Snapshot Systems's Blog, page 2
February 19, 2025
Date Runner Analysis — Musk’s Dating History
Today we will look at the challenges a billionaire might face while dating. In order to do this, we will take as our test case the dating history of Elon Musk. We will bracket off Elon’s dating and relationships prior to reaching top status in the system. This means we will be looking at his preferences and choices after his first divorce which include Talulah Riley, Amber Heard and Claire Boucher. Though these women are undoubtedly beautiful, they have quite different things to offer based on the Date Runner parameters.
https://medium.com/media/cd383a01e85fda4fda499246496f4fb6/hrefMost people don’t think about why they have particular affections for specific people, but if you break it down you can often see what is really going on. Let’s talk about Elon first. He’s not an ugly guy. He is tall. He is very very rich. He has a pretty solid combined score (wink wink nudge nudge). Elon’s approach style is definitely what we refer to as a minus, which means he is more comfortable making verbal approaches with women, and sometimes having minimal physical initiating behaviors when excited about someone. He has spoken openly about not being quite
neurotypical, so it is likely for him to be naturally quite passive or need a longer time frame to get cozy with someone. Elon doesn’t have a lot of free time generally, so may speed things along at a pace that is not entirely native to him.
What can we say about Talulah? She is not quite as open about their two marriages and divorces, as others have been about their affairs or relationships. Given her candor, we can safely assume that she has a relatively stable and supportive personality. She is also likely a minus in approach style. The speed at which they got together is surprising, it only took two weeks for them to wed, and Talulah said in interviews he proposed almost immediately. However, Elon’s approach was completely verbal and he simply told her he would like to marry her in a straightforward manner and she accepted. While it might not sound passionate to some, for minuses this kind of escalation would be a huge deal. Generally, the dating phase is smoother when approach styles are the same and can in some cases accelerate commitment. Talulah has almost a perfect appearance score and with makeup is exceptionally beautiful. Her combined score, even with the age gap penalty considered, places them firmly in the Good Match zone, meaning they will see each other as good matches. We won’t speculate about the relationship itself as Date Runner is only showing the filters, however this relationship was obviously good enough for them to both attempt it a second time.
The world knows a lot more about Amber Heard. Elon Musk self-reported how smitten he was with her. Amber is extremely beautiful and has a perfect score in the system with or without makeup. However, her personality in the Date Runner undercuts the combined score. In dating men care most about whether the woman is supportive and not emotionally unstable. Amber has neither the supportive nature nor the emotional stability men seek. But she’s very hot. In the system Amber’s combined score is surprisingly lower than Talulah’s, though they are both good matches. While personality is not the primary parameter for Date Runner for men, it does make a difference for adjustments especially over time. It can happen, like in Elon’s case, that the physical appearance blinds men to unhealthy behaviors and they are more willing to justify them. Elon was willing to sacrifice time, efforts, and resources for Amber that he wouldn’t be willing to give to his other dating options. Their communication we would expect to be turbulent given their different approach styles. Amber is a plus one in the system, meaning she is comfortable with a quicker time frame to resolve questions concerning commitment. It appears she wanted to keep her options
more open during their dating than Elon and she eventually was the one to call things off.
After breakups or bad treatment in a relationship, it is quite common for both men and women to look for a relationship where they can feel more in control, and Musk is not an exception. Though Claire Boucher, also known as Grimes, doesn’t have a bad score in the Date Runner system, she has the lowest of the women we’ve discussed. When we calculate and compare Musk and Grime’s parameters, even with the age gap penalty adjustment, Grimes will be almost a compromise in our system. She is cute and slim, but not exceptionally beautiful, and Elon is exceptionally rich. He has access to the most beautiful women on earth. Grimes has an approach style of a plus two, meaning she is comfortable making quick decisions about both physical and psychological intimacy. She will speed things along, particularly if it benefits her. From Grimes perspective Elon would be a great catch so the balance of power is naturally in Elon’s favor. Grimes understands she doesn’t have leverage in the situation and compensates with her personality, meaning she is extraordinarily supportive and accommodating. In interviews she was fond of reiterating her total dedication to “the mission” which, of course, mean’s Elon’s mission. She also emphasized the fact that they were and are best friends foremost and not quite like a traditional couple. Clearly, Elon was allowed a greater degree of freedom than in most committed relationships, which we would expect given the asymmetry in their scores. From Elon’s perspective, it may not have been intentional or he may not have even been aware of some of these dynamics, but he found the comfort he was seeking at least initially.
Over longer periods of time we see that a relationship with a compromise might be fulfilling in some ways, but have the potential to lead to feelings of dissatisfaction. A good match is usually most ideal for dating. In order for Elon to find matches in the appropriate range we expect him to still aim to date beautiful younger women, but we would not expect to see him go to the extreme some other celebrities might. As a high profile businessman with his goals, he does somewhat regard public opinion. His reputation matters. Given this, it will probably be women clustered around 30, plus or minus five years, rather than younger. If we take Elon’s and his exes as a case example, we can see that personality does have a salient impact on dating. A bad personality can certainly destroy the potential of a relationship forming, however a good personality isn’t the foundation of
a relationship coming together or staying together as many other parameters dominate.
