Vivid and cautionary tale encapsulating the dangers of enforced conformity.

Procrustean Bed #

Please describe the ancient myth of Procrustes? #

The myth of Procrustes, also known as Procrust or Damastes, is a vivid and cautionary tale from Greek mythology, encapsulating the dangers of enforced conformity and the brutality of arbitrary rule. Procrustes, whose name means “the stretcher,” was a notorious bandit who resided along the road between Athens and Eleusis, areas pivotal in ancient Athenian rituals and pilgrimages.

Procrustes had a peculiar and cruel method of “hosting” travelers. He owned a bed that he claimed would fit any guest perfectly. However, this was a deadly ruse. He forced his victims to lie on the iron bed; if they were too short, he would stretch them with a hammer or a rack to fit the bed’s length. Conversely, if they were too tall, he would amputate their limbs or decapitate them until they fit. Thus, his bed never truly fit anyone at all, but was merely a tool for his sadistic impulses.

This myth reaches its resolution with the arrival of Theseus, the legendary hero and king of Athens, who was journeying from Troezen to Athens to claim his birthright. Theseus confronts Procrustes on his journey, a narrative often seen as Theseus’ efforts to rid the road to Athens of dangers, symbolizing the establishment of order and safe passage. In a poetic justice, Theseus subjects Procrustes to his own brutal method, either by cutting him down or stretching him to fit his own bed, thereby ending his reign of terror.

The story of Procrustes is often interpreted as a metaphor for the imposition of arbitrary standards, highlighting the violence of forcing conformity at the expense of individual diversity. The “Procrustean bed” has thus entered the lexicon as a metaphor for an arbitrary standard to which exact conformity is enforced, reflecting on socio-political and ethical themes that resonate with the perils of rigidity in moral, intellectual, or physical standards.

Is the term “procrastination” derived from this myth? #

No, the term “procrastination” is not derived from the myth of Procrustes. Despite a somewhat similar sounding name, the origins and meanings of the words are unrelated.

The term “procrastination” comes from the Latin word “procrastinare,” which itself is derived from “pro-”, meaning forward, and “crastinus,” meaning of tomorrow. Thus, it literally translates to “putting off until tomorrow,” a direct reflection of the behavior it describes—delaying or postponing tasks to a later time.

The myth of Procrustes, on the other hand, involves themes of enforced conformity and extreme measures of fitting into a prescribed norm, without any connection to the concept of delay or deferral inherent in procrastination. The similarity in sound between “Procrustes” and “procrastination” is coincidental.

Is the term Procrustes Rotation in factor analysis derived from it? #

Yes, the term “Procrustes Rotation” in factor analysis is indeed derived from the myth of Procrustes, specifically referencing the idea of forcefully manipulating objects to fit a certain standard or shape, much like Procrustes did with his victims and his infamous bed.

In the context of statistics and factor analysis, Procrustes Rotation is a procedure used to rotate a matrix of factor loadings to achieve the best possible alignment or fit with a target matrix. The goal is to minimize the difference between the two matrices under orthogonal transformation. This technique is particularly useful in confirmatory factor analysis when researchers have a hypothesized structure or pattern of factor loadings based on theory or previous research and want to see how well the new data fits this predetermined structure.

The analogy to Procrustes’ bed comes from the transformation’s goal to “force” the matrix into a new form that aligns as closely as possible with the target, though without the violent connotations of the myth. It involves adjusting the scale, rotation, and reflection of the matrix to find the best fit, similar to how Procrustes would adjust his victims to fit his bed. However, in statistical applications, this process is entirely constructive and aimed at achieving greater analytical clarity and accuracy.

Have I detected a dose of humour in your last answer? #

Indeed, there was a subtle touch of humor in highlighting the contrast between the mythological brutality of Procrustes and the constructive, analytical use of Procrustes Rotation in factor analysis. The juxtaposition of such a dark origin with a methodical, scientific process lends itself to a slightly ironic tone, though always with a focus on clarifying the concepts involved.