Thoughts on 🤔

Why is denial often the first reaction when people don't want to believe in the information? Why did denial evolve?

#psychology of wishful 🙏 thinking

#EvolutionaryPsychology #CognitivePsychology #InformationProcessing

I will be posting a series of #PsychologicalHealth messages that are intended to be constructive psychological #health advice (advisory info)

My ethics policies are:

*Hashtag the post with #science if the knowledge is exclusively based on the scientific literature (ask if references are required)

Or a combination of #science & #PsychologySpeculation hashtags if the general connotation of the post is speculation - that's based on my scientific knowledge.

#EvolutionaryPsychology

#RobertStickgold - The New #Science of #Dreaming

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ILMEAyxbw0&ab_channel=CloserToTruth

#Philosophy #PhilosophyOfMind #PhilosophyOfConsciousness #Consciousness #Mind #MindBodyProblem #Neuroanatomy #Neuroscience #Dream #Dreams #Psychology #Evolution #EvolutionaryPsychology #CloserToTruth #RobertKuhn

Survival of the kindest?

Evolution Talk: Altruism

Episode webpage: https://evolutiontalk.com/altruism/

Media file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/evolutiontalk/ET036_Altruism_FINAL.mp3?dest-id=522162

#genes #genetics #EvolutionaryPsychology #Altruism #nature #kindness #wildlife #nature

#introduction post, after few years on mastodon

- #italian
- #computerscientist and #softwareengineer
- #opensource and #openculture advocate
- #internet #protocols
- #internet #identity
- #humour #humor (often #absurd )
- #philosophy
- #anthropology and #psychology (#cognition and #evolutionarypsychology )
- #cooking and #food

with few aspirations and projects:
- #homeautomation (#homeassistant I look at you)
- #writing #shortstories

Our minds were adapted within a village context where everyone knew eve. Gossiping about what people had done or said was a popular form of communication. Although, gossips can spread misinformation & disinformation (AKA mistaken beliefs & lies)

Political gossiping is a popular behaviour on social networks. On social networks, gossips can get away with lying. If their lies are revealed, they just open another account

#internet #psychology #EvolutionaryPsychology #twitter #facebook

Our minds were adapted within a village context where everyone knew eve. Gossiping about what people had done or said was a popular form of communication. Although, gossips can spread misinformation & disinformation (AKA mistaken beliefs & lies)

Politcal gossiping is a popular behaviour on social networks. On social networks, gossips can get away with lying. If their lies are revealed, they just open another account

#internet #psychology #EvolutionaryPsychology #twitter #facebook

Walking the right path towards a sustainable culture.

Over the last ten years or so, since the information that human activities are changing the climate went more mainstream, I've noticed virtually no sign that the people I see locally are doing anything to change their activities.

The local #sheep farmers: continue to burn piles of wood on their land (CO2 emissions). The local sheep farmers continue to transport sheep using diesel vehicles (CO2 emissions). The local landscape continues to be in a deforested and sheep-wrecked ecological condition (legacy CO2 emissions. Present & future CH₄ [methane] emission). The local farmers continue to be offended if their sheep farming lifestyles are called into question (i.e., they're not changing for anyone or anything).

The people I observe locally continue to drive combustion engine vehicles (CO2 emissions). The tourists continue to pull their caravans or drive the, often increasing in size, campervans (CO2 emissions). And of course, the fossil fuel industries continue to extract and sell more fossil fuels. The logging industries continue to sell wood fuel for power stations or people's wood stoves. The national #uk #conservative government continues to try and open a new coal mine locally. The local people continue to have coal, gas, or kerosene delivered by diesel trucks to their homes.

Generally, only over the last 10 years since environmental protestors made the mainstream pay attention to the science of climate change, nothing has generally changed locally that would mitigate climate change. The general businesses want to continue as usual, the average consumer wants to continue as usual.