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February 18, 2025
MindHub Analysis — Henry Sugar
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is the whimsical collaboration between Wes Andersen and Rhold Dahl we didn’t know we wanted, but that we can attest is indeed wonderful. In today’s video, we will attempt to explore personality transformations through this remarkable tale, particularly those “aha” moments when a person may realize that their behaviors have shifted. Henry Sugar’s personality shifts in dramatic fashion and illustrates well many of the extreme levels of drives in the MindHub system as well as the dynamism between life aims and drives. For some individuals, aims stay stable while drives shift, in other words, their lives are determined relatively more by their aims than their drives. In others, the reverse is true, and the drives work to reinforce or even determine the long-term aims. Henry Sugar is a good example of the former case.
https://medium.com/media/c047f6b7a0934ee0490ae7c177153305/hrefHenry Sugar’s main aim, or what directs his life, is the desire for novelty. He has a curiosity and a capriciousness that allows his personality a level of exaggerated flexibility, giving a theatrical quality to his behaviors regardless of what drives his behavior in the moment. This is captured well in the general ambiance of the film which also has more of the feel of a stage play with static set changes rather than a film. We are also granted with, as an audience, a reliable narrator who is not in the least sensitive about revealing Henry’s life details and personality as straightforwardly as possible and without any sugarcoating. He begins describing Henry as a rich man with an insatiable longing for more money and who would not share money with anyone, particularly not with a wife. In the MindHub system Henry begins with an extreme level of Greed as a primary drive. The narrator continues detailing how Henry believes he is very handsome, grooms with hairdressers and manicurists, dresses for attention, and drives a Ferrari. He also has a primary Ego drive, defined in the MindHub as the belief that one deserves more attention for being awesome. At this point, Henry himself picks up the narration and begins to speak of himself. He says he was drifting aimlessly in his mansion with thousands of books and nothing was of any interest to him, until one book grabbed his attention because of it’s unusualness. Henry also has a primary Boredom drive, doing things simply because he has nothing better to do, and likely doing many unrelated activities on a whim to fill his time, as we have learned previously he has no work or responsibilities.
Everything changes for Henry with the discovery of a book about a Guru from India who learns a meditative art that allows him to see without using his eyes. He finds the story and practice of visual meditation so captivating because he sees immediately how the meditation might be utilized to become wildly successful in gambling, more specifically to cheat at cards. With this insight, he becomes obsessed with the meditation practice. Henry shifts to incorporate an extreme Ambition primary drive. Real personalities have three primary drives at any given time and not more, so we might ask at this point what other drive will be sacrificed to give space for this new Ambition. We know from the narrator that it will not be the primary Ego. During meditation practice, it is stipulated that the one meditating must meditate on what they love best in the world, and Henry chooses to meditate on his own face. Such levels of self-love are reflected only in the Ego drive. Furthermore, as training progresses Henry is extremely proud of himself. He knows “it’s me, I am the one gifted to acquire meditative power at remarkable speed”. He knows he is amazing. By deduction, we can predict that the drive that will have to shift is his primary Greed, which foreshadows the irony of the story.
The narrator reminds us Henry never worked a day in his life, but at this point he decides to lock himself in his room to train five times a day for the next several years. In the MindHub system, extreme Ambition is isolation, which the film shows perfectly. At one point, Henry even stops grooming himself, a stark contrast to his previously perfectly groomed appearance, and there is clear indication that he is not going out at all including anachronistic food deliveries. This shows well how extreme levels of drive can affect the expression of the other drives making behaviors related with them less frequent. His sacrfices to Ambition pay off as he is able to achieve his goal and can see in his mind the other side of the playing cards as they come into the game. He is ready to try his new skill to acquire a fortune.
When Henry enters his formerly favorite casino, he has an averse reaction. He finds the Greedy people at the tables distasteful and horrible. When he uses his new power to make a risky move at Black Jack and win, he draws the attention of a crowd. He realizes it is “silly” to attract attention and must never do it again. From this point on he will have primary Security as a drive. In the scene immediately following this new drive is reinforced, as we are told Henry Sugar is not the real name of the protagonist as his real name must be protected. During his walk home from the casino, it is glaringly obvious to Henry that he is not excited about winning money anymore. He feels no thrill at having it and in the morning when he sees it on his table he doesn’t want it. He takes the stacks of bills to his balcony and begins throwing his money down to the street, creating chaos in the neighborhood. It is obvious Henry is not giving the money away because he cares about the individual people or even the groups of people down below, but is rather just having some fun. This moment also shows how a strong aim can affect behaviors, sometimes overriding drives. Henry decides to be smart and not attract attention, but at times can’t resist the pull to have a bit of fun or do something new and spontaneous. The drive for novelty can sometimes go in the direction of overindulgence or finding some chaos stimulating. However, it should not be confused with a Lust drive, since lust implies being compelled specifically by destructive behaviors. Henry’s version of fun is wholesome, even if it had some unintended destructive effects. When the police arrive immediately to scold Henry he feels genuinely remorseful and listens carefully to the officer’s scolding that you must give away money in the right way and to those who need it. He tells Henry to start hospitals and orphanages instead of throwing money into the street.
