If Bill Gates were killed in a car accident. He might find himself being sized up by God.
"...Well, Bill, I'm really confused on this call. I'm not sure whether to send you to Heaven or Hell. After all, you enormously helped society by putting a computer in almost every home in the world, and yet you created that ghastly Windows 95. I'm going to do something I've never done before. In your case, I'm going to let you decide where you want to go!"
Bill replied, "Well, thanks, God. What's the difference between the two?"
God said, "I'm willing to let you visit both places briefly if it will help you make a decision."
"Fine, but where should I go first?"
God said, "I'm going to leave that up to you."
Bill said, "OK, then, let's try Hell first."
So Bill went to Hell. It was a beautiful, clean, sandy beach with clear waters. There were thousands of beautiful women running around, playing in the water, laughing and frolicking about. The sun was shining and the temperature was perfect.
Bill was very pleased. "This is great!" he told God. "If this is Hell, I REALLY want to see Heaven!"
"Fine," said God, and off they went.
Heaven was a high place in the clouds, with angels drifting about playing harps and singing. It was nice, but not as enticing as Hell. Bill thought for a quick minute and rendered his, decision. "Hmm, I think prefer Hell," he told God.
"Fine," retorted God, "as you desire."
So Bill Gates went to Hell.
Two weeks later, God decided to check up on the late billionaire to see how he was doing in Hell. When God arrived in Hell, he found Bill shackled to a wall, screaming amongst the hot flames in a dark cave. He was being burned and tortured by demons.
"How's everything going, Bill?" God asked.
Bill responded, his voice full of anguish and disappointment, "This is awful; this is NOT what I expected. I can't believe this happened. What happened to that other place with the beaches and the beautiful women playing in the water?"
God says, "That was the screen saver."
I've read this joke a number of times and the surprise and put down gets me giggling every time. At one level there is our human quality that likes to humble people in power, especially ones that seem flawed and thus are fair game. Since all of us are flawed, the manuever, the put down is popular. In transactional analysis this maneuver, called a game maneuver, is known as "Now I Got You." Getting someone or something is a common theme in humor, better them than me. Psychologically it is our opportunity to giggle or gloat at another's expense.
From another perspective this joke reveals a common experience. We have all been in Bill Gates' situation where we are misled by the screen saver. We buy a home that looks ready to serve us well only to discover the fresh paint covers a water leak. We fall in love with a person met at a party who exhudes positive qualities only to discove the show was to make someone else jealous or covers a mean spirit. We all run into these screen savers that mislead us. In being misled we join with the poor soul in the joke, knowing the joke is on us too.
There are a number of elements at work when we experience being fooled. Sometimes we really are fooled. There are people who are willing to be deceptive. We can learn some of the common signals people give out that indicte deception, but there will be people good at deception who mask those signals. Sometimes our own desire to get a "good deal" arouses our own deceptive abilities. Our own interest in deception can divert our attention from a deciever.
Other factors can also play in falling for a screen saver. Some children surrounded by truama decide to not notice the conflict, brutality, or other stresses. Ignoring family stresses can be useful for a child, but the when habit persists in adult life problem solving becomes difficult. Other children, appreciated for thier sweet disposition, learn to only notice what is pleasant. These habits which are formed at an early age makes self discovery difficult. People who find themselves fooled often, or unaware of deception can profit from counseling where the counselor helps the person identify his or her participation in falling for screen savers. It is also important for people to be taught the signs that indicate possible deception.
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