What also has not changed over the previous ten years is that greenhouse gas emissions keep on rising https://ourworldindata.org/greenhouse-gas-emissions

However, there have been some noticeable changes locally over the previous ten years. There have been more frequent floods from autumn to winter and longer drier periods during summer.

I can't speak for the world. However, it's self-evident what the future is going to be for the people in my local community (they're not mitigating climate change. They're not adapting to be more climate resilient). Eventually, climate change is going to regulate their lifestyles in the most severe way. Of course, if the world (human population in general) acted to mitigate climate change (reduce their greenhouse gas emissions & restore their local ecosystems. i.e., natural habitats), my local communities' climate inaction, apathy, and virtue signaling wouldn't be so much of a problem. But, the world isn't mitigating climate change. Climate change is mitigating the world.

There is an ecologically and economically viable solution to living a low-impact lifestyle https://qoto.org/@Empiricism_Reloaded/110511036586999020

However, a sustainable lifestyle requires a change of lifestyle (for the majority). And as with all animals, (most) humans behave as if they're creatures of habit (& belief).

The path to ecological sustainability is walking the path (not only talking about it & or not only protesting about it).

#futuregen #wales #climate #politics #economics #business #money #culture #corruption #psychology #MoralGrandstanding #EvolutionaryPsychology

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Casara Andre about helping dogs with cannabis. I met Dr. Andre during a dog trainer conference in 2019 and subsequently worked with her team to assist two of my dogs with ailments, injuries, and aging through the use of cannabis. We ...

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/5ey7KtbyEAb

#podcast #dog #dogs #dogsofmastodon #dogtraining #dogbehavior #dogtrainer #Ethology #EvolutionaryPsychology #Genetics #NeuroScience #CanineResearch #AnimalBehavior #happydogtraining #RalfWeberCDT

They think they're cool (clever) but they're behaving like fools.

The difference between understanding evolutionary biology at some level or another, and not, is that informed people can understand the drivers or motivations that make animals do what they do (including humans. At some level).

An evident motivator that everyone will be aware of is hunger. Hunger is a negative behavioral motivator. Whilst many people in wealthy countries will not have experienced real hunger, at extreme levels hunger will dominate the animal's mind (as would thirst). The animal would be "obsessed" with trying to find food (I acknowledge the anthropomorphization of "obsessed". However, a feeling of angst that focuses the animal's attention on finding food). Basically, the feelings associated with hunger are adaptations. If an animal was born that did not feel hunger, it would die - it would not pass on that behavior to the next generation (Although, if that animal was a human, a baby, carers could make sure that the youngster eat enough food).

Humans are no exception (though some delude themselves otherwise. A form of narcissism or ego), humans are also driven by feelings (emotions or instincts). For example, many humans take part in relatively foolishly dangerous behaviors because they are "showing off". Whilst any human can "show off", (many) men tend to dominate in the showing off by taking part in stupidly reckless activities department. Showing off is status-seeking behavior. For example, showing off resources such as expensive sports cars. Showing off by, in their minds, showing off their driving skills by driving cars fast or riding motorbikes fast. If the car or motorbike has a relatively loud engine, well, that's another way to show their status (perhaps they perceive that some people look at them because they're cool - rather than thinking they're simply noisy irritating fools).

So, what they don't realize is that they're actually acting like fools. They think they're cool but they're behaving like fools. Fundamentally, they're being idiots. Their dangerous driving is risking the safety of other people for no reason - other than to show off (an instinct - which is now a maladaptation). Of course, many adult males, as they mature, may come to realize that their risk-taking behaviors are simply not worth it. However, that realization (learning or maturity) takes a level of intelligence. Some adult males never grow up (they just look older).

Risk-taking behaviors are particularly dangerous when, for example, many adults are voting in a democracy. For example, they may ignore the medical advice about wearing face masks during a pandemic or the scientific warnings about climate change. Apparently, face masks aren't macho enough!