This interaction again changes Henry’s personality as he decides to give all his money to those in need. He has his grandest epiphany of the film. He designs the rest of his life’s work as well as the personality he must have to fulfil it. He decides to limit his profits from gambling each night, go to different casinos in different countries, and take on different disguises in order to keep a low profile. He keeps his extreme Ambition drive, making the same amount of money from gambling consistently each day. With such a lifestyle, moving from place to place and from persona to persona, he will sacrifice any personal life. The Ego drive is gone. He loves the idea of this life more than he loves himself. In place of the Ego drive, Henry has primary principles, the main principle being that taught by the policeman, that it is right to give to those in need and that the right way to do so is to create institutions to pour resources into for their benefit. Until the end, Henry will have primary Security, Ambition, and Principles, which is nearly diametrically opposite to his profile at the beginning of the story. Yet, despite the shift to a reactive, more planned, profile, the life Henry designs is wildly exciting and will be full of the novelty he craves.
In the end the film mentions that when Henry dies his work is complete and that people loved him for the good things he did. Interestingly enough, Compassion or caring for individual’s distress and Attachment caring for close people, were both conspicuously absent in Henry’s profile. He didn’t seem at any point to care for people, yet does incredible things for them. The surprising theme that emerges is the idea that if a person does good then they are good. Personality is not what we intend or say, but what we act out. We couldn’t agree more.
To purchase a copy of the MindHub book, search for ‘MindHub Personality Profiler’ in your preferred search engine or check the Amazon link. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Support our work on Patreon and check our updates on X, Goodreads, Instagram, Rumble and YouTube.
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MindHub Analysis — Taylor Swift
Today, we’ll be analyzing Taylor Swift’s personality using the MindHub system. Taylor’s personality isn’t too complex, but the way that she is perceived by others in the industry is somewhat divisive. Taylor is well-loved by many around the world and is often seen as a model for female friendship. We might break it down, in an overly-generalized way, by saying young women often love her, adult women tend toward dislike, and men are largely indifferent about her personality unless they are dating her. Here at MindHub, we usually track personality changes that occur due to disappointments, but Taylor is a rare statistical case of a personality that has changed over time due to her successes.
https://medium.com/media/68281b4b7f8cbe19f1ee208a6824926f/hrefThe young Taylor Swift was seen as a sweetheart mostly due to her aims. In MindHub, aims are what people strive for in life, but are not necessarily aligned with their behavior. Taylor often spoke about the importance of family, friends, and religion in her life. These aims make her seem relatable and harmless to many.
Now let’s look at her drives or expressed behaviors. At the beginning of Taylor’s career we can see that Taylor is a social and proactive personality. She seeks attention for her talent and also for her physical appearance. In early interviews, we can see a pattern where Taylor is frequently comparing herself to other girls or talking about aspects of her appearance in either a positive or self-effacing way. She was always eager to be playing live and recognized for her songwriting and singing. From an early point in her career, her songs were autobiographical and she also wanted people to understand her story and to control that narrative. Her PR focus was always on telling stories about how she is the girl who supports other girls. There is enough evidence that regardless of having Ego, Taylor did, in fact, support women or girls in distress and she continues to do so. She has a primary Compassion drive in the MindHub system, which means she is ready to give to someone in need. In interviews, we can also see a tendency toward over-politeness, always taking the comfort of others into account. Often people who see Ego and Compassion together dismiss the Compassion as fake. Taylor has definitely had criticism in this area from some famous rivals. Here at Mindhub, we know that such drives can and do co-exist. Taylor also shows primary Greed, she chooses to expand on success by reaching for even more rather than resting on her previous achievements. This expansive tendency is also the reason Taylor doesn’t have primary Ambition, which is mostly concerned with consistent output. Taylor does produce a lot of songs and records, so likely has secondary Ambition in addition to her main drives. She takes enough effort to learn techniques that will be pleasing to her audience, but her main focus is to expand that audience, and we can see the monetary result of her efforts.
