...your brain! Recent brain imaging studies explain the reasons why we just can't even talk to each other about politics without the conversation deteriorating into screaming threats. Nice...
A published University of Southern California study revealed that when a person's political beliefs are challenged, parts of the brain light up that are associated with the emotional response to a threat and are associated with personal identity. Wow, that's looking for trouble.
You think you are presenting a rational basis for your beliefs and opinions and what does your friend experience? Those shrieking sounds from the movie, Psycho...
When their brain starts screaming, "Threat, threat, threat!", their reasoning brain shuts down and ignores any of the rational evidence that is in conflict with their believes and the emotional part of the brain takes over. No reasoning takes place when adrenaline is dumping into your blood stream. Interestingly nonpolitical statements did not elicit the same response.
The dialogue is over and the hurt feelings and broken relationship is all that remains. Uh oh.
The dialogue is over and the hurt feelings and broken relationship is all that remains. Uh oh.
The author of the study said, "The inability to change another person's mind through evidence and argument, or to have one's own mind changed in turn, stands out as a problem of societal importance. Both human knowledge and human cooperation depend on such feats of cognitive and emotional flexibility". Let's face it, we've locked everyone out of the conservation except those "in the club".
Frankly, peoples' behavior during this election reminded me more of "cult" dynamics than political party membership or ideology. Peoples' beliefs had become completed entrenched. They were their political ideals. No daylight between them.
The brain has what the researchers called a "default mode" network that is engaged when a person is self-reflective while "thinking about their own past and future, and personal identity". Basically, it is involved with a person's inner world. The "executive attention network", in contrast, is recruited when dealing with the external world. Because the "default mode" lights up during political conversations, it reveals that political ideology is deeply ingrained.
Frankly, peoples' behavior during this election reminded me more of "cult" dynamics than political party membership or ideology. Peoples' beliefs had become completed entrenched. They were their political ideals. No daylight between them.
The brain has what the researchers called a "default mode" network that is engaged when a person is self-reflective while "thinking about their own past and future, and personal identity". Basically, it is involved with a person's inner world. The "executive attention network", in contrast, is recruited when dealing with the external world. Because the "default mode" lights up during political conversations, it reveals that political ideology is deeply ingrained.
If you're thinking that political beliefs are parallel to religious beliefs, you're spot on. Why is this so? Because they are integral to who you are, were likely established when you were younger and influence the kind of friends and job you have. It's a continually reinforced belief system.
The author of the study indicated, "To consider an alternative view, you would have to consider an alternative version of yourself". That's a tough one, especially considering that your personality is "set" by about age 6 years. No wonder people feel threatened when politically conflicting statements are thrown around. You're attacking me!!!
The author of the study indicated, "To consider an alternative view, you would have to consider an alternative version of yourself". That's a tough one, especially considering that your personality is "set" by about age 6 years. No wonder people feel threatened when politically conflicting statements are thrown around. You're attacking me!!!
When people confront us with arguments that go against the very grain of our being, we feel bad. So, we try to reduce those negative feelings by minimizing the person who is arguing with us and finding ways to enhance our position. If you're like the rest of us who "got into it" with our friends and family and on Facebook, nothing we said changed a thing. Our actions simply got in the way of our relationships.
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The conservatives tell the liberals to "Shut up. We had to live with Obama for 8 years. You lost, we won" and the liberals are marching in the streets, assaulting people and burning down businesses or so the news reports.
Here's my "take". Unlike when I was growing up, the media cannot be trusted. We trusted Walter and Chet and David. Can't trust any of the "journalists" now. None of them. Because we are being robbed of fully participating in our country's business by operatives on both sides, don't you dare jeopardize your relationships with those you love by believing any of it...any of it.
And, if you consider that the study was conducted using 40 liberal volunteers and not a random, stratified sample ("gold standard" in statistical sampling), the results might be questionable, but they actually fit other research.
The American Psychological Association, in one of their journals I read last summer, posited that liberals process information using the emotional circuits of their brains, the limbic system, while conservatives relied on the reasoning part of their brain, the cerebral cortex. Regardless, we need both kinds of minds to run a healthy country.
If all of the research is true, we're in trouble. We haven't remained a nation, but a cluster of cults blindly subscribing to what we believe and closing ourselves off to any other point of view. No one person can unite us. We have to make that decision for ourselves. Every single one of us has to do better every day.
TTFN, Claudia
Here's my "take". Unlike when I was growing up, the media cannot be trusted. We trusted Walter and Chet and David. Can't trust any of the "journalists" now. None of them. Because we are being robbed of fully participating in our country's business by operatives on both sides, don't you dare jeopardize your relationships with those you love by believing any of it...any of it.
And, if you consider that the study was conducted using 40 liberal volunteers and not a random, stratified sample ("gold standard" in statistical sampling), the results might be questionable, but they actually fit other research.
The American Psychological Association, in one of their journals I read last summer, posited that liberals process information using the emotional circuits of their brains, the limbic system, while conservatives relied on the reasoning part of their brain, the cerebral cortex. Regardless, we need both kinds of minds to run a healthy country.
If all of the research is true, we're in trouble. We haven't remained a nation, but a cluster of cults blindly subscribing to what we believe and closing ourselves off to any other point of view. No one person can unite us. We have to make that decision for ourselves. Every single one of us has to do better every day.
TTFN, Claudia
