Homo%20pleonexia:%20Man%20of%20desire.

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Homo pleonexia Man of desire.

• Dr Elizabeth Tindle FAPS AFBPS

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Pleonexia An enslaving desire for more.

• pleo more
• An enslaving DESIRE for more
• Shermer, Mind of the market - Homo economicus -
  humans are motivated to decrease their work and
  increase their money.
• Author of "Why we believe in weird things"

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Why do we do what we do?

• Biological Survival of self and offspring.
  Dawkins, The selfish gene
• All creatures driven (motivated) to find a mate
  (a receptacle for ones genes)
• Biological investment to continue self into
  future. Need security (food, home, safe from
  threat)

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CONTEXT

• Human behaviour reflects the context in which we
  find ourselves (The Lucifer Factor, Phillip
  Zimbardo, 2007)
• World context- globalization global crime
  international criminal networks (20 worlds GDP)
• Liberalisation of financial and commodity markets.

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Historical Perspective

• Aesops fable The dog and his "shadow"
• Aesop, a slave to a philosopher.
• 5th Century BC
• I will get a bigger piece than I have at
  present
• Lost both (compare victims of scams)
• Moral of the story!?

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Appetite

• Seeking affluence creates a constant feeling of
  deprivation
• Michael Oakeshott in The tower of Babel
• Affluence will make us happy.
• Acquisitiveness like the Jackdaw of Rheims, we
  gather more and more items to us
• We die with our possessions burial grounds
  Indian suttee.

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Common Proverbs or sayings

• A fool and his money are soon parted.
• In for a penny In for a pound.
• No time like the present
• Strike while the irons hot!
• He who hesitates is lost.
• Take care of the pence and the pounds will take
  care of themselves.

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Warning proverbs and sayings.

• The grass is greener on the other side of the
  fence.
• Curiosity killed the cat.
• All that glitters is not gold.
• If you play with fire you will get your fingers
  burned.
• A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

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Retirement nest egg

• Uncertainties- imponderables
• Is it enough?
• How much is enough?
• How long will I live?
• Cost of medical care
• I must be safe and secure
• Quality of life
• Angst, Trying to cover all bases for happiness
  (Love and money)

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Who am I now? FINDING IDENTITY

• Retirement!! What will I do?
• Age 55!! 30-40 years of WHAT?
• Loss of role, purpose or meaning. eg Doctor -
  Nobody needs me now.
• Money symbol or badge of success Im a winner!
  Look at me Im important Dont ignore me

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Initial email

• Someone has sent me a letter
• Someone has noticed me
• Someone is listening to me.
• Not much happening today.
• Curiosity.
• Unknown adventure. Fills an existential void.

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ID versus Superego (Freud)

• ID - Instinctual drives (sex, greed! seven
  capital vices?)
• Greed, gluttony, lust, envy, pride, avarice,
  sloth
• Superego conscience
• Conflict between the two anxiety
• Ego self, I, psyche.
• Im a nobody Who are you? Are you a nobody
  too? Emily Dickinson

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Parable of the TALENTS

• Condoned the investment of money to make more
• Punished the one who safeguarded his money
• Rewarded the former with the capital of the
  latter.
• Its Gospel!!! I have to invest my super and
  make more..

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Skinner box behaviour

• Will continue conditioned behaviour while there
  is still an adrenaline rush. Waiting for reward
  (the pellet).
• On the edge of the seat expectancy. Feel alive.
  Excitement with risk.
• Tickle of the brain pleasure centre
• Ennui - feel flat, low depressed, bored.
• Anomie disconnected- alone

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Ego driven behaviour

• Why go sky diving, white water rafting, BMX
  jumping, car or motorbike racing, mountain
  climbing? Sailing, skiing etc? The risk, the
  thrill and the adrenaline rush are pleasant.
  Secretive anti social or illegal risks (crime,
  fraud) are taken every day.

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The spectrum of 'love'

• Deals male /female- hoax?
• Women on world market looking for a better life
  (sugar daddy!)
• Catalogue brides
• Girls for brothels- voluntary-paid
• Girls trafficked for brothels-no pay- as good as
  owning a race horse.

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The package/ pay-off

• Regular sex. Emotional attachment.
• Somebody to do the jobs/ chores
• Companion- second income!!
• He who dies with the most orgasms wins. A
  highly prized commodity.

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Unusual internet behaviour

• Copy cat suicides Bridgend, Wales.
• PIU Compulsive
• Denial of having a problem
• Impulsive cf gambling
• Excitement risky
• Intermittent reinforcement longer to
  'extinguish'.

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Finally"Happiness is a mind free from fear and
desire"

• Comments?
• Questions?
• Thankyou for your time and attention
• Elizabeth
• e.tindle_at_qut.com