Cabin in the Woods (2011) - The Power of External and Situational Forces

Warning: if you haven't seen the film you may not want to read this.

What's it About?

Five college students head off for a weekend at a secluded cabin in the woods.
They arrive to find they are quite isolated with no means of communicating with the outside world, and everything is not what it seems. They fight traditional horror movie obstacles and an unseen force.
Often the environment, situations, or roles people take on dictates behavior. The major takeaways from the Stanford Prison Experiments tell us this...
There are psychopaths, but sometimes it's not rotten apples, but the barrel itself.

The following are phases of my "Life Learning Cycle": A Method of a lifetime of learning & continuing education that evaluates problems and develops solutions. Always create a life strategy.

Identify the Lesson to be Learned:

Learning how to spot the external and internal forces that influence your decisions and actions. Maybe going to some cabin in the middle of the woods without a way to contact anyone if you need help is not such a great idea. Maybe getting drunk and smoking pot while there is not such a great idea either.

Identify the life Skill to be Mastered or Developed:

Identifying the habits, cliches, & automatic thinking that hinder us all
When someone is trying to control or manipulate you. This film is full of horror movie cliches that's part of the fun. The crazy thing is that out of all the kids at the cabin only one ever speaks up and questions their actions.

Gather Knowledge:

Find out what they are and what causes the internal and external forces.
Learn the tactics used by evildoers. Learn how evil works. Every deception or illusion loses its power over you once you realize how it works.

Apply Critical Thinking Skills:

You have gathered information and knowledge now use it. Ask questions. Find other options, seek advice. Now that you know how evil works figure out how to stop it. Cut off the zombie's head, solve the ghost's problem so they can go to heaven, or break the evil curse. If that doesn't work find a way out of the situation or environment.

Application of Mindfulness Practice:

Mindfulness is about seeing the world as it truly is. anything else is suffering. Once aware stay in the moment, but keep in mind the consequences. Don't think about what you should have done in the past or what you want to do once you get out of the mess you are in. Be in the present.

Identify the Obstacles or Concerns:

Internal forces may be ego, fear, or pride. No doubt in every scary movie someone doesn't leave the haunted house because of money or pride.
External forces may be technology or like in this movie a family of inbreeding serial killers.

Create a Plan of Action:

A strategy is often needed. Develop a plan. Be detailed. Know what you want the endgame to be. The most dangerous situation or an external force? Isolation. It's the first step in making someone do something they don't want to do. It could be physical, mental, or emotional. Support systems matter. Different opinions and points of view matter.

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Resource/Suggested Reading:
The Lucifer Effect, by Phillp Zimbardo, Creator of the Landmark Stanford Prison Experiment