So, how do we mitigate the fools thinking their cool social psychological phenomenon? We try to educate more people about evolutionary psychology so that they recognize stupid when they see it.

Evolutionary Psychology - The New Science of the Mind https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429061417

#adaptation #psychology #EvolutionBiology #EvolutionaryPsychology #SocialPsychology #health #education #sports #cars #motobikes #democracy

#maladaptation #mutation #SarCov2 #covid #pandemic #climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis

They think they're cool but they're behaving like fools.

The difference between understanding evolutionary biology at some level or another, and not, is that informed people can understand the drivers or motivations that make animals do what they do (including humans. At some level).

An evident motivator that everyone will be aware of is hunger. Hunger is a negative behavioral motivator. Whilst many people in wealthy countries will not have experienced real hunger, at extreme levels hunger will dominate the animal's mind (as would thirst). The animal would be "obsessed" with trying to find food (I acknowledge the anthropomorphization of "obsessed". However, a feeling of angst that focuses the animal's attention on finding food). Basically, the feelings associated with hunger are adaptations. If an animal was born that did not feel hunger, it would die - it would not pass on that behavior to the next generation (Although, if that animal was a human, a baby, carers could make sure that the youngster eat enough food).

Humans are no exception (though some delude themselves otherwise. A form of narcissism or ego), humans are also driven by feelings (emotions or instincts). For example, many humans take part in relatively foolishly dangerous behaviors because they are "showing off". Whilst any human can "show off", (many) men tend to dominate in the showing off by taking part in stupidly reckless activities department. Showing off is status-seeking behavior. For example, showing off resources such as expensive sports cars. Showing off by, in their minds, showing off their driving skills by driving cars fast or riding motorbikes fast. If the car or motorbike has a relatively loud engine, well, that's another way to show their status (perhaps they perceive that some people look at them because they're cool - rather than thinking they're simply noisy irritating fools).

So, what they don't realize is that they're actually acting like fools. They think they're cool but they're behaving like fools. Fundamentally, they're being idiots. Their dangerous driving is risking the safety of other people for no reason - other than to show off (an instinct - which is now a maladaptation). Of course, many adult males, as they mature, may come to realize that their risk-taking behaviors are simply not worth it. However, that realization (learning or maturity) takes a level of intelligence. Some adult males never grow up (they just look older).

Risk-taking behaviors are particularly dangerous when, for example, many adults are voting in a democracy. For example, they may ignore the medical advice about wearing face masks during a pandemic or the scientific warnings about climate change. Apparently, face masks aren't macho enough!

So, how do we mitigate the fools thinking their cool social psychological phenomenon? We try to educate more people about evolutionary psychology so that they recognize stupid when they see it.

#adaptation #psychology #EvolutionBiology #EvolutionaryPsychology #SocialPsychology #health #education #sports #cars #motobikes #democracy

#maladaptation #mutation #SarCov2 #covid #pandemic #climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis

@albertonuno7 Hi Alberto,

The short answer is a fascination with subjectivity and the unconscious mind. And while some of #Freud's and #Lacan's theories have been disproven, there is still much within their works that are useful and utterly fascinating, if one remembers to be as objective and critical as possible.

our key philosophical interest is #EvolutionaryPsychology and specifically we've begun to be most interested in the #evolution of ideologies, not just philosophically, but from an evolutionary perspective. This study necessarily includes the development of the unconscious and subjective experience.

Some of our subjective interest also include a secular #mindfulness and #meditation practice and we have observed that some of what Freud, Lacan, and #Jung, observed and theorized seems to be true within the subconscious, and what we can induce about our own subjective and unconscious constructs.

Likewise there are are centuries of data to be gathered from #Buddhism. One only needs to be patient and discreet enough to examine it as objectively as possible.