Taylor Swift is a wildly successful woman, now nearing a billion in net worth. Her Ego drive is still apparent, and we expect Ego to be the strongest drive in a performer of this caliber as it is functional for performance. However, there are benefits and drawbacks to having early fame. One effect is coddling. Being coddled is a problem because it allows people to live in an echo chamber for prolonged periods so that the person is often not getting the feedback they would need in order to mature. Taylor can sometimes be viewed as a child in a woman’s body and this is a likely cause. Having a close circle, and many family members involved in her career, likely protected her from many dangers related to her industry. On the flip side, another risk is that close people can also stifle expression that doesn’t fit in with their ideas of the already successful persona. Other famous people have faced similar challenges getting their true needs met and their ideas taken seriously. We see in Taylor a drive developing called Principles. More and more, Taylor wants to use the spotlight to share her strong beliefs, but she is still inexperienced in taking in criticism or feedback and tends to be highly emotional when questioned or judged. In Mindhub, having principles means that you are willing to sacrifice to live up to your own ideals. Taylor has, in some instances, shown stubborness with her family and PR team in wanting to speak her mind about political and religious convictions. Doing so can be detrimental to the jaggernaut of a brand that has already been created, but time will tell how and what she will be willing to sacrifice for what she thinks is right. Having the combination of Ego, Compassion and Priniciples would make Taylor a less social ambivert and so perhaps willing to let go of trying to please every demographic. Inner drives in Mindhub including Principles makes someone a bit more edgy, less likeable to some. If Taylor continues as this profile, she will lose some of her fans and draw more criticism.
Taylor is so successful now that she seems to be losing the Greed drive. When people have so much money, as she does, the taste for money can naturally subside. Taylor aimed to expand her audience and for some level of material wealth, now this aim seems almost unecessary. Some might say Taylor has intimate aim, but she does not seem overly attached to the men she dates and shows willingness to break off relationships that are less than ideal for her. At times it seems she is playing with lifestyle transformations and in this seems capricious to onlookers. She does not seem too concerned with her own finances and is generous with large sums. She doesn’t seem to try to dovetail her fame into business ventures as some do. Taylor seems to continue to have the same aims of family, friends and spirituality. Spirituality may be emphasized or take precedence as she learns more about herself. The relative stability of her aims in life has given Taylor considerable fortitude. The way that she has withstood industry pressures and avoided the common traps of celebrity should be respected. Though we’d recommend that instead of taking the attitude the lyrics “haters gonna hate, hate, hate..I’m gonna shake it off” she should consider her as often her other lyric “the problem is me”. We look forward to more years of more grown up autobiographical tunes. Cheers to the next generation of swifties!
To purchase a copy of the MindHub book, search for ‘MindHub Personality Profiler’ in your preferred search engine or check the Amazon link. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Support our work on Patreon and check our updates on X, Goodreads, Instagram, Rumble and YouTube.
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MindHub Analysis — Napoleon
Today, we will make the case that Napoleon is a tactical-leaning proactive social personality rather than the strategic genius some have made him out to be.
https://medium.com/media/63b1d84d3e8c999ebcfc3726e4128ed4/hrefToday, we will make the case that Napoleon is a tactical-leaning proactive social personality rather than the strategic genius some have made him out to be. It is not always the case that a leader with a high IQ is a visionary. When we are looking back through history, we often forget that successes were not inevitable and great risks were not always rewarded. Risk-takers who have succeeded are remembered, risk-takers who fail are not. Napoleon was one of the greatest risk-takers, often betting and succeeding against the odds.
So where did all of this courage come from? Napoleon was born to a noble family on the small island of Corsica. As many who have lived on islands can attest, it can feel confining. Napoleon wanted to try himself in a larger arena. Even at an early age, and likely throughout his life, Napoleon had very strong and fixed drives. In the MindHub system strong Ego is arrogance, strong greed is stinginess and extreme revenge is autocracy. Napoleon displays these drives at their highest levels. His revenge was likely developed due to his perceived lack of options for climbing important hierarchies quickly enough for his liking and at later stages was triggered by being exiled to Elba island. Napoleon’s Drives are primarily positioned in the upper right quadrant of the MindHub circle, which makes him a proactive extrovert. Proactive extroverts are often lively and physically present individuals. You might say Napoleon was concerned with the present and the near-future.
Napoleon’s personality can also be traced through his actions on the battlefield. As a general rule social proactive people primarily lean tactical. He introduced unconventional approaches for his time including splitting his army into smaller more mobile units and changing their formations which had been up until that time very linear. Here Napoleon’s arrogance was functional, because he was not a collaborative person and did not take counsel from others he was able to realize his own ideas and agendas which were strange for his time. He won through strong will and tactical inventiveness.
Strategy is planning and seeing what’s possible, while tactics is finding the best approach to handle a situation or process that’s already underway. Some people may have an understanding of both but every person leans toward one or the other, so one is less developed. That said, we expect to see strategic people on the left side of the MindHub, who are less concerned with or confident in implementing things in the present. Planners are less action oriented and generally more risk-averse. Being reactive is also correlated with conserving energy, while proactive people like Napoleon are more prone to pushing through regardless of reserves to the end. More evidence of Napoleon’s tendency to overwork can be found in his bouts of burnout, as he suffered periodically, rapidly declining in his physical vitality and health after long campaigns or other activities.
