Getting Ahead Slowly in Life

When I was smaller, or rather in middle school I had just learned how to ride a bike from my uncle. So as a child with my family I was a bit full hardy, and decided to join into a race them. My handicap had been my bike needed special shoes to ride with, so the pedals were very small but manageable. About 3/4 of the way through the race I had lost control of the bike; my feet slipped off the pedals and I had just been flying down the street with no control over the bike what so ever. As the bike was finally tipping over my body has instinctively blacked out, once i woke up my two cousins were running over toward's me with a look of terror on my face. They had called over my uncle who had just told me that I had a cherry on my face. At the time I hadn't known what he meant until I went inside and saw my left cheek was just tissue, and half my eye brow was missing. At the time I hadn't noticed but my uncle had given me the bad news of the whole situation, just as Art Markman said in "Do You Want the Good News or the Bad News?", I would have preferred the bad news first. Even though I hadn't heard the good news it was a bit obvious to me, I was able to back up and still have a fully functioning left eye. Looking back on this moment I had realized that a part of my childhood had ended, i wasn't much of a cry baby as I had been before the pain hadn't been there I was just there as if i was fine. I really think this relates to Kyle Chayka's "What Does the Pokémon World Eat? Pokémon." because as a child you were a bit oblivious to small things like this because so many other things were going on. Looking at it now or if I hadn't known this before I would have seen how different the world is and how the innocence we were taught to believe just isn't real, that we have to make hard choices no matter how gruesome they seem. 

In my last two years of highschool I had been very interested in going out places, mainly the beach just to hang out with friends or girls I had been trying to get further along with. I had probably been out there with more girls rather than my other friends. Each time I went it had been a fun time, but talking looking back on it with them had made me realize one thing: that no matter what I did I would never be good enough to get any farther then I already had been. It has always been due to personal appearance just as in Cortney S. Warren said in "The Mass Media, Body Image, and Self-Deception" the only thing they believed a guy should look like is the one in commercials, or movies. Just something that many won't be able to live up to; it was just something that they had subconsciously been conditioned to believe any guy they go after they should be. After a while I had just begun to become upset because they all used the same type of reasoning for men they believed they should have. Then I soon asked my self "Why was this bothering me so much?" Just as Beverly D. Flaxington recommend in "You’re On My Last Nerve!" I should just let it go and start a new. I just decided that it would be best to just remain the way I am, and change if I believe it will benefit myself, not for someone who doesn't even like me the way I am. Up to this point I hadn't known if there was anything else I was doing wrong that just kept me single for the time being. As I read "Friendship vs. Attraction in Romantic Relationships" by Jeremy Nicholson it taught me that there should be a balance between doing something for someone all the time -which is basally what I do- and making them work towards wanting you. In the future I would like to implement this or at least in the part of my life when I feel as though everything is settled and I believe in my self inside and out about all.

When I first started college I hadn't known what to expect, I mainly had the perception that it would be just like everything that you saw on tv, and movies. To my surprise I had just mainly been nervous; I had first started at MDC because i was told it would be better for my major. I had lasted all about two days there and then dropped all my classes to transfer to BC. I had stressed so much over those two days my main problem was that I was lonely I was a stranger there because it had been so far, there was also an immense fear of me just failing. Just as Tina Gilbertson talked about in "Fear of Failure?" I had no idea what I had been afraid of but all I could tell my self was that I just had to leave. It had taken me a while but I was able to transfer over, pick my classes then start in early September; it made me feel a bit better because I was closer to home, and in a more familiar area. I did have a problem with my number of classes at first I only took two classes, then I tried to take on four; it felt as though it was too much for me so i dropped one class. As I began to settle in I had noticed that I would only see small barely get to see anyone I know from the previous year, so I began to isolate my self when ever I could. I would always just find a pair of headphones turn them up to a volume that would keep me in my own little world. What I didn't know was that I could permanently damage my hearing, after reading Kimberly Sena Moore's "Are Headphones Harming Us?" I learned that I was going down a road that could make me deaf for the rest of my life. After a while I began to branch out to the friends I did have and became more accustom to campus. 

Do You Want the Good News or the Bad News?

 Art Markman

Many situations in life involve a double-edged sword that carries good news and bad news.  A promotion at work may come along with an increase in salary as well as more responsibilities and longer work hours.  A workplace evaluation may involve both praise for jobs well done as well as suggestions for improvement.