While some of the harder psychological sciences (adjacent) are producing fascinating and important findings from the empirical realm, mindfulness for example, when it comes to the #evolution of the subjective and unconscious aspects of mind, we think #psychoanalysis, #PsychoanalyticalPsychology, and the philosophers who examine these aspects of #mind and ideologies will be fruitful, especially through the lens of evolutionary psychology.
#philosophy #ideolology #psychology

Title options - Why do folk deny the science that they don't like? (the clue is "don't like")

What is their (intrinsically fundamentally flawed) problem?

The ignorant leads the ignorant paradox.

The biased leads the biased paradox.

The scientifically illiterate leading the scientifically illiterate paradox (you decide the title)

I will settle on the title - why the frig are humans such air-polluting animals?

A famous #scientist once wrote "The Demon-Haunted World: #Science as a Candle in the Dark" (Carl Sagan - book title)

That darkness has not, generally, been mitigated.

Throughout this essay, I will use third-person pronouns such as "they" or "humans" because, generally, I do not fit into their cultures (I'm fine with that on my part). There are only so many times you can say "No! That's a bad idea!" & for them to do it anyway before you come to realize that someone has a serious problem. And it's either them or me! (spoiler, it's not me)

They're "creatures" of habit with an implicit, evolved, appetite for destruction. #evolution

From my perspective, nowhere is the polluting psychological maladaptation of humans more explicit, than their desire to light fires. They simply can't get enough of it! They are attracted to fire like a moth is attracted to a flame.

But, burning carbon-based fuels is the primary cause of #climate heating therefore #ClimateChange & the diseases that are caused by air pollution.

Carbon-based fuels are -

Plants ("biomass") such as wood fuel & its products such as charcoal (E.g., charcoal briquettes)

Coal, crude oil, and the myriads of crude oil-based products such as diesel, petroleum & kerosine.

Gas ("natural" or "biogas". Carbon-based chemicals)

So, even when humans are apparently doing the activities that they have to do (so they say), & they often vote to do, such as fueling up their vehicles, lawnmowers, leaf blowers, strimmers, etc, etc, with fossil fuels, they are also attracted to the recreational activities that burn fuels. For example, campfires, BBQs, firework displays, etc.

They truly are creatures of (ancient) habit. And those habits, those activities, are why humans are heading for degrowth. Not a sensible evidenced based #degrowth of their resource & power consumerism economy, because that would mean they'd have to stop burning stuff (change their habits). No, humans are heading towards a mass degrowth of their population size due to the ecological effects, the climate effects, of their desire to burn fuels or burn the material they call "waste".

So deeply rooted in the human psyche is the desire to light fires, folk who advocate #permaculture are (implicitly. i.e., obviously) hell-bent on burning wood.

So deeply rooted in the human psyche is the desire to light fires, that even the folk that write "One Planet Development" policies (Welsh Polcies) are (implicitly. i.e., obviously) hell-bent on advocating burning wood.

So deeply rooted in the human psyche is the desire to burn wood, that I can refer to the general science that clearly explains that prolonged exposure to wood smoke is both toxic to human health & the environment (on a large scale), and these folk will completely ignore or deny that science (they usually ignore it) & feel offended if their wood-burning practices are challenged (reference at the end of this essay)

So deeply rooted in the human psyche is the desire to light fires, that if these folk read this article, they wouldn't refer to any of the medical evidence I referenced (they never do - creatures of habit). They simply feel threatened that their idealogy, or business-based practice (e.g., selling wood logs or charcoal), is being challenged. In that context, they're no friggin different than the #FossilFuel industries.

Now, the next logical question is why? Why are so many humans attracted to fire and don't perceive wood smoke pollution as toxic to their health? (the same can be asked regarding all forms of air pollution).

One phrase sums it up - Stone-aged brains! #EvolutionaryPsychology

The stone-aged-brained folk (i.e., hunter-forager cultures) knew nothing, and I do mean nothing, about evolutionary biology, therefore, evolutionary #psychology . So, our hunter-gatherer ancestors have a lot in common with their modern-day descendants. Many "modern" day folk desire to sit around the campfires telling stories to anyone who will listen to them.