A quick word about Napoleon’s personal life. His relationship with Josephine is often seen as somewhat pathetic, as if Napoleon were simping for her. However, it more likely for his type to simply not be able to experience rejection as anything other than challenge. Napoleon’s extreme persistence is more of an indication of his arrogance than romanticism. He was unable to hear the word no or change his plans based on other people’s will or ideas. Other signs that he was not having a high Intimate Aim are his liaisons with other women and his preoccupation with power in other areas.
The real tragedy of Napoleon’s life was its end, as he died alone on St. Helena island, completely cut off from everything and everyone. Going from Emperor to someone marooned in obscurity, is likely to have drastic effects on his personality. Most likely, in his last stage of life, he may have had multiple inner drives. Many have speculated about his daily life guarded at all times and in confinement, but we don’t have definitive answers about particular behavioral changes.
We’ve mentioned previously that Napoleon is often praised as a strategic visionary, and we anticipate in the upcoming film that he may be portrayed similarly. From a brief glimpse of the trailer, we see a quite taciturn and steely characterization which seems to hint at multiple inner drives. He seems physically slow as if he has low energy or possibly depression. We would speculate that the second inner drive along with revenge is regret, meaning he may have primary Revenge, Regret and Ambition. This would make Joaquin Phoenix’s Napoleon a reactive ambivert and possibly a strategist type. Also noteworthy is the lack of Ego. In the trailer he appears quite humble even as they are winning battles or he is crowning himself emperor. It also seems that a lot of his storyline will be devoted to his obsession with Josephine which would make him seem to have high Intimacy aims. It looks as if Josephine will be designed to be a sort of muse influencing his major decisions. We’d wager that the real Napoleon wouldn’t appreciate this.
To purchase a copy of the MindHub book, search for ‘MindHub Personality Profiler’ in your preferred search engine or check the Amazon link. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Support our work on Patreon and check our updates on X, Goodreads, Instagram, Rumble and YouTube.
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February 17, 2025
Date Runner Analysis— Кanye West Tutorial
Kanye West is having what we call here at Date Runner, a Plus two addiction. So, what is a Plus two? A Plus two is a dating approach style, which has the quickest timeframe in both initiating and responding to physical advances.
https://medium.com/media/e1c0273e4308b8f7773b13102571f5a8/hrefPluses prefer to close physical distances quickly, and to participate in physical affection in a shorter timeframe compared to the other approach styles. Pluses might reject or accept their dating options, but they will do so at break neck speed. Little time is wasted. Given this, Plus two’s relationships are more transparent in putting forward what they want, both men and women. They are clear from the jump, so to speak.
Kanye is addicted to this type, apparently. As with other preferences in life, once you find what you like you are unlikely to change it. You have to understand your assets and what would be expected. First of all, be a Plus yourself, meaning you should feel comfortable initiating contact and physical touch after brief acquaintances. Get right down to business quickly and be mindful of all suitable options at once, ideally Great Catches. This is a diametrically opposite mentality to the world of the Minuses, who are slowly responding to a single option at once.
Now, if you still want to be a plus two addict, here is a list of directions, Kanye West-style. This is what Kanye might advise. You need a hunting ground. Go to Plus-y places, like VMA after parties, clubs, and fashion shows. Be the fastest. If it doesn’t happen at the moment just move on to the next target. No hard feelings. It’s just business. Even if you end up connected, be mindful that the hunting doesn’t end when a relationship with plus two begins.
Dating is an exciting game for the pluses as a whole, and such people are unlikely to be attracted to or energized by the Minuses. People are statistically more comfortable with those who share the same approach style.
To purchase a copy of the book, search for ‘Date Runner Calculate’ in your preferred search engine or check the Amazon link. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Support our work on Patreon and check our updates on X, Goodreads, Instagram, Rumble and YouTube.
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MindHub Analysis — RDR2 (2018)
Red Dead Redemption is apparently about redemption, but whose? The MindHub system is used to track personality over time, so by using it we will see how the profiles of the principle characters of the game change over many hours of game play, and hopefully shed some light on any redeeming qualities we can observe. Let’s look at each character in turn.
