Prison Cell Layout

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

A thought that I had walking back from dropping the kids off at school: the way we've talked about the BIP cells has frequently left me a little confused, because my brain likes running everything through the spatial relations filter and that doesn't work if every thought you have is a wall. So, this is how I simplified it for myself.

East Wall: Intellectual Pursuits
West Wall: Artistic Pursuits
North Wall: Interaction with Reality (the Bars)
South Wall: Identity
Floor: Physical Capabilities
Ceiling: Morality

When others look into your cell, they see the South Wall. This is populated with your wardrobe (uniforms) and your mirror (sense of self). You look at others through the North Wall, which would be totally open if not for the bars coming from the adjoining walls. If you are hiding in your closet, it's even harder to see clearly.

The East and West Walls expand with the more stuff you put in them. A cell with large West and East Walls can be pretty comfortable, but sometimes the extra real estate comes with extra Bars.

The Floor determines how well you can do the things you want to do. It's genetic disorders, eyesight, your diet, an amputated finger, strong lungs. Some people have very tidy, sturdy floors that make it easy to do the things they want to do. Some people have floors with the concrete all ripped up. A lot of us have junk on the floor that we trip on from time to time.

The Ceiling is what keeps us in line. Some people set their ceilings up so low that they're always bumping their heads (too restrictive). Some people try to tear apart their ceiling and end up with nothing but a view of the terrible stars in the screaming void.

[Junkenstein]

Going to chew on this a little. I like the idea of carving up the cell into blocks of limitations. The view in/out seems important. The people peering in won't always just see the south wall, but probably glimpse the floor and ceiling too.

There's probably a lot of crossover (I.e- A physical ability/disability becoming a part of your identity would be quite common)

More words to come, but want to think a bit more first.

[LMNO]

It's good to see a new perspective on this!  Careful you don't make the metaphor too literal though, or you'll start coming to conclusions that make no sense whatsoever.

[Cainad (dec.)]

Related, from like 5 years ago: www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php/topic,17054.msg556425.html


holy shit what am I still doing here

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I totally cannot view the BIP materially at all. It works for me purely as the loosest kind of metaphor, where I'm like, OK, the bricks are my experiences and the bars are my beliefs, or vise-versa or something.

I like it as a metaphor, it works quite well (hence the "Common Walls" extension of the metaphor), but I can't visualize it any more solidly than that.

I think it's really interesting how different individuals have such differing mental processes. I am typically very visual/relational in my thinking, but as soon as you start giving me visuals like "North Wall: Interaction with Reality" I'm like WHOA TOO MUCH CANNOT DO.

I actually have a similar difficulty with Freud and his Id, Ego and Superego, presented as if they reside as discrete entities in different locations of the self. I don't know why, I'm just like whoa, this does not work for me at all.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

It is odd because I can construct quite complex articles in my mind, and see how things physically fit together. But give me ideas that map intangible attributes to tangible locations, and it breaks down completely. I can't do feng shui for the same reason. I'm like, a mirror there does WHAT?

Ohhh I think I just realized why pagan and occult systems give me the shits.

[LMNO]

So basically, any model of the mind that tries to describe itself physically, or even in discreet parts, is no good for you?

Sorry if that's putting words in your mouth.

What models do work for you, in that you can make sense of them?

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Mine has "DUMB" on one wall and "GREED" on the other.  The end wall is made out of "UNTHINKING BOORISHNESS", and the bars are named things like "MEAN STREAK" and "KNEE JERK RESPONSE" and "TRUISMS" and "I SHOULDA SAID 'I LOVE YOU' TO HER".

And the toilet next to the bunk?  ANYONE WANNA HEAR ABOUT THE TOILET?

[LMNO]

Um... what's in the toilet?

[Junkenstein]

Yeah, I kind of need to know now.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

So basically, any model of the mind that tries to describe itself physically, or even in discreet parts, is no good for you?

Sorry if that's putting words in your mouth.

What models do work for you, in that you can make sense of them?

A model that attempts to overlay actual (but non-tangible) function onto material parts does not work for me. A model that describes actual physical/tangible function I have no problems with.

For example, say you wanted to describe a flavor as a chair. You say, "The legs are four main flavors: salty, sweet, bitter, and sour. These support the seat, which is a rich earthy note..." and so on. At this point you have completely lost me, because I am trying to map flavors to a fucking chair.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Um... what's in the toilet?

Why, that is THE STAINLESS STEEL BOWL OF MISSED OPPORTUNITY!  And inside - because these prisons take FOREVER to get a plumber in to unclog that shit - is ~ 35-40 years of things I COULDA done and things I SHOULDA done IF ONLY I'D HAD MY FUCKING HEAD ON STRAIGHT AT THE TIME.  I could tell you loads and loads of stories, but you already know what I mean, right?  The girl that got away, the job you wanted, the thing you wanted to do with your life, but you HAD TO BE REALISTIC.

The difference is, in MY cell, they don't go down the drain.  They just pile up til the bowl looks like an ice cream sundae, one of those 6 scoop monsters, and those missed opportunities just STARE AT ME every day.

[LMNO]

Whoa.  That wasn't what I expected.  I'm going to have to think about that for a bit.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

So basically, any model of the mind that tries to describe itself physically, or even in discreet parts, is no good for you?

Sorry if that's putting words in your mouth.

What models do work for you, in that you can make sense of them?

A model that attempts to overlay actual (but non-tangible) function onto material parts does not work for me. A model that describes actual physical/tangible function I have no problems with.

For example, say you wanted to describe a flavor as a chair. You say, "The legs are four main flavors: salty, sweet, bitter, and sour. These support the seat, which is a rich earthy note..." and so on. At this point you have completely lost me, because I am trying to map flavors to a fucking chair.

See, I'm the other way around.  The bit LMNO was warning about.  I'll take the map and make all manner of connections until there is no resemblance to the territory anymore.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Um... what's in the toilet?

Why, that is THE STAINLESS STEEL BOWL OF MISSED OPPORTUNITY!  And inside - because these prisons take FOREVER to get a plumber in to unclog that shit - is ~ 35-40 years of things I COULDA done and things I SHOULDA done IF ONLY I'D HAD MY FUCKING HEAD ON STRAIGHT AT THE TIME.  I could tell you loads and loads of stories, but you already know what I mean, right?  The girl that got away, the job you wanted, the thing you wanted to do with your life, but you HAD TO BE REALISTIC.

The difference is, in MY cell, they don't go down the drain.  They just pile up til the bowl looks like an ice cream sundae, one of those 6 scoop monsters, and those missed opportunities just STARE AT ME every day.