When you are about to get a shot of good and bad news, what is your preference for getting that news?  What should your preference be?

This issue was explored in an interesting paper in the March, 2014 issue of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin by Angela Legg and Kate Sweeny.   

In an initial study, participants filled out a personality inventory.  One group was told that they were going to get feedback, some of which was good and some of which was bad, and were asked which they wanted to hear first.  A second group was told that they were going to give someone else feedback about their personality inventory and that some of the news was good and some was bad.  They were asked what news they wanted to deliver first.

Most people (78%) wanted to hear the bad news first followed by the good news, because they believed they would feel better if they got the bad news first and ended on the good news.  People delivering news were split.  People who imagined what a recipient would want to hear tended to want to give the bad news first.  Those who focused on themselves tended to want to give the good news first, because they felt it would be easier to start by giving good news.

A second study focused on participants delivering news.  In this study, participants who were encouraged through instructions to think about how the other person would feel when getting the news were more prone to give the bad news first and then the good news than those in a control condition who were not given specific instructions.

An important question, though, is whether we should get the bad news first followed by the good news.  A third study suggests that the answer to this question depends on whether you are focused on your mood or on changing your behavior.

In this study, participants filled out a personality inventory and then were given bogus feedback about their results.  The feedback consisted both of good news (some positive personality traits like being a good leader) as well as bad news (some traits that are not so positive like being low increativity). 

The study varied the order in which participants got this feedback.  Before and after getting the feedback, participants rated their degree of worry as well as their mood.  After getting the feedback, participants rated how committed they were to learning to change the negative aspects of their personality.  At the end of the study, participant had the option to watch some videos to help them make personality changes or to help the experimenter by stapling some packets together.

Participants who got the bad news first followed by the good news were in a better mood and were less worried overall than those who got the good news first then the bad news.  However, participants who  got the bad news first followed by the good news were less interested in changing their behavior and were less likely to elect to watch videos to improve their behavior than those who got the good news first followed by the bad news.

Overall, then, you like to get improving sequences of news, because the last thing you hear affects you mood.  However, it turns out that being a little unsettled is motivating.  So, if  you are hoping to make changes in your behavior, it is better to focus on what is wrong than on what is right.

Are Headphones Harming Us?

 Kimberly Sena Moore

I readily admit that I am guilty of aural self-isolation.

Just the other night, while making dinner, I missed an entire meaningful conversation between my husband and children. I was completely oblivious, not because I was engrossed in the cooking, but because I was engrossed in a book being transmitted through two small, white earbuds.

Like taking an extra-long time in the bathroom with phone in hand, I use these small white earbuds as a way to escape from the stress and chaos that often seems to accompany family life. My bouts of self-isolation do not last long—generally while cooking supper or if I manage to sneak in an extra 15-minute workout—but they are a welcome and temporary escape.

I know I'm not alone in using headphones to self-isolate. In fact, much has been written about it, generally with the slant of the harm it can cause.

There is, of course, the physical harm that can occur to your auditory nerve cells when blasting loud noise at such close proximity, an effect that has even been found in adolescents.

The physical harm can even extend to not allowing yourself to hear the auditory cues in the environment. I wonder about this every time I go for my morning run, phone strapped to my bicep, sport headphones in place. Will I miss any sounds that could potentially alert me to danger?

Then there is the more difficult-to-measure concept of social isolation. Does our earbud use prevent us from engaging in socially meaningful interactions? Others have written about this, wondering whether the accessibility and portability of our devices is making us anti-social.  

But is there a balance? Well, I don't have an answer and I'd be surprised if anyone else does. For starters, there are too many factors involved, which means there is no one "right" way to achieve a balance. These factors include our individual personailities, our goals or needs in the moment, and the situation or context.

Perhaps, though, it would be better for all of us to introduce intentionality and purpose to our headphone use and in when we choose to plug in . . . and when we don't. What if we each challenged ourselves to unplug at a time we're normally plugged in? For me it would be while making dinner. For others it might be while walking, or taking the subway, or shopping. It's hard to predict what might happen, but it's enticing to think about the new experiences, new sounds, and new encounters that may emerge when we expose ourselves to our auditory environment and interact with what's around us.