https://medium.com/media/fddc841f879973395b0fd941320ba819/hrefFirst up, Arthur Morgan. Arthur is the game’s protagonist, a high-ranking
member of the Van der Linde gang and the player’s avatar for the majority of the story. Arthur is an outlaw trying to find his own path in a changing world. He is a simple man, led by his loyalties. In the first part of the game, one of his primary MindHub drives is Boredom, because he engages in almost all of the gang’s activities, even when he has doubts about them. In MindHub boredom is defined as taking part in too many activities or doing things just because there is nothing better to do. Arthur, for the most part, gives his agency to the will of the group and especially to Dutch, the group’s leader and going along with any schemes. He is also having primary Greed, as he engages in a lot of the activities because of the bounty related to them and shows his love for money. Finally, Arthur also has Lust as he likes
to blow of steam. He enjoys drinking with his friends, often
getting extremely drunk, visits brothels, and sometimes enjoys the action of the crime. Arthur prefers not to “shoot up” places unnecessarily
and doesn’t show hostility to either close people or strangers. After Arthur understands the lethality of his illness, and that he doesn’t have long to live, his profile changes from a quite social and proactive profile to a less social and more internally focused one. Though, for some, it might look like he is
having primary Attachment in attempting to save John from the criminal life, we see that it’s really that Arthur has developed what we call Principles as a primary drive. In the beginning, Arthur trusted in the group rules, one example being that they didn’t kill in cold blood. As his gang became more violent, Arthur began to become aware that this rule mattered to him. He begins to have a conscience. He begins to challenge those around him who
kill out of revenge or anger and is many times told he is “going soft”. Through his dealings with the Native tribe, Arthur also further develops a sense of the fairness or the innate justice of life — he says to many characters that he has lived the life of an outlaw and has been a bad person, so he feels that his death is going to be the death he deserves. He becomes more focused on people around him who are able to redeem their lives earlier since he believes he is beyond the point of redemption himself. In this, he also shows primary Regret, as he is, to some extent, remorseful about the way he chose to live or what he could not change in time. Near the very end of his life he might have been having secondary Attachment as he is willing to sacrifice himself for close ones, though this is dubious as he already knows that he will die before his final fight with Michah to save John. Interestingly, Arthur seems to have a quite peaceful death watching his last sunrise, hinting at either some unseen virtues or a greater force of grace.
Next, let’s take a look at Dutch Van-der-Linde, the enigmatic leader of the Van-der-Linde gang. Dutch is known for his charisma and questionable
plans. Dutch is a complex character precisely because he is the most authoritative and, at the same time, the most delusional, even in regards
to his own personality. The game mentions briefly in the beginning,
through the mouths of other characters, that he has killed an innocent person and when Dutch is speaking about it he deems it an act of revenge. Contrary to expectation, Dutch is not having primary Revenge drive. In MindHub Revenge means a willingness to carry out a proportional response to aggression, but Dutch goes further. In fact, Dutch saying things about himself which are not accurate to his actual behaviors is evident throughout the story. So what drives does Dutch actually portray? He clearly loves money and he wants more of it. He has primary Greed in the Mindhub system. Unsurprisingly, for the leader of a gang, he also has primary Ego, he wants to be recognized and respected as a visionary and idolized. However, the most prevalent of his drives is Lust, which he has to an extreme degree. Lust in the Mindhub system is about enjoying destructive activity, but in the extreme it becomes carelessness and apathy regarding the consequences of ones’ actions. Interestingly enough, the man who always says “I have a plan” does not actually care about what happens after any given heist as long as the money comes in. This becomes increasingly obvious to the gang members later in the game. Dutch’s character arch is controversial and many players find it complex or baffling. Even the characters in the game are saying that something happened to him that they don’t quite understand or like. But, if we see his drives from the beginning, his arch makes sense. His profile is quite fixed and unchanging but Dutch has such a charismatic presence and way with words that the gang and most players don’t see his real personality until the actual results of the group’s actions are manifest. The other characters see it clearly only when he deserts them during missions where they might have been injured or killed. Dutch really believes he has revenge, but his disappointments particularly after the Guarma fiasco and Hosea’s death, reveal developing Resentment drive instead. The gang members comment that he is enjoying hurting people and in a way that is out of proportion to the situation. Dutch is the provocateur then the executor, strangling the Italian and the old woman, and killing Cornwall on a “social call”. When Dutch is confronted about anything related to his character or lifestyle he doubles down; he speaks like a preacher who worships the idea of the life of the outlaw as a utopian model, and he justifies killing as a necessary
protection of this supposed Utopia. In truth he is becoming desperate because he knows he is obsolete and is holding on too long. He may believe in something, but it may be just words.
Now for Sadie Adler. She’s a fierce woman who joins the gang after
a tragic event, Sadie becomes a valuable ally to Arthur. Sadie lives through a lot, but doesn’t change much. She has in the beginning the sudden shock of losing everything, her husband and home, and needing to rely on the gang for survival. In the Mindhub system she has primary revenge;
she wants to hit back at the O’Driscolls as much as some other gang members do. She also has primary Resentment, as she blames others in the camp for her feelings of anger or distress. This is evidenced in her fights with the camp cook who she threatens routinely. What might not be obvious from the beginning is Sadie’s primary Ambition. She tells Arthur and others how capable she is of steady work and how much she wants to be able to work alongside the men. She actually is quite capable once they begin to utilize her as a gun. While Sadie may not necessarily redeem herself she does have a subtle arch, which is in starting from a point of total dependence to becoming a real reliable rock for others, from useless to useful.
