So, I recently read an old, old discussion about whether Final Fantasy 4 should be called Final Fantasy 2 or Final Fantasy 4, and the same for Final Fantasy 6
-- should it be called 3 or 6? Emotions were running really hot in that thread, with people calling the other sides "fools".
The funny thing is, most people don't even care about those games AT ALL! Out of the six billion people on Earth, how many have even played those two games? A tenth of a percent, maybe? Even if you look only at people who have played Final Fantasy 7, the number of people who have played 4 or 6 is much smaller.
So, people who even care about that issue have to be together in a minority, yet they still fight over a difference that would seem to outsiders to be trivial.
Freud tried to explain this sort of phenomenon back in 1917 with his theory of the Narcissism of Small Differences.
Here's a joke illustrating it:
I'm not sure I agree with Freud's explanation of it, though. He thinks people exaggerate those differences because if people had NO differences between them, it would threaten their sense of identity. You would no longer be unique.
I don't think that stands up. In the FF2/4/3/6 discussion, people were getting along pretty well with those who agreed with them on that issue. If agreement threatened their sense of uniqueness, you'd think they'd be hard pressed to agree with anyone. Further, even if you agree with someone on one issue, your sense of self-identity is hardly threatened. No people agree on all issues (even discounting trivial ones).
When I think about the issue as applied to myself, I see myself following that behavior, even when I know it's ridiculous! I can at least try to analyze my own feelings, though.
One issue is, what's a "small" difference? Suppose you take me as an example, and someone who is really into the Playstation 3, Metal Gear Solid 4, Grand Theft Auto 4, all that stuff. Is the distinction that I like older games and that he likes newer games small? It's certainly smaller than the difference between his opinion on videogames, and the opinion of someone who is Amish. They really wouldn't be able to talk much about videogames. I still think that the difference between me and him is not small, and we would have difficult time finding common ground.
On the other hand, I KNOW the Final Fantasy 2 / Final Fantasy 4 difference is small. It's ridiculously small! And yet I still feel passionate about it! Why the hell is that?
I don't think it's because my identity as a Final Fantasy 4 fan is threatened because some people call it FF2. That doesn't even make sense.
I think a way to prove it's not an identity issue is to look at the religious issue. Like in the joke, people will fight over the stupidest, most insignifcant differences. Like Catholics that think that Protestants are heathens, or Protestants that think that Catholics practice idoltary. But it's not like they get along with people with bigger differences. They like Muslims even less. But at least Muslims still believe in God. Atheists are a million times worse.
I think that people get upset over ANY differences. It's just that when someone's closer to you, you know more about what those differences are. Like, does the average American protestant know that much about what a muslim believes, or what's in the koran? If you don't know the differences, it's harder to get angry about them. And as for the differences in videogame opinions between me and an Amish person, how often do I even see Amish people? That's a difference of opinion I rarely even remember exists.
The funny thing is, most people don't even care about those games AT ALL! Out of the six billion people on Earth, how many have even played those two games? A tenth of a percent, maybe? Even if you look only at people who have played Final Fantasy 7, the number of people who have played 4 or 6 is much smaller.
So, people who even care about that issue have to be together in a minority, yet they still fight over a difference that would seem to outsiders to be trivial.
Freud tried to explain this sort of phenomenon back in 1917 with his theory of the Narcissism of Small Differences.
Here's a joke illustrating it:
Anyone can CLEARLY see that people exaggerate small differences. The phenomenon definitely exists.
I was walking across a bridge one sunny day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump. I ran over and said: 'Stop. Don't do it.'
'Why shouldn't I?' he asked.
'Well, there's so much to live for!'
'Like what?'
'Are you religious?'
He said: 'Yes.'
I said. 'Me too. Are you Christian or Buddhist?'
'Christian.'
'Me too. Are you Catholic or Protestant?''
'Protestant.'
'Me too. Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?'
'Baptist.'
'Wow. Me too. Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?'
'Baptist Church of God.'
'Me too. Are you original Baptist Church of God, or are you reformed Baptist Church of God?'
'Reformed Baptist Church of God.'
'Me too. Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915?'
He said: 'Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915.'
I said: "Die, heretic scum," and pushed him off.
I'm not sure I agree with Freud's explanation of it, though. He thinks people exaggerate those differences because if people had NO differences between them, it would threaten their sense of identity. You would no longer be unique.
I don't think that stands up. In the FF2/4/3/6 discussion, people were getting along pretty well with those who agreed with them on that issue. If agreement threatened their sense of uniqueness, you'd think they'd be hard pressed to agree with anyone. Further, even if you agree with someone on one issue, your sense of self-identity is hardly threatened. No people agree on all issues (even discounting trivial ones).
When I think about the issue as applied to myself, I see myself following that behavior, even when I know it's ridiculous! I can at least try to analyze my own feelings, though.
One issue is, what's a "small" difference? Suppose you take me as an example, and someone who is really into the Playstation 3, Metal Gear Solid 4, Grand Theft Auto 4, all that stuff. Is the distinction that I like older games and that he likes newer games small? It's certainly smaller than the difference between his opinion on videogames, and the opinion of someone who is Amish. They really wouldn't be able to talk much about videogames. I still think that the difference between me and him is not small, and we would have difficult time finding common ground.
On the other hand, I KNOW the Final Fantasy 2 / Final Fantasy 4 difference is small. It's ridiculously small! And yet I still feel passionate about it! Why the hell is that?
I don't think it's because my identity as a Final Fantasy 4 fan is threatened because some people call it FF2. That doesn't even make sense.
I think a way to prove it's not an identity issue is to look at the religious issue. Like in the joke, people will fight over the stupidest, most insignifcant differences. Like Catholics that think that Protestants are heathens, or Protestants that think that Catholics practice idoltary. But it's not like they get along with people with bigger differences. They like Muslims even less. But at least Muslims still believe in God. Atheists are a million times worse.
I think that people get upset over ANY differences. It's just that when someone's closer to you, you know more about what those differences are. Like, does the average American protestant know that much about what a muslim believes, or what's in the koran? If you don't know the differences, it's harder to get angry about them. And as for the differences in videogame opinions between me and an Amish person, how often do I even see Amish people? That's a difference of opinion I rarely even remember exists.
