Me 209under the dash with a pliers and clipping the wires that lead to the bulb. We
feel better because the light is no longer on—guilt no longer makes us feel
bad. However, the problem with the brakes has not been solved.
How can we know that the problem is not solved? Simple. A tragedy
has a bad ending. If the problem was cured, then the play could have a
good ending. However, the fact that the play, or movie, or book, has a
tragic conclusion indicates that we know that the problem is still there and
that the warning light really was trying to warn us of some awful event.
But why must there be a tragic ending? I suggest that this is where
Perceiver common sense enters the picture. For a while, it is generally
possible to pretend that everything ends well, that the hero and the heroine
ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. However, eventually the
connection between cause and effect occurs so often that Perceiver strategy
is forced to conclude that they really are related. Once this stage is reached,
then good endings are no longer possible because they are no longer
believable. If a good ending occurs, then the Perceiver observer stands up
and asserts that this is not plausible, because he has learned by now that
„the behavior of the hero‟ and „good endings‟ do not belong together. In
other words, when it comes to knowing what is „false,‟ the Perceiver
observer can no longer be mesmerized. The Perceiver observer can only be
fooled now into 'believing' what is „true.‟
Therefore, the only remaining option for successful catharsis is to
accept the Perceiver assertion of what is „wrong‟ and present a play with
bad results. Since the Perceiver observer knows that the connection
between „normal behavior‟ and „lasting good results‟ is „false,‟ the „facts‟
about the bad ending will make it past the doorman standing guard at the
entrance to the Perceiver internal world—the plot will be „believable.‟
Within the framework of this pre-determined tragedy, the play then tries to
deal with the guilt of the hero: He was a nice guy; he did not deserve his
fate; he was influenced by his environment; he was not responsible; he had
lousy luck, and so on.
Earlier on I suggested that we are more advanced than the semi-
barbaric Greeks. This is definitely true. Not only do we use technology to
introduce universal catharsis on demand, but we have also discovered
medical advances which now give us a totally new method of catharsis
called the syndrome.