And finally we have Micah Bell, the most hated character in the Rockstar universe. We can profile Micah as a complete character as he does have the necessary drives, but he can also be viewed in a literary sense as an extension of Dutch — the part of him that’s becoming increasingly dangerous and dark and which Dutch chose to keep around and to become more closely allied with. In life, a personality with Micah’s extremes
is statistically rare and would likely have a personality disorder or multiple disorders as well as extreme degrees of dark triad traits, which many people closely associate with the concept of evil. His most obvious drive initially is extreme Resentment, which in the Mindhub system is hate. He treats people abysmally and enjoys inflicting pain both emotional and physical. He has extreme Greed which is shown through his stinginess, and he wants all the money for himself. Similarly to Dutch, he shares extreme Lust, and is compelled by vice, doing jobs that kill many people with apathy for the massacres left in his wake. Micah is insane, and through him we see the level of Dutch’s increasing insanity. If we take the end of the game as the eponymous redemption it is Dutch’s act of choosing to shoot Micah rather than John that might redeem Dutch. In this final scene of the game, Dutch chooses to kill what was essentially the rotten or dark element infecting the gang, and the agent who provided corroboration for Dutch’s extremism and downfall.
In the end, the characters like ourselves live and die by their choices. Arthur can, through the player’s choices to be honorable or not, garner the understanding or level of self-realization to know the rules of operation of the world, to understand the game. Dutch, increasingly understands the world as well, but refuses to change. In any case, violent men meet violent ends, reflecting the choice to live a nihilistic existence, while honorable people find peace.
To purchase a copy of the MindHub book, search for ‘MindHub Personality Profiler’ in your preferred search engine or check the Amazon link. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
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February 16, 2025
Diplomacy Blitz — Money Streams
In geopolitics, money is not exactly money in the common sense. Most people think about money as a tool for exchange. In geopolitics, it is less like a tool and more like infrastructure, or a network.
https://medium.com/media/c37894a363d518bda186aba67bd2f25b/hrefTo simplify, we might say it is a route. When world leaders and their analysts talk about ‘Money streams,’ they are thinking about movements along these routes. In fact, money streams are the actual connections between countries and they matter more than the international relations machine on top of them. While its true that the world’s most influential families can control money streams by funding or defunding initiatives or entire industries, we will only be able to look at these streams from the perspectives of countries, at the level of international relations. At least in the Diplomacy Blitz system, we are not going to speculate about or analyze the origins of the money flows. We are just going to look at the movements.
Here at Diplomacy Blitz, we will analyze how different kinds of money streams will likely affect countries through the Tier model. While the Highest tier countries are not always the origin of Money streams, they always have a hand in what is aligned with their interests. Even if highest tier countries aren’t directly related to the origin or recipient of the particular money stream, they still have a greater capacity to create a loop siphoning some off for themselves. They have the resources to navigate such operations. So what are the types of money streams? At bottom there are only four. They are: Commodities, Energy, Infrastructure and War.
Commodities are food and material goods, drugs (engineered or cultivated naturally), including pharmaceutical products.Energy: Gas, oil, coal, hydro electric, nuclear, and other sources. Even human labor forces could be categorized as energy source, especially when they are sent abroad in mass.Infrastructure: When foreign investors inject money into infrastructural projects in other countries, this becomes a money stream which expands the investing country’s sphere of influence. Injecting country’s resources into its own infrastructure creates a higher level of stability within the country.War: Apart from weapons manufacturing and trade which is a money stream itself, a war could be used to obstruct an existing money stream, destroy infrastructure, or take control of other money streams.Though some could claim there are other money streams, they arise from these fundamental streams. For example, technology is not a stream itself, because it is just innovations or inventions occurring within the four Money streams. Likewise, media and entertainment are also not a stream, but convenient way of reintroducing resources from the ‘grey sectors’ of the economy. Though entertainment might be used as a propaganda tool, media is almost exclusively a tool for social influence for the masses. Strangely enough, banking is also not by itself a Money stream, but a control mechanism to ensure the interests of the most influential families in the world. In the future, when we analyze countries, time periods or situations, we will track movements along these basic streams.
To purchase a copy of the book, search for ‘Diplomacy Blitz book’ in your preferred search engine or check the Amazon link. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Support our work on Patreon and check our updates on X, Goodreads, Instagram, Rumble and YouTube.
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Money Streams in Geopolitics
In geopolitics, money is not exactly money in the common sense. Most people think about money as a tool for exchange. In geopolitics, it is less like a tool and more like infrastructure, or a network.
https://medium.com/media/c37894a363d518bda186aba67bd2f25b/hrefTo simplify, we might say it is a route. When world leaders and their analysts talk about ‘Money streams,’ they are thinking about movements along these routes. In fact, money streams are the actual connections between countries and they matter more than the international relations machine on top of them. While its true that the world’s most influential families can control money streams by funding or defunding initiatives or entire industries, we will only be able to look at these streams from the perspectives of countries, at the level of international relations. At least in the Diplomacy Blitz system, we are not going to speculate about or analyze the origins of the money flows. We are just going to look at the movements.