Our ancestors didn't believe that their coughing was associated with the wood smoke they had inhaled. They too didn't stop to think that their cancer was caused by prolonged exposure to wood smoke. They too could not accept that their child's asthma had been caused by the campfire's smoke pollution.

Those ancestors, walk among us. #genetics

"Wood burning is a major source of harmful air pollution in many communities, yet there is a critical lack of awareness about this serious public health and environmental issue" https://www.dsawsp.org/

#sustainability

Tilte options - Why do folk deny the science that they don't like? (the clue is "don't like")

What is their (intrinsically fundamentally flawed) problem?

The ignorant leading the ignorant paradox.

The biased leading the biased paradox.

The scientifically illiterate leading the scientifically illiterate paradox (you decide the title)

I will settle on the title - why the frig are humans such air-polluting animals?

A famous #scientist once wrote "The Demon-Haunted World: #Science as a Candle in the Dark" (Carl Sagan - book title)

That darkness has not, generally, been mitigated.

Throughout this essay, I will use third-person pronouns such as "they" or "humans" because, generally, I do not fit into their cultures (I'm fine with that on my part). There are only so many times you can say "No! That's a bad idea!" & for them to do it anyway before you come to realize that someone has a serious problem. And it's either them or me! (spoiler, it's not me)

They're "creatures" of habit with an implicit, evolved, appetite for destruction. #evolution

From my perspective, nowhere is the polluting psychological maladaptation of humans more explicit, than their desire to light fires. They simply can't get enough of it! They are attracted to fire like a moth is attracted to a flame.

But, burning carbon-based fuels is the primary cause of #climate heating therefore #ClimateChange & the diseases that are caused by air pollution.

Carbon-based fuels are -

Plants ("biomass") such as wood fuel & its products such as charcoal (E.g., charcoal briquettes)

Coal, crude oil, and the myriads of crude oil-based products such as diesel, petroleum & kerosine.

Gas ("natural" or "biogas". Carbon-based chemicals)

So, even when humans are apparently doing the activities that they have to do (so they say), & they often vote to do, such as fueling up their vehicles, lawnmowers, leaf blowers, strimmers, etc, etc, with fossil fuels, they are also attracted to the recreational activities that burn fuels. For example, campfires, BBQs, firework displays, etc.

They truly are creatures of (ancient) habit. And those habits, those activities, are why humans are heading for degrowth. Not a sensible evidenced based #degrowth of their resource & power consumerism economy, because that would mean they'd have to stop burning stuff (change their habits). No, humans are heading towards a mass degrowth of their population size due to the ecological effects, the climate effects, of their desire to burn fuels or burn the material they call "waste".

So deeply rooted in the human psyche is the desire to light fires, folk who advocate #permaculture are (implicitly. i.e., obviously) hell-bent on burning wood.

So deeply rooted in the human psyche is the desire to light fires, that even the folk that write "One Planet Development" policies (Welsh Polcies) are (implicitly. i.e., obviously) hell-bent on advocating burning wood.

So deeply rooted in the human psyche is the desire to burn wood, that I can refer to the general science that clearly explains that prolonged exposure to wood smoke is both toxic to human health & the environment (on a large scale), and these folk will completely ignore or deny that science (they usually ignore it) & feel offended if their wood-burning practices are challenged (reference at the end of this essay)

So deeply rooted in the human psyche is the desire to light fires, that if these folk read this article, they wouldn't refer to any of the medical evidence I referenced (they never do - creatures of habit). They simply feel threatened that their idealogy, or business-based practice (e.g., selling wood logs or charcoal), is being challenged. In that context, they're no friggin different than the #FossilFuel industries.

Now, the next logical question is why? Why are so many humans attracted to fire and don't perceive wood smoke pollution as toxic to their health? (the same can be asked regarding all forms of air pollution).

