Very Important Research! (Open)

[Locke F. Herald]

"Well....some changes might be more drastic then others. I mean, how do you define what someone is at their core?" He asked Rin. "How can perfectly normal people break apart their core values and become killers? And in that regard how can convicted criminals turn around and lead a healthy and happy lifestyle? If people were incapable of change at the base level, then that wouldn't be possible."

He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Of course the one requirement to that is wanting to change. And if you don't want to, well then why should you? It's your life, live it the way you want. I am sure there are enough people who won't be freaked out by whatever quirks we may have. After all, I'm not exactly one to talk."

[rin]

A logic battle with a genius! What had he gotten himself into? Grinning he shifted a bit just a small figet in anticipation of an actual intelligent conversation.

"All that's true yes, but there's a big difference between say a serial killer who most likely experienced child abuse, or some other tramatic experience during their childhood. From say a man who kills his wife and her lover when he finds them together in his bed." Playing with his bracelet his eyes darkened. "These convicted killers never lose that piece of them though. That piece that says kill, death. When that kind of parasite enters the mind it doesn't leave. They might be happy and 'rehabilitated' but in the right circumstances people will see nothing has really changed just gotten buried."

He nodded completely agreeing with the fact that people would have to want to change. Rin didn't believe in change. He believed that all the crap people did and went through just got piled on top of each other. Like a giant jig saw puzzle forming one giant picture. People didn't change they just shifted.

"People can change the situation they are in. Change a job, change clothes, change everything on the outside. But who they are inside doesn't change." Looking away he bit his tongue. If people could really change then...No he wouldn't think of that now. "All we do is pile new crap on. Those old pieces of ourself are still inside of us. We can choose to follow the new part that we added, but that old part is still there."

He nodded again eyes rolling over to gaze at the boy from beneath his long bangs. "Just because I change my clothes doesn't mean I'm any less girlie."

[Locke F. Herald]

"Ah but." Locke said wagging a finger. "You say change as if it means destroy and rebuild, but it doesn't It merely means to alter in some way. If you are walking from here back to your room, the route you can take may change. Does that mean the old route ceases to be? Of course not. It's still there, but it just isn't being used, as you said. But that doesn't mean that what has happened wasn't change. You elected to change the route you took, you could chose to change it back if you wished." He finished, smiling.

"The image you give to people is your choice, and if you are happy with it, then who has any right to tell you to change it. Certainly not me that is for sure." He said with a nod.

[rin]

He shook his head smiling slighlty. "Yes, but that isn't true change. Change in a person is different than changing a route to the bathroom. Change means leaving the old behind in people. I've never met a person who can complete leave the past behind them, to leave their old self behind them."

"A person who kills might shift their dark feelings to something else but it's the same concept. It's still dark. Say a killer doesn't kill anymore but instead becomes a sadist in the bedroom." He was almost pacing now as he talked. "Or a man who abuses his children but once through jail sentencing he comes out beating bags in the gym. You're not changing the person you're just redirecting that bad part of them to something else."

He stopped to face the boy a dark look in his eyes. "You even prove my point with your point. You're not getting rid of the old route therefore its still there! So it's not a change it's just a cover."

Course Locke had a point, people's versions of change were different. It appeared that there's were different, and neither of them were probably going to convince the other that their point of view is the right one.

"I'm happy with who I am, other people aren't. I deal with it most days..." He shrugged, "But I could have worse problems so I don't think about it too much."

[Locke F. Herald]

"Worse problems...yeah." Locke said, nodding. In truth, he was surprised, this boy was a skilled debater. It caught him off guard and he found himself unarmed in their battle. But still he would try.

"I think the problem is that you define change as something that isn't possible under normal circumstances. Unless someone has their memory erased, all we can do is build off of past experiences, and then change as you define it is impossible not because of any personal flaw, just because it's a physical impossibility. But if you define change instead as a change in a persons views, in their actions, or in a way that they lead their life, then change is possible, simply by building upon the past experiences that make up their life. It's not easy, but by no means is it impossible, at least the way I look at it."

Not bad for being unarmed.

[rin]

Ah, yes, the different point of view argument had finally come up. He smiled thoroughly enjoying this little chit chat. It wasn't often one who have a verbal battle with a kid who clearly rang boy genius.

"That is a good point. A solid point. If you don't mind looking at the world through gold sunglasses." Basically, fine look at the world in an optimists point of view. "But if you get blind sided by someone you thought had changed then it will just prove my theory. You can't go around in this world thinking people really can change for the good. At least not all the time."

Maybe he was just a jaded person, and to look at the world through cloudy sunglasses was just as bad? But at least his way he'd least likely get hurt. "It's all layering, not changing, and in truth even if you whiped the person's memories the urge could still be there. The whole nature vs. nurture argument. Some people believe that if people have a happy stable childhood then they'll be happy stable people when they grow up."

He was back to leaning against the ladder as he spoke. His eyes drifting upwards. "But sometimes that isn't all. Sometimes people are just born with that darkness that leads them to do bad things. Or people raised in rotten backgrounds grow up to be upstanding citizens. So even if you take out the memories the part of them that makes them them could very well still be there."

Rin grinned anxious to hear what the boy would throw at him next.