

When Our Brains Short-Circuit - geezer
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/opinion/02kristof.html?_r=1

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TrevorJ
"If you come across a garter snake, nearly all of your brain will light up
with activity as you process the “threat.” Yet if somebody tells you that
carbon emissions will eventually destroy Earth as we know it, only the small
part of the brain that focuses on the future — a portion of the prefrontal
cortex — will glimmer"

Correct me if I am wrong here, but it's a darn good thing too. How horrible
would it be if you got a flight or fight response every time a possible
diffuse future threat was mention in passing by someone? I hardly think this
example can be characterized as a flaw.

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msie
It's a flaw if we are short-sighted most of the time and not using our power
of reason, foresight to prevent threats in the not-so-immediate future. Also,
we react to future threats differently depending on the type of threat. We
react more strongly to the threat of WMDs in Iraq than we do to climate
change. The article is suggesting that there is a hard-wired reason for this
and we are not being completely rational when evaluating both of those
threats.

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TrevorJ
"using our power of reason, foresight.."

I never said we shouldn't use our powers of reason and foresight. Reason and
foresight are NOT the same thing as a fear response. They are, in fact, very
different and precisely the response we SHOULD have. The entire reason for
reflex action in the body is to respond to _immediate_ threat. The fear reflex
is entirely inappropriate when dealing with longer term problems that require
thought and foresight.

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msie
We are in agreement. I reread the last part of your initial comment and I see
that I somehow misread it. My apologies!

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pmichaud
If any readers are interested in this sort of thing, then I highly (very, very
highly) recommend the following links:

<http://www.overcomingbias.com>

<http://www.lesswrong.com>

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whyleyc
Bypass registration and view the article directly here:

[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/opinion/02kristof.html?_r=...](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/opinion/02kristof.html?_r=1)

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edw519
Sounds like OP gives a free pass to those who only use the reptilian third of
their brain because of "evolution".

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joeyo
You go to war with the brain you have, not the brain you wish you had. The
best you can do is be aware of these emotionally-charged valences so that you
are able to discount them when appropriate.

Besides, even if you could completely turn off these processes, I am not sure
that you would want to. By calling it the reptilian brain you make it sound
like it is only appropriate for reptiles. The fact is, the same system that
tells us instinctually that snakes are threats is probably involved in much of
what is called "people skills". Normal social interactions would be at a huge
disadvantage without them.