One phrase sums it up - Stone-aged brains! #EvolutionaryPsychology

The stone-aged-brained folk (i.e., hunter-forager cultures) knew nothing, and I do mean nothing, about evolutionary biology, therefore, evolutionary #psychology . So, our hunter-gatherer ancestors have a lot in common with their modern-day descendants. Many "modern" day folk desire to sit around the campfires telling stories to anyone who will listen to them.

Our ancestors didn't believe that their coughing was associated with the wood smoke they had inhaled. They too didn't stop to think that their cancer was caused by prolonged exposure to wood smoke. They too could not accept that their child's asthma had been caused by the campfire's smoke pollution.

Those ancestors, walk among us. #genetics

"Wood burning is a major source of harmful air pollution in many communities, yet there is a critical lack of awareness about this serious public health and environmental issue" https://www.dsawsp.org/

If feels good to laugh, even though some people laugh at cruelty.

It feels good to eat processed foods that are full of white sugar & phats, even though it's not healthy to eat highly processed foods.

It feels bad to be honest to that sexy stranger, maybe that person will be offended?

It feels exciting to drive at fast speeds, even though, nothing is gained (unless your a race car driver)

It feels good to be rich, even though many lie & cheat to make money.

#EvolutionaryPsychology

What used to seem a masterful illuminating dance between theories and criticism here it seems Zizek didn’t keep his eye on the ball. Just because one of the possible fictional logics of the Real is adversarial, whether natura naturans or evolution, Zizek doesn’t seem to see the cusp we ar on. We are realizing that we do not have to be play the games of Ouroboros as long as we are mindful of the Ouroboros.
#zizek #philosophy #psychology #mindfulness #Nature #Evolution #EvolutionaryPsychology

@rmkelly As we get back into our #Zizek studies, actually digging in for the first time, we are able to understand and appreciate some of #Hegel-ian #philosophy without the pre-knowledge of his personal shortcomings, Zizek being a huge Hegel fan.

The quote you provide is somewhat mystical (and biblical, the word/logos/truth) for us and I think it can be easily disproved (at least in our #mind). #Evolution and Nazism, Nuclear energy and Hiroshima and Nagasaki, or even my beloved #EvolutionaryPsychology and epistemology and #woke-ness.

Do you believe that #truth always manifests in a timely and fortuitous manner?

It is true that in our current state anarchism will “probably” become anarchy. We only keed to try and find successful and persistent anarchists communities to make the case. As much as we want to be free we simply aren’t yet evolved enough to be free. The problem being if we rely on evolution it may be too late , even if it is possible for the traits to be free of hierarchical organization are possible. But we are evolved and aware enough now to take responsibility for our evolution if we can become a mindful society aware of the shortcomings of our natural evolution. Then we will be free and become known.
#philosophy #psychology #evolution #EvolutionaryPsychology #anarchism

New Podcast: Dominance and Submission Explained

Unfortunately, far too many dog trainers fail to understand the ethological meaning of the terms dominance, submission, and aggression and misuse them. If this topic interests you more, I highly recommend the books ...

https://anchor.fm/happydogtraining/episodes/Dominance-and-Submission-Explained-e1nkenh

#podcast #dog #dogs #dogsofmastodon #dogtraining #dogbehavior #dogtrainer #Ethology #EvolutionaryPsychology #Genetics #NeuroScience #CanineResearch #AnimalBehavior #happydogtraining #RalfWeberCDT

New Podcast: Dog Parks

In this episode, we discuss dog parks. On the one hand, they provide a much-needed space for socialization, but on the other hand, they are dangerous places. We unpack the challenges and provide some tips to minimize the risks.

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/happydogtraining/episodes/Dog-Parks-e23fi3m

#podcast #dog #dogs #dogsofmastodon #dogtraining #dogbehavior #dogtrainer #Ethology #EvolutionaryPsychology #Genetics #NeuroScience #CanineResearch #AnimalBehavior #happydogtraining #RalfWeberCDT