Your brain is biased by default. Here’s how to reset it.

[Paco Dennis]

For those who are interested in our conditioning to see the world a certain way, usually by habit. I like the idea because it sets many new options for seeing the world in new, and fresh ways.

David Eagleman, a neuroscientist at Stanford and host of the Inner Cosmos podcast, explores how our brains shape the reality we experience and why we often accept our perceptions as the only truth. From a young age, we develop our understanding of the world based on limited experiences and biases, which can lead us to form narrow views about what's true.Eagleman explains that our genetics and life experiences wire our brains in unique ways, meaning that each of us sees the world a little differently.

He introduces the idea of "perceptual genomics," which looks at how slight genetic differences influence our perception of reality. He also discusses how our brains naturally create in-groups and out-groups, a tendency rooted in evolution that affects how much empathy we feel for others.To overcome these biases, Eagleman suggests that we start by recognizing our own prejudices, understanding the tactics of dehumanization, and connecting with others through shared interests. This approach helps us appreciate the diverse realities others experience, ultimately contributing to a more empathetic and understanding society.

 

[Murrmurr]

This idea reminds me of a film called Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It's set in the not-so-distant future when people can have their memories wiped if the memories are screwing up their lives, causing relationship break-ups, obstructing their life goals, and generally making them unhappy.

But, of course, the corporations that stand to profit greatly from the memory-wiping treatment must first convince everyone that the poor choices they make are not are the cause of their problems in life, it's their memories, which can be successfully erased....repeatedly.

 

[Paco Dennis]

understanding the tactics of dehumanization

That caught my attention. I can trace how this has happened in my experience, and it does bring a "light" that shines in that corner of my memory. It has helped in my understanding and reaction to difficult and complicated social problems.

 

[David777]

Haven't watched the link video yet. People need more than just a reset per that link.

Over decades I've criticized the lack of teaching at high school levels, of how to critically think that requires studies in logic and reasoning, fallacies, interpersonal conversation, common sense, etc. I consider this a serious issue, especially now in an age where so many are being manipulated by media. Our way overpopulated human world is being overrun by myriad human factors leading to eventual destruction. Makes me want to find some place to hide.

In my early 30s considered changing from my electronic career into psychology so at a local upscale city community college took numbers of courses on various subjects. After being away from high school a dozen years, was appalled by how poorly minds of most students worked. At a logic class with maybe 3 dozen post high school age students, the professor absolutely destroyed all but two of us within the first couple days. Students were terrified of answering any questions because he made their thinking sound so stupid.

I had a similar experience when I entered the USAF career field training that for the first time in my life as someone that had always lived in California middle class suburban Caucasian suburbs, was suddenly exposed to other men A to Z from other states, ethnic, and cultural classes that supposedly all had high school diplomas to enter military technical fields.

It isn't that so many people have low intelligence but rather due to neural plasticity while growing up had structured their minds with flawed forms of thinking. Much black and white conversation styles and absolutist thinking that should instead be posed with relative terms.

Logical reasoning - Wikipedia

 

[Murrmurr]

That caught my attention. I can trace how this has happened in my experience, and it does bring a "light" that shines in that corner of my memory. It has helped in my understanding and reaction to difficult and complicated social problems.

I would argue that even with improved communication, connection, and experiences with people all over the world, which we have today via the internet, some people will not reject their personal biases, and that some people's biases will actually be strengthened or expanded, due to the presuppositions and perceptions they developed during early-life programming.

Taking my former foster son as an example, I suspect he will never really trust the couple who hope to adopt him because, when he was 4, they promised him regular visits with me, then changed their minds a month later. He was devastated. And it wasn't the first time someone had reneged on that particular promise. Time and time again, people who had authority over him have made that promise and then broken it.

A lot can go wrong because of this.

 

[Murrmurr]

Haven't watched the link video yet. People need more than just a reset per that link.

Over decades I've criticized the lack of teaching at high school levels, of how to critically think that requires studies in logic and reasoning, fallacies, interpersonal conversation, common sense, etc. I consider this a serious issue, especially now in an age where so many are being manipulated by media.

That was my first thought, too. Like me, I assume you're not blaming schools, but the authoritative body that governs education.

Our way overpopulated human world is being overrun by myriad human factors leading to eventual destruction. Makes me want to find some place to hide.

IMO, if there aren't yet enough people on the planet to stop a small minority from causing our eventual destruction, then we need more people.

It isn't that so many people have low intelligence but rather due to neural plasticity while growing up had structured their minds with flawed forms of thinking.

Fortunately, almost all of us mature.

 

[Mr. Ed]

If I open my mind, no telling what I might learn.

 

[HermitHogan]

Sure, that's easy for Eagleman to say and preach to us; he was born to a wealthy family and spends his days working at a prestigious university in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the country. Let's see him take a walk through one of the poor neighborhoods in Los Angeles late at night and then report back.

 

[Mr. Ed]

I don’t want to reset my mind

 

[dilettante]

It can be fascinating, even mind boggling, to see what kinds of things consume unused mindshare among the effete.

 

[Nathan]

@Paco Dennis , very good video,David Eagleman does a good job of presenting complex personal and social thought and behavioral functions in a simple straight forward manner.