This recent “Fast Draw” segment, The Truth about Lies (on CBS Sunday Morning) demonstrates why many things most people believe turn out not to be true. Also interesting are the two comments at the end. It is sobering and humbling to see how blind and deaf we can be. Oh how the power of belief walks all over clear and irrefutable evidence. What accounts for belief’s power(1)?
From a symptoms point of view, I would have to say we hold so tightly to belief because we need to. Well, duh, you say? Truth be told, drilling down into what appears obvious can be enlightening. So I ask, what hunger do we feel so deeply that belief helps satiate? Continue reading ‘The Truth About Lies’
It’s about time we changed our species’ name from “Homo sapiens” to something like “Homo sociālis, my best Linnaeus guess. We are not the great “wise” or “knowing” animal that we claim to be. We are instead among the greatest of social animals, (for our size anyway). I became increasingly convinced of this over the years as I’ve observed how we are not as wise or knowing as we think we are, yet we are more profoundly social than we realize. Recent research reported in the Science News article, In-laws transformed early human society supports this. Naturally, I could quibble with some of the hypotheses… that’s what hypotheses are for, but why bother. The basic premise is sound, and besides the research backs up my suspicions! Continue reading ‘It’s Time We Changed Our Name’
Japan's earthquake and tsunami 2011
The recently series of disasters in Japan triggered serious fear in some folks in America. This is curious considering how far removed we are from the actual experience. This, I reckon, is key to what sets us apart from other animals. Thinking enables us to make matters worse than they would otherwise be (of course the opposite is also true). The fluctuating stock market is a perfect example of both cases. On the other hand nightly newscasts focus on the negative; bad news sells. Continue reading ‘Fear Rules’
They say, nothing is certain but death and taxes. I’d add to that spending! The current haggling over spending, taxes, and the debt problems this country faces is an interesting example of the ‘blind spot’. In the arguments I hear, each side fails to step back enough to see the problem broadly. I know that’s how nature intends it; competitive interaction fleshes out fitness and all that. Still, it helps to pull-head-out-of-sand to see where we may be headed.
First watch this 60 Minute segment on the Corporate Tax Rate dealing with one aspect of this issue (1). It hints at why the old paradigm doesn’t work well in a global market place. Continue reading ‘Nothing’s Certain but Death and…’
Yum yum
Eventually science will discover most everything that is discoverable(1). Recently research, reported in the Science News’ article, Cerebral Delights, flushed out some primary neurological links between fear and need.
I have felt for a few years now that fear stood at the head waters of all emotion, including those related to need. Additionally, what fear and need mean is not as straightforward as often thought, at least as I use those words. So before getting into the meat of this issue, I should clarify my sense of these words, especially need. For starters, you might review my caveats concerning need and fear. Continue reading ‘Reward, Fear & Need’
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