jupson

I don’t have any proper advice, but I’m right there with you, OP. I was academically building myself into an occupation I was exceptionally good at, but I lost interest when I began to question my motivations for doing it. I didn’t have a good answer, so I stopped to figure myself out. I think examining the tethers of your past is a good starting point, as suggested by Nathan. In my case, I was driven to excel in my chosen field due to pressure from family, church, and society to succeed. Not because I was particularly passionate about media production, I was just good at it. Additionally, I felt the need to impress the people in my life. I believe this is a heart-wrenchingly difficult position; feeling that you have to please everyone to be considered valuable. I know that for myself, this people-pleasing attitude must cease and honesty needs to rise to the forefront of my motivation.

I haven’t played this, but I did watch an entire playthrough over the course of a few days. I had a difficult time connecting to any of the characters. Maybe I’m just jaded, but I felt that the writing was holding back what could have been a brilliant showcase of character development and mo-cap acting. There are a few bits that were really good; like when Jodie was a child and trying to make sense of the experiences she was having while also enduring the complete lack of real compassionate parents. However, it’s hard to empathize with “grown-up” Jodie because of her invulnerability being paired with a non-physical entity who regularly wreaks havoc on the physical world. And the world this story takes place in, I believe, is unrealistically cruel and sadistic. *SPOILERS* One example: There’s a scene where Jodie escapes from her handlers so she can have a night out at the local bar. Her interactions with the all-male patronage are the typical media portrayals of men conspiring together in their sexual predations towards the main character. In reality, the men in that bar would have been really concerned that a lonely teenage woman was waiting around and they probably would have offered her genuine assistance; not throw her onto the pool table and attempt to rape her. (I say “attempted rape” because Jodie’s magical ghost friend promptly disposes of those evil men by murdering them.) Ultimately, I think this story that David Cage has put together demonstrates yet another distorted view of reality and it’s not particularly well-told with the chronologically random plot progression. Also, as a video game, it’s not very challenging; especially compared to Quantic Dream's last game; Heavy Rain. I watched the different outcomes of key decisions in the story and it’s quite clear that player-choice is limited. The potential to fail is also mostly removed and this makes it even more difficult to empathize with the main character. Jodie is overpowered. Ironically, one of the few times you actually can fail in the story is during the progression of Jodie’s relationship with Ryan. You can completely muck up their first date and blow him off later on. Other than that, the rest of the choices in this story are superficial deviations in the plot progression. It’s a very linear experience, no matter how you play it. There are redeeming qualities: Technically, this game is visually stunning. There is a real potential to create great stories and show comprehensive character development with this technology. I really wanted this game to be good. I felt that Heavy Rain was a step in the right direction for telling a complex narative through video games. But I felt that Beyond: Two Souls was a step backwards.

Hello everyone, A big “Thank you!” to all who make this philosophy community possible.

I deal with a constant internal struggle between what I perceive to be “unseen” and “seen” by society. As I have attempted to self-diagnose my mental distortions of reality, I am arriving at the conclusion that my psychological trauma stems from internalizing everything around me. I was raised in a very religious community; no room to think outside of the collective for fear of being ostracized. I was taught that all of my problems were either my fault or under the influence of invisible demons. Furthermore, I was instructed to “die daily” for my sins against god and his creation. I have carried on with this ritual for so long that I am still doing it to this day, despite leaving the church two years ago. It has become automatic and there are very few nights when I don’t fall asleep thinking about how I’m a parasite and wasted life. (I know this is not true, but these thoughts are extremely persistent.) Understand that I have no problem believing that there very well may be aspects of our universe that we have yet to measure. However, I also believe that it is potentially harmful to lead people into modes of thinking that cannot be accounted for empirically. There is too much left for interpretation and people end up becoming reliant upon the pronouncements of one person who has a more attuned “sixth sense.” People should be able to experience and prove such things for themselves. Despite my traumatic experiences with the “unseen,” I hope my psychological hang-ups do not deter anyone from kindling the spirit of exploration and discovery. Surely, there are countless amazing discoveries yet to be made in our universe. However, I still believe there needs to be a strict adherence to Truth and Knowledge when delving into these realms. Otherwise, some heartless souls will take advantage of that which cannot be proven and people will get hurt.