Tell Me What You See

The psychology of art and interpretation of understanding

[hermann-rorschach]

Times I was verifiably incorrect with my analysis in this virtual ledger:

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[hermann-rorschach]

I was writing something tonight, and realized I had my characters do a sort of Rorschach test. What do you think this says about my characters?

Gabriel leaned back, staring up at the sky with his eyes slightly squinted. He was a bit light sensitive, to the point the sky made his eyes burn a little, but he was looking for shapes in the clouds. “Heh. That cloud looks like some guy riding an elephant.”

“What?” They looked up. “Looks more like someone giving a kid a piggyback ride to me.” Michael countered, smiling slightly. “And cheering while they do it. The arms are in the air.”

Gabriel snorted. “No, it’s definitely an elephant rider. How are you seeing that? There’s no fourth arm.”

“Well, not everyone has two arms, Gabe.” They argued back, certain of their own perception.

I had my (mod)ern friend illustrate this cloud of twofold appearances.

Is this:

A elephant rider

A piggyback rider

Something else entirely (caption appropriately)

Voting ended onJul 13

[requiem-on-water]

“Metamorphosis of Consciousness” (2025) by Chiharu Shiota | Ph: Sunhi Mang

mixed media for solo exhibition “Silent Emptiness” at Red Brick Museum, Beijing, China

[the-problematic-trolley]

Does anyone else see the cow in the first picture?

[hermann-rorschach]

dr rorschach should i confess my feelings to someone i like? even if i don't think i'd be a good fit for them? do you have a cool inkblot i could show them

There are those who consider untold truths to be lies; however, if you think it more disastrous to them and their station comparative to you, it might be better left unsaid.

[dark-magician-girl-meets-world]

Me, at the local coffee shop: Hey, can I get an objective experience of reality? Blue-haired feminist barista, pronounedly: Oh, you mean a construction of the intellect according to its a priori principles? Me, rolling my eyes: No. I said an objective experience of reality. Barista, too addled by college to understand: So... a phenomenological reality whose grounding in a world of noumena is bracketed? Me: No, an objective experience of reality. Barista: A representation, made of relations to yourself as a subject? Me: No! I want a frickin' objective experience of reality!

Barista: *stares blankly* Person behind me in line: Hey, could you hurry up and order? Some of us are trying to experience a series of mental events which we interpret as going places!

[hermann-rorschach]

Verstanden, an objective reality, and through what construal level would you like to perceive this objective reality?

[argumate]

You are very autistic and antisocial. On the internet you can get away with this by larping as a detached intellectual, but irl people find you draining and exhausting.

come on, this website is supposed to have good hate game, you gotta do better than that! on the internet I can get away with appearing to care, but in real life people find me way too relaxed and laid back.

[rouge-the-bat]

personality test

what do u first think when u see this shape

[petticoatedmouse]

@hermann-rorschach

[hermann-rorschach]

Das ist ein Auge.

[kleinergeist]

You don't even need to study for the Rorschach test, btw, it's super easy. All they do is show you a bunch of stupid pictures of your dad getting eaten by a horse

[hermann-rorschach]

Do not share the answers with your classmates.

[kleinergeist]

Yes Dr Rorschach

Sorry Dr Rorschach

[j-buzz]

Funny fact; Hermann Rorschach never did leave behind clear instructions on how to properly administer and understand the answers of a Rorschach test. All he left behind were ink blot pictures. Some hypothesized that they were never meant to have a rubric at all, but were meant to understand the mental state in which the patient was in. For now, most psychologists and therapists have stopped using ink blot pictures with the time honored tradition of just sitting there and waiting for you to come to your own breakthrough, while also saying "Lets unpack that another time", "How does that make you feel?", "Covid? Never heard of it." and "This may be our last session. Your insurance won't cover visits anymore".

[hermann-rorschach]

The rubric was the work of a particular group of fanatics in Germany who believed so dumbly that human perception was objective and unified.

[asteroidtroglodyte]

Not now kitten daddy’s contemplating the Knight’s Tour

[stitchposts]

[hermann-rorschach]

It is rather geometric but I will make it a posting regardless.

[hermann-rorschach]

you dont look like val kilmer you look like brad pitt

Who's to say they look dissimilar?

[hermann-rorschach]

Why do you look like Val Kilmer

His mother was of German descent.

[hermann-rorschach]

I love you a lot, ok ?

Your appreciative nature is well received; I will do good to dutifully inform you of my wife if such unfettered emotions are amorous.

[hermann-rorschach]

Schönen Abend Herr Rorschach, opinions on this guy that so happens to share your name?

He’s very shortsighted and headstrong, and not to his benefit.

[hermann-rorschach]

How do you feel there is some ayn rand objectivist fascist type in a mask who goes around commiting police brutality but he aint even a cop who named himself after you? (This is about rorschach from watchmen)

I’ve talked about this before, but in fine, it seems he, like the Nazis, failed to understand the breadth of my work.

[hermann-rorschach]

Herman horseass

This pseudonym is more dissimilar than horsecock. If you attempt to beguile me you’ve achieved it, but no more than the incessant fellow with the affinity with dowsing me in slime.

[hermann-rorschach]

These Nazi idiots make a mockery of my tests.

[monstrousdaughter]

what the fuck

[hermann-rorschach]

Well based on construction this is closer to “non-marital partnership.”

I would imagine it depends on what variety cohabitation you mean.

Zusammenleben I assume is closer to your understanding, it means “living together”

[monstrousdaughter]

It makes sense that this very long word would translate as "non-marital partnership"! google's choice to render it as just "cohabitation" makes sense but is also I guess not necessarily the most faithful translation? The idea of this long word being literally just "cohabitation" genuinely took me out. Sorry to the German language I guess 😭😭😭

[hermann-rorschach]

“Wilde ehe” seems a fun one, it means “before time,” intended to mock those who might intend to get married in the future or experience homosexual tendencies or simply remains zestful in present life, it translates best to “shacked up” in English.

It is dated to the modern German, but is a novel to me.