Live data from Hacker News

It’s Complicated: Unraveling the mystery of why people act as they do

theamericanscholar.org

1–10 of 190 posts

Re: It’s Complicated: Unraveling the mystery of why people act as they do

#5
Call it anyway you want, lizard brain, flyers (Castaneda), Yaldabaoth (agnostics), this force that pushes evolution on earth at great speed through predatorial behavior like competition and flight or fight.

We humans are the most intelligent species and still can't overcome it, as a civilization whatever political system or religion we tried no matter how hard we try we can't seem to overcome it, we still have wars and violence.

When few succeed to inspire people to overcome it and fight without violence like Mahatma Gandhi did they inspire humanity and are called saints by their nation.

When an individual can control his own feelings to such an extent that violence or anger feelings can no longer touch him we call him enlightened.

Maybe this force is not only trying to help us evolve but wants to teach us something marvelous if we overcome it.

Re: It’s Complicated: Unraveling the mystery of why people act as they do

#6
post #5

Call it anyway you want, lizard brain, flyers (Castaneda), Yaldabaoth (agnostics), this force that pushes evolution on earth at great speed through predatorial behavior like competition and flight or fight. We humans are the most intelligent species and still can't overcome it, as a civilization whatever political system or religion we tried no matter how hard we try we can't seem to overcome it, we still have wars a…

Evidence, please. Vague speculation doesn't belong here IMO.

Re: It’s Complicated: Unraveling the mystery of why people act as they do

#7
post #5

Call it anyway you want, lizard brain, flyers (Castaneda), Yaldabaoth (agnostics), this force that pushes evolution on earth at great speed through predatorial behavior like competition and flight or fight. We humans are the most intelligent species and still can't overcome it, as a civilization whatever political system or religion we tried no matter how hard we try we can't seem to overcome it, we still have wars a…

Evidence, please. Vague speculation doesn't belong here IMO.

Exactly what are you asking for evidence of?

Re: It’s Complicated: Unraveling the mystery of why people act as they do

#8
Per Deep Thought, the answer to life, the universe and everything is 42.

It's a very deep thought, if you go past the literal interpretation.

EDIT:

Before you down vote, read what I meant, since it is obvious that if you are considering a down vote then you're not getting what I'm referring to, and probably think I'm talking about numerology.

What I'm referring to is his choice of a number to represent the answer to life, universe and everything. Not a magical number, but just A NUMBER. It shows how futile it is to try and answer some questions in a mechanical/mathematical way. Some questions are not computable, and there is more meaning to life beyond the rational.

Re: It’s Complicated: Unraveling the mystery of why people act as they do

#9
post #5

Call it anyway you want, lizard brain, flyers (Castaneda), Yaldabaoth (agnostics), this force that pushes evolution on earth at great speed through predatorial behavior like competition and flight or fight. We humans are the most intelligent species and still can't overcome it, as a civilization whatever political system or religion we tried no matter how hard we try we can't seem to overcome it, we still have wars a…

Well, if you look at the human brain, it's just a larger cortex on top of the primitive brain stem. So I think, simply looking at our brain architecture, we are will always be impacted by the emotional low level impulses that were the main drivers of behaviors of our ancestors.

Re: It’s Complicated: Unraveling the mystery of why people act as they do

#10
This is true even at a personal level. If you think you know why you act the way you do but you have never done an experiment to validate it you have a pretty good chance of being wrong. Even for simple things, like how fast you drive, is it the speedometer and you are looking at it, or is it how your engine sounds, and if turn up your music do you drive faster and is that because you are more aroused/excited, or is it because you can't actually hear how loud your engine is? Or maybe it is something else entirely.
Post reply on HN