I don't think I'm ready yet to give up my morning run book reading . . . but perhaps it's time for me to unplug and embrace the beautiful loud chaos and meaningful family conversations of my home.

Fear of Failure?

 Tina Gilbertson

“Failure” is a word that's as vague as it is scary.

Whenever a client cites “fear of failure” as the reason they’re not moving toward a cherished goal, I get curious.

What does "failure" mean to him or her?

It’s always more than just the loss of money, time or reputation.

The psychological toll of trying something new that might not work out has more to do with one’s personal demons than the prospect of measurable losses.

A logistical failure — that is, trying something that doesn’t end up working out — is just a step in the process of creating success.

So why should anyone be afraid of that?

Something even more precious than time, money or even public image must be at stake.

Failure on a logistical level can expose what feels like an inadequate, child-like or vulnerable self.

“If I try and don’t succeed, everyone will know I’m _____.”

You can fill in the blank with your own worst nightmare — stupid, weak, unworthy, etc.

That’s a much harder prospect to deal with than a simple loss of resources.

What Color Is Your Failure-Root?

If you’re used to hearing “Who do you think you are?” (either in those words or implied) you’re liable to find yourself thinking, “Who do I think I am?” when you go for the brass ring.

Whenever we try something new, we take a risk … but the nature of that risk varies from person to person.

So ask yourself: What do you risk when you try something new?

Never stop at “failure” as an answer to that question. What does failure mean to you? How exactly does it affect your sense of well-being?

One common fear that often underlies the fear of failure is being seen as a child impersonating an adult. The mask of adulthood can slip off all too easily, especially when it’s not secure.

What do you stand to expose if you go for it?

Are you worried people will think you think you’re special? If so, the humiliation of a possible failure might be enough to stop you in your tracks.

Concerned about being identified as utterly incompetent? Failure could confirm your worst suspicions about your abilities, or lack thereof.

Get Back to Basics

If you’re not sure what your fear of failure is about, take a cue from themes swirling around in your family when you were growing up.

Here are some family values — by no means all bad — that could create internal conflicts about reaching for goals:

• Humility (You think you’re all that? You should be ashamed of yourself.)
• Security (A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.)
• Having it all together (If you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t bother.)
• Being selfless (If you fail, you’ll have wasted precious resources on yourself.)
• Not taking more than your share (You should be happy with what you’ve got.)
• Hard work (If you fail, it’s because you didn’t work hard enough.)
• Perfection (You only get one shot at this. You’d better get it right!)

If the fear of exposing an unworthy self keeps you from going for the gold, try the following tips.

1. Get to know that inadequate, child-like and/or vulnerable-feeling self. Write down the specific thoughts and feelings that make you feel small, and don’t censor them.

E.g., "I'm afraid to do it myself; I wish someone would help me."

The more you accept these feelings, the less they’ll control your behavior.

2. Parent yourself. Picture your fear as a reluctant child with his or her heels dug in.

Children who are scared need reassurance, not ridicule. Rather than mocking him or her, try to understand what’s got that child worried.

Assure your child that you’ll lead the way and be the protector.

3. Take baby steps. You don’t explore the Grand Canyon by leaping off the edge.

Find a path that winds toward your goal at a pace that feels do-able for you.

Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of small steps in the right direction; by the time you get there you’ll be more ready to be where you are.

The Mass Media, Body Image, and Self-Deception

 Cortney S. Warren

We don't often think about how profoundly the mass media influences the lies we tell ourselves. On television, in movies, and in advertisements, we are fed information about who we should be in our culture (Warren, 2014).

As a woman living in mainstream American culture, for example, attaining the perfect appearance is fundamental to your value from a cultural perspective (Thompson, Heinberg, Altabe, & Tantleff-Dunn, 1999). Specifically, you need to look eternally 18 years old with perfect skin, big eyes surrounded by long eyelashes, white teeth, and a very thin yet feminine figure. If you do not meet this ideal and are deemed unattractive, there is nothing you can do to make up for it.  No matter how hard you try, you cannot be smart enough, funny enough, nice enough to compensate for your imperfect looks—you will never be as valuable as the “beautiful woman” sitting next to you.

