Great piece, and I share your struggle! Here's my input, for what it's worth, and in broad strokes, or, to paraphrase a saying in my neck of the woods - big steps bring you home quick.
It is my impression that a lot of people - I wouldn't be surprised if it's a third to half of humanity - have, to different degrees, trouble thinking on a conceptual level, akin to people being color blind.
The color blind not only cannot see colors, they have no conception of colors. Colors literally fall outside their perception.
Like I said, the same goes for people who cannot think on a conceptual level. Conceptual thinking falls outside their perception.
This inability has all kinds of consequences:
- These are not 'bad' people, nor are they inherently 'stupid.'
- But, just like the color blind know they can't see colors even though they don't know what colors are, these people know they're missing 'something' - an understanding of the world that goes beyond the practical. The wider world appears chaotic to them.
- These people depend on 'outsourcing' conceptual thinking, but not to just anyone. They are susceptible to the person who tells them that they very much can think conceptually - can see colors. They are especially susceptible if the person telling them there's nothing wrong with their conceptual thinking cannot, him or herself, think conceptually, the reason being that this person does not look down on them for their inability, or pities them for it. That person is, after all, one of them.
- This person not only 'cures' their inability, he or she also takes away the feelings of inferiority and insecurity resulting from it, feelings they've been confronted with throughout life.
- Finally, these people are susceptible to following someone who promises a single solution to all of their problems - joblessness, rising rents, housing shortages - because they are unable to see that those problems are not necessarily related in their origin. The simpler the solution, the better understood.
Herein lies the essence of the problem. These people cannot be told they're following a person who is incapable of conceptual thinking - is 'color blind' - for they can no more recognize the inability in that person than they can see it in themselves.
They are literally blind to what comes naturally to the rest of us - seeing that the person they're following has no conception of the world, and is feeling his or her way through a pitch-dark room.
When told they're following someone who does not understand the world, they feel personally offended, as if being told they themselves do not understand the world. They will double down on their allegiance to the person they're following.
If that person is what we call a 'bad' person, they won't recognize the bad, because it is part of the solution.
Coming back to your article - by stating that the old, rudimentary, lizard-like functions of our brain can influence the higher, more recent functions and vice versa, you are, if I underestand you correctly, suggesting that all of those functions are present in all people.
They are not. Some of the higher functions of our frontal lobes - such as conceptual thinking - are missing in a lot of people, probably because they're relatively new, and are not essential to our survival. To this day, scores of people can function fine without it.
Unfortunately, it is the absence of a brain function that brings people to following the person amongst them who suffers most from its absence...
There is another large piece that sways and controls people on a daily basis, which I suppose could go under psychology or sociology. I'm speaking about the field of marketing/advertising/sales. I've spent about 40 yrs in these fields, and got very good at it. I understand what makes someone do what they do, and how to either change it or use it. The fascists have some extremely good marketers (propagandists) among them, which is why they are so effective at getting their message across. Dems are woefully light years behind in this. There are so many nuances to capturing someone's attention and then getting them to make a decision in your favor, and I swear none of them have a damn clue. This latest catch-phrase of "Strong floor, no ceiling" is about as shitty as you can get.
Yes, politics is deeply psychological. Religion is 100% psychological. Combine the two and you have all of human history. That's why Spinoza wrote his Theological-Political Treatise, a work that explores the fatal role of obedience in both religion and politics, obedience to the priests and kings the American Revolution was fought to eradicate once and for all. We're still waiting for that to happen.
Excellent overview! This would explain why many of us feel ontologically and psychologically assaulted by the tRump regime. To deliberately suppress the full potential of humanity is indeed evil.
5 years ago, you saw a fading star & reached out, helping to guide me out of #QAnon
I seldom look back, but 5 years my mind was imprisoned & narrow, filled with fear. So much has changed and I’m proud of the lady I’m becoming. I’ve learned that fear is a favorite tool of high control groups, making us vulnerable and easier to control. I’m forever grateful that you noticed my fading star & cared enough to become a friend. Because of you, #IGotOut
Great piece, and I share your struggle! Here's my input, for what it's worth, and in broad strokes, or, to paraphrase a saying in my neck of the woods - big steps bring you home quick.
