... I wasn't intending to address any of your questions. I was just pointing out that you and me seem to be talking about two different things. I'm talking about what the Mars One crew would actually experience, that is, a few months on Mars. You seem to be under the impression that they will be up there for a lifetime. Answering your questions after being aware of this realization seemed unnecessary.
If you really want me to address your questions I will...
Name one thing that is in any way likely to train or prepare someone for a lifetime of isolation on a desolate world in which there isn't the slightest possibility or hope of return.
In my last comment I explained that you seem to be expecting the people to be up there for a lifetime. I interpret that word to mean many years, at least 30, even though a lifetime is technically more than twice that. Talking about many years alone on Mars is a considerably different scenario than what we are talking about. I address the differences between a 'lifetime' on Mars and the reality of what these people will experience in another comment. I will paste it here for convenience:
You're on a totally different time scale. The adventures in question will be lucky to survive 6 months because of radiation and limited supplies. If they were there for 30 years, why wouldn't there be subsequent missions to Mars in which they might return home or at least be equipped with better conditions? Truth is, if all this works and they are still alive a year after landing, there will be a huge influx of manned Mars missions. Even 10 years of isolation is completely out of the realm of possibility in this case, let alone 30 or 40. I wouldn't defend anyone's psyche after that period of isolation.
And then...
No, deserts do not count: there are animals in deserts, and flourishing human cultures in deserts. More than that, there is possibility of leaving the desert.
You've demonstrated your inability to understand analogies and comparisons yet again. Obviously being on Mars and the desert isn't the exact same thing. I meant to try to put the scenario in terms you might be a little more familiar with, since you seem to believe something about Mars has a magical effect on the human mental state that can't be explained. I compared complete isolation on Mars to complete isolation in a desert, so your point about flourishing human cultures is irrelevant. You must not have gotten the point of the comparison, which was to simply place the same situation (isolation, unavoidable death) on Earth. I'll admit I could have been more clear about that.
Please, in your infinite wisdom, tell me what strategies could there possibly be to prepare a person for life contained within a small dwelling for the rest of their life, far , far removed from anything familiar to them, and with absolutely zero chance of salvation from such a fate?
I just want to make a couple things clear. These people are sent in groups of four. These people maintain communications with Earth. You seem to be picturing a windowless capsule with no way out and nothing to do. They all have jobs to do, they have people to talk to. Now I'll take a snippet from their website about the preparation:
Before they leave the Earth’s atmosphere to travel to Mars, each astronaut will be put through the required eight years of training. The teams will be isolated from the world for a few months every year in simulation facilities, to learn how they respond to living in close quarters while isolated from all humans except for their crew members. In addition to the expertise and work experience they must already possess, they have to learn quite a few new skills: physical and electrical repairs to the settlement structures, cultivating crops in confined spaces, and addressing both routine and serious medical issues such as dental upkeep, muscle tears and bone fractures.
With this preparation, combined with the fact that it just isn't as bad as you think it is, I don't see how you could honestly think people wouldn't be able to mentally last at least a few years. Some people live parts of their whole lives in similar conditions (minus the hostile atmosphere/environment obviously)
Oh , add to the fact that gravity is weaker and day length is shorter and tell me how you would prep a human to deal with that for the rest of thier life as well.
Why is prepping necessary? Weaker gravity isn't something thats going to make you lose your mind (though the physical effects are still largely unknown). Its effects are certainly not mental. A shorter day cycle? Really? It might throw off your sleep schedule and it will certainly throw off your sense of time but its not going to make you lose your fucking mind. Antarctica anyone?