The Thorax Experiment: Who Believes a Changeling can Change?

[weesh 690]

This Post contains light "the Times they are a Changeling" spoilers (from 6 weeks ago).

 

I love games

I love psychology

I love win/win situations.

 

I recently performed an experiment with my local brony club.

We were playing a ponified version of the mafia/werewolf party game that that changelings instead of mafia members.

 

if you are not familiar with the game, in short, you get a group of about 7-9 people several are randomly assigned to be mafia, and the mafia tries to kill all the townspeople during the night phases of the game before the townspeople can root out all of the mafia.

the game ends in victory for either the townspeople (townsponies), or the mafia (changelings).

 

But what would happen if the changelings wanted to live in the open and in harmony with everyone?  Would people accept that?

 

After playing three cutthroat versions of the game with normal rules, in which the enemy had won twice, I changed things up.  

 

I had the person running the game stack the deck so that I was the only changeling, and I declined to capture anyone in the night stages of the game, and during the day stages, I identified myself, and my desire to live in harmony.  

 

there were three primary responses:

1. extreme suspicion, to the point of not believing me
2. belief that I was a changeling, and should be kicked out
3. face value acceptance of my offer

The game started out chaotic, as peoples heads were reeling over the change of pace.  I was nominated to be exiled, but the vote didn't pass.

 

however, as more and more nights passed wherein I wasn't abducting ponies, something interesting happened:
feelings INTENSIFIED.

Some people became strongly interested in living with harmony, and having a win-win scenario for everyone, and some dug in their heels and became more and more convinced that I was a conniving evil changing trying to pull one over on them.  

 

Some reasonably assumed that I had some special role that could only win if no one was exiled.  eventually there was only one holdout, but after several more rounds of not capturing anyone, and no support from the others, he too caved and agreed to let me stay in ponyville with them.

 

This experiment, more than anything else, got me into the mind of Thorax, and how he must have felt in the episode.  There was severe hostility, fear and disbelief that was not easily overcome.  It was so hurtful to have people accusing me, and desperately fighting to get me thrown out.  I had hoped that an honest overture of who I was, and what i wanted might build some trust, but it didn't for everyone.

 

 It took about 3 rounds to get everyone but 1 on my side, and another 3 rounds to get the last guy.  I honestly thought all hope was lost, and that I'd have to leave the town to bring peace to it.  The mutual victory was sweet, but wow, it took a ton of work to build that trust.

 

What do you guys think?

How would you react to the strange offer of a win/win scenario in a competitive team game?

How long would you have stayed suspicious?  

[Widdershins 9,964]

Hmm. What this comes down to, of course, is repeated experience. To each their own, yes? Basically, as a populace goes along with enough experiences of that "Oh, well, they haven't actually done anything to me, specifically, so It's okay then!" I think Terry Pratchet's Discworld series plays on this alot too. The more urban a setting, the more likely acceptence happens. If there is Orcs, Ogres, Goblins, Vampires, Undead so on and so forth, species that can clearly be dangerous and that there might be big historical precedent of them waging war... but that war having been so far in the past no one remembers, personally, right now and that orc is in your shop willing to give you money for your goods... then don't question a customer.

 I like to think people can be accepting if you let them.

 Sure, that decision making can take longer, be clouded depending on an individual's experiences. Like if they, personally, were there fighting changelings in a siege. 

 Me,  I try to be a face-value kinda guy. I don' know no "Teamsport Competitive." A Self can change, but it shouldn't change the Self. In my opinion, the changermalings shouldn't have had to change color and shape to something different to signafy they were A Good now.

 I feel an honest, hired changeling can make a huge difference.

Offer to playact as a loved one. Be the mother figure to somepony who's been trying to make it in the big city and hasn't seen their family in years. Bake cookies with them and have a moment.

 Be the estranged daughter to act doting and friendly with the father like the once did before they had that one argument and went their separate ways.

  ... or just be a hired friend... to somepony who might have too much social anxiety to know where to start.

 

 I like to believe a body can change without having to become a whole new person.

 Though, in all honesty, when you set the rules up one way, then subvert them halfway through; yeah, you gonna get some stuck in the old ways, heh!

[ExplosionMare 21,703]

I would’ve stayed suspicious until I had enough evidence on someone that they actually wanted to be nice