As a man living in mainstream American culture, your gender-role is mostly tied to money, intelligence and your physical strength. Not only do you need to be muscular and fit, but you also need to make a lot of money, be educated and be smart. Although you have slightly more flexibility than women around how to be culturally valuable—you can be valued for your money or brains instead of just your physical appearance—you are still evaluated and scrutinized on the basis of these culturally imposed characteristics (McCabe & Ricciardelli, 2004).

From a very early age, we begin learning what is most valued in our culture for our sex. Walk down the aisle of toys at any major store. What does the girls section look like? What does the boys section look like? Even a cursory glance shows that girls should be princesses dressed in pink tiaras, while boys should be strong, car-loving men of action, dressed in military fatigues.

Over time, we consciously and unconsciously internalize these cultural norms, evaluating ourselves and others in comparison to them.  Usually without conscious awareness, we grow up trying to emulate whatever culture deems to be most valuable because we all want to be desired, loved, and wanted. 

In fact, the goal of most mass marketing and consumerism is to make us feel badly about ourselves. We are encouraged to lie to ourselves about our true value because the worse we feel, the more we will buy! For after convincing us that we are less than ideal, the media will offer us endless products that claim to fix our prescribed faults. For example, if marketers convince us that we are not good-looking enough and then offer us products to fix our flawed appearance—make-up, anti-aging products, dieting aids, hair growth serums, plastic surgery—we are more likely to buy them.

A large body of research suggests that the mass media is doing an exceptional job of making us feel badly about ourselves. As we internalize cultural values and ideals of appearance, we become more dissatisfied with ourselves (Cafri, Yamamiya, Brannick, & Thompson, 2005; Warren, Schoen, & Schafer, 2010). In addition to being one of the strongest predictors of eating disorder development, body dissatisfaction leads us to spend enormous amounts of our personal resources—including money, time, and energy—trying to fix our flaws.

The Naked Truth is this: We need to become more critical consumers of the mass media. We need to think about the messages that we learn from a very early age about what makes us valuable or not valuable. As we become more aware of our surroundings and the cultural messages we learned, we must determine whether we aspire to be a certain way because we believe it is right or because we were culturally conditioned to believe it is right (TEDx Honest Liars: The Psychology of Self-Deception). The next time you watch television or a movie, ask yourself: What messages is this show promoting about my fundamental value as a human being? Have I internalized this message? If so, now is the time to change.

Friendship vs. Attraction in Romantic Relationships

 Jeremy Nicholson

Previously, I wrote an article describing research about when you should play "hard to get" in relationships. Beyond the main point of the experiments, the research also found an interesting distinction between behaviors that created "liking" and those that increased "desire" (Dai, Dong, & Jia, 2014). In other words, being easy, congenial, and friendly made a person more "likeable", but not more attractive or desirable as a romantic partner. In contrast, being aloof and challenging made a person more attractive and desirable, but did not make them likeable.

This finding left me wondering whether this distinction between liking/friendship and desiring/attraction could be behind a number of other romantic issues as well. After all, many individuals find it difficult to avoid or get out of the "friend zone" and build a romantic connection with a friend (see here and here). Similarly, "nice" guys and gals often feel like they finish last, being picked over for "bad" boys and girls who seem more desirable (see here). Even those in long-term relationships, who fall into friendly, companionate love, sometimes need help re-sparking attraction and passion (see here).

Given that, I took a further look into this liking and desiring distinction...

Research on "Lusting While Loathing"
What Does This Mean for Love and Friendship?
Conclusion

In my searching, I uncovered an article by Litt, Khan, and Shiv (2010) titled Lusting While Loathing: Parallel Counterdriving of Wanting and Liking. As the title suggests, the researchers were interested in exploring whether our motivation for liking something might be separate from our motivation to want/desire it. In addition, if these motivations were separate, could they sometimes be in conflict with each other.

To test these questions, the researchers designed two experiments that "jilted" some participants in various ways. In the first experiment, some participants failed to win a prize, while others succeeded. In the second experiment, some participants were denied an expected reward, while others received it. The researchers then measured how much participants liked and desired to obtain the various prizes or rewards.

Results of both experiments supported a distinction between liking and desiring - as well as the possibility of the processes working in opposition. Participants who had been jilted showed an increase in desire to obtain the prizes/rewards they had been denied, compared to non-jilted participants. Once obtained, however, those jilted participants also demonstrated significantly less liking for the prizes/rewards than their non-jilted peers, often being more willing to trade them for something else.