Here at Diplomacy Blitz, we will analyze how different kinds of money streams will likely affect countries through the Tier model. While the Highest tier countries are not always the origin of Money streams, they always have a hand in what is aligned with their interests. Even if highest tier countries aren’t directly related to the origin or recipient of the particular money stream, they still have a greater capacity to create a loop siphoning some off for themselves. They have the resources to navigate such operations. So what are the types of money streams? At bottom there are only four. They are: Commodities, Energy, Infrastructure and War.
Commodities are food and material goods, drugs (engineered or cultivated naturally), including pharmaceutical products.Energy: Gas, oil, coal, hydro electric, nuclear, and other sources. Even human labor forces could be categorized as energy source, especially when they are sent abroad in mass.Infrastructure: When foreign investors inject money into infrastructural projects in other countries, this becomes a money stream which expands the investing country’s sphere of influence. Injecting country’s resources into its own infrastructure creates a higher level of stability within the country.War: Apart from weapons manufacturing and trade which is a money stream itself, a war could be used to obstruct an existing money stream, destroy infrastructure, or take control of other money streams.Though some could claim there are other money streams, they arise from these fundamental streams. For example, technology is not a stream itself, because it is just innovations or inventions occurring within the four Money streams. Likewise, media and entertainment are also not a stream, but convenient way of reintroducing resources from the ‘grey sectors’ of the economy. Though entertainment might be used as a propaganda tool, media is almost exclusively a tool for social influence for the masses. Strangely enough, banking is also not by itself a Money stream, but a control mechanism to ensure the interests of the most influential families in the world. In the future, when we analyze countries, time periods or situations, we will track movements along these basic streams.
To purchase a copy of the book, search for ‘Diplomacy Blitz book’ in your preferred search engine or check the Amazon link. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Support our work on Patreon and check our updates on X, Goodreads, Instagram, Rumble and YouTube.
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Diplomacy Blitz
The realm of international relations is a dynamic power structure that all nations participate within and in which their positions determine the course of global diplomacy. Have you ever wondered if countries play rock-paper-scissors to decide who leads? Diplomacy Blitz outlines a tier system showing countries’ spheres of influence and the games they may be able to play.
https://medium.com/media/9251487617f58a217a3fc62cea4692c5/hrefIf we start from the bottom, the lower tier consists of states with minimal reach beyond their borders. Moving up, we encounter countries with regional influence, impacting only their neighboring nations. Further up are superpowers with limited resources, wielding influence in specific distant areas. At the pinnacle, we find the superpowers, impacting events everywhere on the planet. Unsurprisingly, those at the top are more likely to exercise political, cultural, or military control over the rest. If the highest tiers disagree over the balance of power, this can result in escalations and armed conflicts.
Regime types may differ when it comes to domestic politics. They derive from the balance between armed forces and the level of centralization in the country. This classification showcases which major source of power is dominant — ‘Multi-party system’ indicating a common form of governing with branches of government or federations with a higher level of autonomy for its member states. ‘Military rule’ signifies a country dominated by the military under martial law, a military coup, or foreign occupation. ‘Single-party system’ indicates that power is being held under one-party rule. We will delve deeper into examples and case studies to explore how this system operates within historical scenarios and predicts divisions in today’s world.
To purchase a copy of the book, search for ‘Diplomacy Blitz book’ in your preferred search engine or check the Amazon link. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Support our work on Patreon and check our updates on X, Goodreads, Instagram, Rumble and YouTube.
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February 15, 2025
Date Runner
Date Runner is a system that enables you to deconstruct the dating process into its essential parameters and calculate your chances with potential partners of the opposite sex.
https://medium.com/media/287b76758c48356fad09bcde5924b762/hrefLet’s start with the Dating score. From men’s perspective, to understand the women’s score, we need to assess her Appearance, or, said in other words, the combination of face, body and height. The other parameter would be her personality, or how supportive and emotionally stable she is. To have the men’s score, we have to consider their appearance and status. The tricky part here is that different women assess these attributes unequally, leading to varying perceptions of similar men.
One of the most intriguing aspects of dating is the approach style. Think of the score as the cards already dealt, but individuals will adopt diverse tactical approaches to the game. Some will lean towards reactivity, while others will opt for more aggressive play. We will call the people with a passive approach Minuses and the ones with an active approach Pluses.
When interested in someone: -2s are performing minimal verbal approach, -1s are performing active verbal approach, +1s are performing minimal physical and active verbal approach, and +2s are performing active physical and verbal approach.
Please note, that Passion jumps can occur when people desire someone to an extreme degree or are under the influence of substances. Many people are under the impression that only the ‘Score’ matters, and while it is important to accurately understand where you are in comparison to others, it is also important to understand approach styles, how many dating options people have, women’s blacklists, etc.
To purchase a copy of the book, search for ‘Date Runner Calculate’ in your preferred search engine or check the Amazon link. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Support our work on Patreon and check our updates on X, Goodreads, Instagram, Rumble and YouTube.
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