Üsküdar University Founding Rector Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan answered Senem Uluhan’s questions on the Ekran Haber YouTube channel. Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, who frequently emphasizes the importance of “Social Psychology” by closely observing social life, made striking statements regarding contemporary relationships and technology. Tarhan, who also made evaluations on artificial intelligence, said, “If psychology is introduced into the field of computation, it can replace a psychiatrist.”
Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan answered Senem Uluhan's questions on the Ekran Haber YouTube channel. Tarhan, who explained his views on psychology management in societies, toxic relationships, and artificial intelligence, also listed what needs to be done to avoid depression. Here is Nevzat Tarhan's interview...
"Learned helplessness model"
Nevzat Tarhan, emphasizing that losing hope in goodness emerges in societies during times of learned helplessness, stated the following:
"It is something demonstrated experimentally. They train monkeys. When the monkey reaches for a banana, it gets an electric shock. When it's shocked, it pulls its hand back. After a while, it starts not reaching for the banana because it understands it will be shocked when it reaches for it. This is the learned helplessness model. Similarly, society experiences learned helplessness sociologically when evils increase."
"Coincides with the time of the prophets' arrival"
Nevzat Tarhan, stating that wise individuals emerge in society as evils increase, said, "These wise individuals explain the negative developments in society with their reasons. Those wise individuals guide society, bringing people together again before a major disaster occurs. When we look at history, the time for goodness to come, when evil increases in such societies, always coincides with the times when prophets arrived."
"Bad world syndrome is a term that has entered the literature"
Tarhan stated that ignoring others causes an increase in evils, and these are referred to as the bad world syndrome. Tarhan continued his words as follows:
"Bad world syndrome is a term that has entered the literature. It's the widespread feeling that the world will get worse, that there's no hope for the future. In such situations, there are 3 types of reactions. In bad world syndrome, people resort to avoidance behavior. Some individuals fall into depression, collapsing. They withdraw from everything, and those we call passively suicidal abandon themselves to the flow of life as if committing suicide. Another group becomes aggressive. When such hopeless and pessimistic situations become widespread in society, if people do not fall into despair and pessimism, there is always a way out."
"Not losing our hope is a critical concept here"
Nevzat Tarhan, pointing out that the right position should be taken against evil, said, "When I ask what makes a kite fly, people always say the wind. The wind doesn't make the kite fly; the kite's position against the wind makes it fly. Evil has become globally widespread. The position we take against evil might create an opportunity for us. It creates our opportunity to do new things. Not losing our hope is the critical concept here."
"Toxic individuals disrupt social peace"
In his interview, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, who also talked about toxic relationships, stated that he explained this in his 2002 book 'Psychological Warfare'.
"'At the very end of that book, I described these individuals as trouble-making personalities. Individuals/personalities who disrupt social peace. There are 5-6 personality types related to this,' said Tarhan, continuing his words as follows:"
"All these personality disorders feel uneasy themselves and also make others feel uneasy. They do not do this to others intentionally; they do it because it is inherent to their character. That's why they believe in what they do. And because they believe, they are effective."
"Snake venom is medicine in the right dose"
Nevzat Tarhan added that the term 'toxic' is a symbol in medicine, saying, "A snake is a venomous animal with venom. If snake venom is used in the right dose, it's medicine. If used incorrectly, it kills. That's the message there. In illness, if medications are used appropriately and in the right dose, they become medicine. If used in excessive doses, they become poison. Toxic personalities are like that, too."
"Artificial intelligence can replace psychiatrists"
Answering the question, 'Will artificial intelligence have psychology?', Nevzat Tarhan concluded his statements as follows:
“Artificial intelligence has a threat aspect, but its opportunity aspect is greater. Artificial intelligence can probably easily provide most of the conversation we are having now. This will make life easier. If psychology is introduced into the field of computation, it can replace a psychiatrist. But according to current knowledge and data, it processes the physical symptoms of human emotions. However, regarding the calculation of the soul, the inner world by artificial intelligence, there is currently a part of the human soul beyond space and time. Artificial intelligence cannot imitate this.”