The Uncanny Valley and the Cyborg

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#1 Oct 3 - 10PM
no more an echo
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The Uncanny Valley and the Cyborg

Some of us have shared previously of how cold and robot-like our Ex-Narcs were. In fact, it was that very feature that prompted my favorite nickname of The Disordered One: ROBO-BOY!

It seemed that the closer I attempted to get to him (emotionally)- the more the cyborg in him emerged. He seemed to physically freeze at these times. Maybe he was afraid of spontaneously popping a spring or leaking a bit of motor oil on the carpet- thus exposing him for the android that he was. This highly intelligent man came across as rigid and socially inept- especially at intimate and emotionally intense moments.

He was lacking in SO MANY WAYS- just so 'off'- but at these times, when Robo-Boy emerged, well, they were the most frightening. He was so very cold and repressed- like he was trying with all his might to hold it all together.

His robotic ways should have made me feel, by contrast, more alive and more human -but it didn't. I felt actually less vibrant and alive- repulsed, actually. He felt like death.

How cool is it, though, that our feelings have a name and a reason? It's called "The Uncanny Valley". Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNdAIPoh8a4

Sam Vaknin explains:

"Cold Empathy evokes the concept of “Uncanny Valley”, coined in 1970 by the Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori. Mori suggested that people react positively to androids (humanlike robots) for as long as they differ from real humans in meaningful and discernible ways. But the minute these contraptions come to resemble humans uncannily, though imperfectly, human observers tend to experience repulsion, revulsion, and other negative emotions, including fear.

The same applies to psychopathic narcissists: they are near-perfect imitations of humans, but, lacking empathy and emotions, they are not exactly there. Psychopaths and narcissists strike their interlocutors as being some kind of “alien life-forms” or “artificial intelligence”, in short: akin to humanoid robots, or androids. When people come across narcissists or psychopaths the Uncanny Valley reaction kicks in: people feel revolted, scared, and repelled. They can’t put the finger on what it is that provokes these negative reactions, but, after a few initial encounters, they tend to keep their distance.

Contrary to widely held views, Narcissists and Psychopaths may actually possess empathy. They may even be hyper-empathic, attuned to the minutest signals emitted by their victims and endowed with a penetrating "X-ray vision". They tend to abuse their empathic skills by employing them exclusively for personal gain, the extraction of narcissistic supply, or in the pursuit of antisocial and sadistic goals. They regard their ability to empathize as another weapon in their arsenal.

I suggest to label the narcissistic psychopath's version of empathy: "cold empathy", akin to the "cold emotions" felt by psychopaths. The cognitive element of empathy is there, but not so its emotional correlate. It is, consequently, a barren, detached, and cerebral kind of intrusive gaze, devoid of compassion and a feeling of affinity with one's fellow humans."

You can read more here:

http://www.mental-health-matters.com/narcissistic-personality-disorder/3...

Yes- COLD EMPATHY, a detached, alien type of 'sentiment'. Yet they seem so attuned to us and our emotions- if only to mirror, manipulate and exploit us with that knowledge. Some say of NarcoPaths that "They know the words but not the music".

Too true.

Thanks for reading this far (it was a long one!) and please share your robot-stories below!

Oct 19 - 1PM
Secondtimearound
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Revulsion

Oct 19 - 1PM (Reply to #14)
no more an echo
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"like a trapped animal"

Oct 19 - 3PM (Reply to #15)
Secondtimearound
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yup

Oct 19 - 1PM
no more an echo
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inhuman, mindless, machinelike

Oct 11 - 4PM
shock and awe.some
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Thx for putting these links up

Oct 15 - 5PM (Reply to #10)
no more an echo
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mysteries of the universe unlocked

Oct 16 - 8AM (Reply to #11)
shock and awe.some
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I hate it when that happens

Oct 11 - 4PM (Reply to #9)
shock and awe.some
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Sorry 4 the double post

Oct 11 - 12PM
no more an echo
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Another android?

Oct 5 - 10AM
brinamarie
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Awesome post, very

Oct 19 - 1PM (Reply to #6)
Secondtimearound
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Yes!

Oct 11 - 3PM (Reply to #5)
shock and awe.some
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Brin I know exactly what you mean

Oct 10 - 2PM (Reply to #4)
no more an echo
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Narcs are like Satan's ambassadors

Oct 4 - 2AM
STLLady
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Wow, this was a timely

Oct 5 - 2AM (Reply to #2)
no more an echo
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empathy vs. sympathy