Put simply, being denied a reward made people want it more, but like it less when they got it. In contrast, getting the reward made them like it more, but less motivated to work to obtain more of it. Or, as the authors note, "these results demonstrate how dissociable psychological subsystems for wanting and liking can be driven in opposite directions" (p. 118).

As we note from the research above, passionate love and friendly liking can sometimes conflict with one another. Too much nice guy/gal pleasing and you may find yourself killing attraction and desire in your partner. Too much bad boy/girl teasing, however, and you may find that your passionate lover doesn't like you very much.

In other words, satisfying your partner's needs or wants increases how much they like you and feel friendly toward you, but can reduce their desire to chase you for more. In contrast, not satisfying a partner's needs may keep them passionately pursuing you and trying to please you, but will eventually lead to dislike, dissatisfaction, and animosity. Thus, the key is balance, intermittent rewards, and keeping a bit of tension.

How might this look in practice? Suppose we have two partners, Chris and Pat. Every time Pat even hints at a want or need, Chris is quick to fill it. In fact, Chris often fills those needs before Pat truly builds up a big desire for them, just to be nice and thoughtful, without any concern for getting something in return. Over time, Pat will come to like Chris a lot...as a companion and friend. However, Pat may also feel little desire for Chris and perhaps not much motivation to please in return. This is the "friend zone" and the long-term relationship where desire has fizzled out - all liking, no wanting.

Now, suppose Chris was instead neglectful of Pat's needs. Left unfulfilled, Pat's needs and wants would become very strong. Pat would most likely chase after Chris constantly, doing whatever Chris wanted, simply to get some satisfaction. Over time, Pat would come to desire Chris a lot. However, Pat might also feel a lot of resentment toward Chris and perhaps not much motivation to stay in the relationship. This is the relationship with the "bad" boy/girl or neglectful partner that seems so passionate at first, but ends on a sour note - all wanting, no liking.

Thus, the answer for Chris and Pat is to strike a balance. Suppose Chris addressed Pat's wants and needs in a reasonable manner instead. Chris might be quick to address important needs, while placing secondary wants below other matters. Chris might also make Pat wait at other times and earn satisfaction in some way that was mutually-beneficial. Perhaps Chris might even flirt and tease with Pat a bit, putting Pat off for a minute, then offering a surprise. Over time, Chris would satisfy Pat enough to build a great friendship. However, Pat would also have to work for that satisfaction and sometimes wait, keeping some tension and desire as well.This is the balanced relationship - both liking and wanting.

As we have seen, desiring and liking are two distinct concepts and can often be at odds. Building a friendship can sometimes fizzle passion, while sparking desire can sometimes lead to resentment. Therefore, successful relationships balance anticipation with satisfaction - and wanting with liking. Truly successful lovers find the middle ground between too nice and neglectful. As a result, their partners like them, love them...and still chase after them too.

You’re On My Last Nerve!

 Beverly D. Flaxington

Did you ever notice that when someone does something wrong to you – cuts you in line, reneges on a promise, doesn’t do what they said they would – the tendency can be to start to bash them in your mind? You might think about the things you’d like to say, if only you had a few minutes with that dastardly person. Or you might ruminate over all of the rude people, just like that one, that you are forced to deal with every day. Perhaps you shout out (where they can’t hear you) a few choice swear words at them. Other people’s actions can often set off a chain of reactions within us wherein a person goes into a self-talk bubble. They talk to themselves over and over again about the unfairness of it all, and the difficult time that other person has caused.

If this happens too many times, you might find that the next person who perpetrates something negative against you winds up getting on your last nerve. This is the person – spouse, sibling, child or friend – who steps over the line they didn’t even know was there and allows you to unleash all of the frustration that’s built up over time. The self-talk has done its dirty work, and now instead of just talking to yourself about how annoying everyone else really is, you are yelling at the person in front of you or on the phone.

This is the scenario where the person on the other side is scratching their head – or crying, or shrinking away, or yelling back at you – because they can’t imagine what has happened to set you off. This kind of outward reaction can take a few hours, a few weeks or sometimes a few years. This is why family members who seemingly get along just fine may have a blow-up and never speak again. Or why a spouse suddenly says “I want a divorce” even though things didn’t seem so bad.

