that have not (and may not ever) existed.
   
   Good luck nonetheless and you child-zombie-killing situation is kind of like would you rather lose your legs or lose your arms?! You can't when no matter what you chose