It is my impression that a lot of people - I wouldn't be surprised if it's a third to half of humanity - have, to different degrees, trouble thinking on a conceptual level, akin to people being color blind.
The color blind not only cannot see colors, they have no conception of colors. Colors literally fall outside their perception.
Like I said, the same goes for people who cannot think on a conceptual level. Conceptual thinking falls outside their perception.
This inability has all kinds of consequences:
- These are not 'bad' people, nor are they inherently 'stupid.'
- But, just like the color blind know they can't see colors even though they don't know what colors are, these people know they're missing 'something' - an understanding of the world that goes beyond the practical. The wider world appears chaotic to them.
- These people depend on 'outsourcing' conceptual thinking, but not to just anyone. They are susceptible to the person who tells them that they very much can think conceptually - can see colors. They are especially susceptible if the person telling them there's nothing wrong with their conceptual thinking cannot, him or herself, think conceptually, the reason being that this person does not look down on them for their inability, or pities them for it. That person is, after all, one of them.
- This person not only 'cures' their inability, he or she also takes away the feelings of inferiority and insecurity resulting from it, feelings they've been confronted with throughout life.
- Finally, these people are susceptible to following someone who promises a single solution to all of their problems - joblessness, rising rents, housing shortages - because they are unable to see that those problems are not necessarily related in their origin. The simpler the solution, the better understood.
Herein lies the essence of the problem. These people cannot be told they're following a person who is incapable of conceptual thinking - is 'color blind' - for they can no more recognize the inability in that person than they can see it in themselves.
They are literally blind to what comes naturally to the rest of us - seeing that the person they're following has no conception of the world, and is feeling his or her way through a pitch-dark room.
When told they're following someone who does not understand the world, they feel personally offended, as if being told they themselves do not understand the world. They will double down on their allegiance to the person they're following.
If that person is what we call a 'bad' person, they won't recognize the bad, because it is part of the solution.
Coming back to your article - by stating that the old, rudimentary, lizard-like functions of our brain can influence the higher, more recent functions and vice versa, you are, if I underestand you correctly, suggesting that all of those functions are present in all people.
They are not. Some of the higher functions of our frontal lobes - such as conceptual thinking - are missing in a lot of people, probably because they're relatively new, and are not essential to our survival. To this day, scores of people can function fine without it.
Unfortunately, it is the absence of a brain function that brings people to following the person amongst them who suffers most from its absence...
There is another large piece that sways and controls people on a daily basis, which I suppose could go under psychology or sociology. I'm speaking about the field of marketing/advertising/sales. I've spent about 40 yrs in these fields, and got very good at it. I understand what makes someone do what they do, and how to either change it or use it. The fascists have some extremely good marketers (propagandists) among them, which is why they are so effective at getting their message across. Dems are woefully light years behind in this. There are so many nuances to capturing someone's attention and then getting them to make a decision in your favor, and I swear none of them have a damn clue. This latest catch-phrase of "Strong floor, no ceiling" is about as shitty as you can get.
Yes, politics is deeply psychological. Religion is 100% psychological. Combine the two and you have all of human history. That's why Spinoza wrote his Theological-Political Treatise, a work that explores the fatal role of obedience in both religion and politics, obedience to the priests and kings the American Revolution was fought to eradicate once and for all. We're still waiting for that to happen.
Excellent overview! This would explain why many of us feel ontologically and psychologically assaulted by the tRump regime. To deliberately suppress the full potential of humanity is indeed evil.
Fantastic essay Jim💯💯💯👍
5 years ago, you saw a fading star & reached out, helping to guide me out of #QAnon
I seldom look back, but 5 years my mind was imprisoned & narrow, filled with fear. So much has changed and I’m proud of the lady I’m becoming. I’ve learned that fear is a favorite tool of high control groups, making us vulnerable and easier to control. I’m forever grateful that you noticed my fading star & cared enough to become a friend. Because of you, #IGotOut