The time you spend in your head talking about how terrible others are to you is time spent creating a fissure-like problem that eventually will find its way out. Most people don’t know what will finally set them off, but the last straw lands on the camel’s back and the last nerve gets taut and it’s all downhill from there.

You might even feel good about unleashing the anger – “he or she deserved it!” But in reality, life is short and most of the time people do eventually regret using another person as a punching bag. What kinds of things can you do to prevent the build-up from happening? It’s not that you need to put on rose-colored glasses and see everyone as wonderful; you just need to learn to defuse the brewing fissure before it can erupt. Think of it as opening your own personal spigot before the bad emotional response boils over!

1. Remember that it is the human way to do something we “shouldn’t do” to others from time to time. The biblical adage about taking the log out of your own eye before you criticize the stick in someone else’s applies here. While in the moment you are furious with your child for talking back to you, you may not remember that you spoke sarcastically to that same child last week – but you did. You don’t think of your own faults and foibles – and this isn’t about beating yourself up – it’s about seeing that, in different circumstances, that person doing something against you IS you, in another scenario.
2. Turn the golden rule around. Don’t only do unto others as you’d like them to do to you; do unto them as they’d like to be treated. If your spouse is non-talkative and quiet, don’t go out of your way to get them to engage and talk to you and then yell at them for being non-talkative. That might just be who they are. If your child asks you for “space,” don’t go into their room and try to be helpful in that moment. Wait until they come to you. The golden rule can be misapplied, because you might convince yourself that “this is what I’d like someone to do to me….” Instead, see the other person for who they are and do what they need in that moment.
3. Turn your self-talk into objective banter. That person cut you off? Sure, it might have been “rude” and it might have been someone in a hurry who wasn’t paying enough attention. What’s the fact? They got in front of you and made you swerve. Self-talk about that – “That car just got in front of me and I swerved to avoid it.” Then end it there. You don’t need to speculate about the driver and how awful he or she is. You don’t have to use it as the excuse to ruminate about your miserable life and rude people everywhere. Just note it, objectively, then drop it. The moment has moved on.
4. Bring up issues you need to raise when you are calm and feeling in control. Other people do things to us that aren’t the best. If your son hurt your feelings, it’s perfectly okay to tell him so – but don’t paint a picture of what a terrible son he is. Tell him that particular statement, in that particular moment, hit you the wrong way. Ask if he meant it and whether there is something the two of you need to discuss. Bring it up calmly and take responsibility for your feelings, too. Don’t make it about him. Saying “I’m sorry you had to be so mean to me” isn’t what’s needed here. Explaining, objectively, what you experienced and then seeking to understand, is.
5. Start each day new. The person who bugged you yesterday might be a friend today. The negative experience you had with a colleague might be overshadowed by their attempts to help you on a project. People don’t fundamentally change, but the circumstances do. Someone who might have been having their own “bad day” yesterday, could be in a different mode today. Give them a chance to show you. 

What Does the Pokémon World Eat? Pokémon.

Kyle Chayka 

Would you like a Bulbasaur salad with your Pikachu steak?

Anyone who grew up in the 1990s (or any time after that, basically) is familiar with the basic, addictive premise of the Pokémon video games: the world is full of fantastical creatures that “trainers” can collect and make fight each other—kind of like animals, but more easily tamed. But that world, designed for tweens and teenagers, might be far creepier than it appears.

Modern Farmer published an article that analyzes the mysterious food politics of the world of Pokémon and comes to a conclusion: “Simply put, it is a fact that people eat Pokémon.” Collating creatures from the games and comments from the world’s non-player characters who chat up the protagonist, it becomes clear that Pokémon produce the basis of the world’s existence. Miltanks, a cow-like Pokémon, produce milk, while the tail of the Slowpoke, an exceedingly dumb Pokémon, is a delicacy. The poison of the serpentine Arbok makes a delicious cheese.

So how does this change our view of the games? In battle, Pokémon don’t really die, they just faint and have to be brought back to life. But if Pokemon are actually raised like chickens, for food byproducts and meat, then presumably they are fully capable of death. It’s a gruesome food-chain that sees trainers eating the very pals they depend on in battle.

Real animals have popped up in the Poké-universe in early art and comic books, but they gradually disappear in later games. When a character eats a hamburger, one has to assume it’s more of a Poke-burger. Thankfully, no reference to eating Pikachu has yet been made—you don’t have to eat ‘em all.