RE: Brain rejects negativity
October 11, 2011 at 7:21 am
(This post was last modified: October 11, 2011 at 7:23 am by Welsh cake.)
(October 10, 2011 at 6:07 pm)paintpooper Wrote: I would slap those people in the face.... tower there tower not there. We can debate how they got destroyed and reasons behind it, but to deny that they are gone is ludicrousOh that's nothing. On the day that the attacks were happening I recall the BBC playing someone's amateur video-footage of the second plane going into the south tower. The man filming was horrified and he realised the gravity of the situation. The woman next to him said with a half-arsed attitude "*sigh* this is too depressing, come on let's go shopping". When I heard that I was like: "You stupid whore! There are people dying right in front of you! This isn't something that you can pretend to disconnect from, like an accident occurring on the other side of the planet!” - unbelievable. A brain that rejects negative aspects of life is also a brain that seems to lack empathy for others going through these awful events in this particular instance.
Quote:I don't think if all people were informed that we are just a tiny insignificant speck of space dust that the species would destroy ourselves, I find that an absurd assumption.Its because if the brain didn't reject negativity, the realisation that we actually don't matter at all in the universe would depress many who assume this world revolves around them. Some may become violent even.
(October 10, 2011 at 10:00 pm)BethK Wrote: I'm wondering if this bias toward optimism and rejecting negative information outright might be what's behind some of the Holocaust Deniers. These people completely deny that the Holocaust ever happened, and that it's just some sort of propaganda. Some of them are on the right-wing nut bandwagon, but some of them are just ordinary people without any real issues one way or another.I've pondered this not long after the article was published. We may be generalising those people who cannot accept they live in a reality where wars and genocide can occur with extremists and fascist groups.
(October 11, 2011 at 12:59 am)Rayaan Wrote: But there are also negativities in religion itself such as the idea of eternal punishment in Hell.Yes, but let's suppose for sake of argument the doctrine on hell is true. How many people actually think they're going to hell for all eternity? Do evil people identify or think of themselves as evil? No. The human brain rejects negativity, so said people believe wholeheartedly they are ultimately going to Heaven.
I think there a poll done back a while ago that revealed more theists believed in Heaven rather than Hell to start with, and didn't reject the consequences of damnation outright, because Heaven served as a contrast, some regarded Hell as a warning of chastisement rather eternal punishment, believing that they'd all get multiple chances from God/Yahweh/Allah whatever for redemption, and eventual salvation.
Its interesting that people cannot accept the possibility of Hell without the possibility Heaven in this regard. Their brains can't accept infinite loss without infinite gain. Take away Heaven, and believers will no doubt reject Hell.