From: Keith Henson (hkhenson@rogers.com)
Date: Mon 07 Jul 2003 - 14:23:29 GMT
At 09:31 AM 07/07/03 -0400, you wrote:
>On Sunday, July 6, 2003, at 04:53 PM, Keith wrote:
>
>>I find it hard to see this social primate psychological trait as a
>>weakness any more than capture-bonding or attention-reward since it has
>>been an essential response to attack for millions of years. But it is
>>clear that this psychological mechanism can *also* be hijacked by cults,
>>demagogs, and jingoistic "going to war" memes by getting people to feel
>>like victims.
>
>It might be better to discuss such traits as innate behavioral mechanisms
>rather than psychological, although I admit I'm cleaving thinly.
The terms "innate behavioral mechanisms" and "evolved psychological traits"
are close enough to me that I might have used them interchangeably.
>But, it is pointedly true that such behavioral mechanisms are 'hijacked'
>by cultural entities, most markedly cults.
And I think it is really important for us to understand these mechanism.
>Jealousy and other barbed and destructive emotions are also vital tools
>for any 'us-vs-them' manipulations.
Most of the examples I can think of where jealousy was involved tended to
disrupt cults/tribes. I wonder if you could think of some examples?
>The investigations of primatologists are continually enlightening.
Yep.
Keith Henson
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