Why do "We" seem to have a driving need to believe woo?

HasKey · 19th May 2010, 10:56 AM

Hi folks,

First, let me say I use the term "we" and "us" a lot in referring to things I personally don't believe. I'm talking about the royal "us." You know, the human race as a whole. Ok, then...

When I found out we have tails when we start out in life, and when I started wondering why we have a seemingly useless appendix, I wondered what it was about evolution that brought about these changes.

In my totally uneducated logic, I'm assuming evolution drops things we don't need and has us keep things that benefit us.

IF that assumption is correct, then why do we still have the (sometimes driven) force in us to believe religion, psychic, spiritual, etc. type woo?

Of course, not all of us believe it, but such a huge mass of us do, and it makes me wonder what evolutionary benefit we get out of it?

Do we believe religion to stop us over populating the world? (through abstinence, god based wars, etc.)

Do we believe in life after death to keep us feeling non-suicidal about the pointlessness of our existence?

Do we believe in spiritualism just to simply help us be a more social creature?

I'm interesting in your thoughts on why we have evolved to include a desire to buy into these things so easily.

Now off to work, no replies from me for 9 hours or so.

Robo Sapien · 19th May 2010, 11:20 AM

You're stepping on my toes here, sir. There's only room for one lame topic starter in this town, and thats me. Got it?

Since your entire notion starts with a false assumption, the rest of it unravels pretty quickly. Evolution doesn't "drop" anything. Under adverse conditions, species will mutate new features and those which can survive are "naturally selected" to continue evolving. So I guess when a species goes extinct, that is nature's way of "dropping" something it doesn't need.

And spiritualism is not an appendix, or a pinky toe. It is the means human society has developed (in the absence of science) to cope with cognitive dissonance where morality and mortality are concerned.

ExMinister · 19th May 2010, 11:29 AM

I have been reading a book on exactly this called Religion Explained by Pascal Boyer.

The short answer is: Because that is how our minds were prepared by evolution. Of course, it's the details that make up the 300 or so pages of the book.

At any rate, seems to be an informative and well written book so far.

Safe-Keeper · 19th May 2010, 11:31 AM

Control is one factor that pops up a lot. We don't want our lives to be outside of our own control, or that things "just happen". So we resort to things like alternative medicine, prayer, magic jewellery and conspiracy theories.

marplots · 19th May 2010, 12:19 PM

I think it's because we like the feeling of 'open ended'. In much of the 'regular' world, the answers are known and dead end with 'that's how it is'.

In the woo sector, I get to bring my creativity to bear. I get to play with concepts and ideas. OK, mental masturbation. But hey, that feels good, right?

I am often reminded of cats who stare, transfixed, at some crumpled bit of shiny aluminum foil. Perhaps it is the predator in us. But I like the musing, "what if" feeling; the fantasy element; the transporting out of myself.

It's likely going to be one of the solid difficulties in AI -- how to get robots to ponder the ineffable and to purchase homeopathic remedies.

GrandMasterFox · 19th May 2010, 05:38 PM

Let me ask you a question - why are people more attracted to hollywood style entertaiment over educational shows?

Why do kids prefer to play rather than do their homework?

Why we do any of the number of idiotic stuff that we do?
Because we're bored.

ksbluesfan · 20th May 2010, 06:51 AM

Michael Shermer has spent a lot of time on this subject, and explains it well.

I'd start with The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule.

Trent Wray · 20th May 2010, 08:05 AM

Because what we don't know might hurt us.

Dancing David · 20th May 2010, 08:11 AM

Um, the best explanation is that it is a side effect of the way the brain it works.

It looks for patetrns, it creates patterns. This allows us to do things like 'see' and other useful traits, like recognizing useful patterns. Suprious and invalid ones as well.

gerg · 20th May 2010, 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by HasKey

Hi folks,

First, let me say I use the term "we" and "us" a lot in referring to things I personally don't believe. I'm talking about the royal "us." You know, the human race as a whole. Ok, then...

When I found out we have tails when we start out in life, and when I started wondering why we have a seemingly useless appendix, I wondered what it was about evolution that brought about these changes.

In my totally uneducated logic, I'm assuming evolution drops things we don't need and has us keep things that benefit us.

IF that assumption is correct, then why do we still have the (sometimes driven) force in us to believe religion, psychic, spiritual, etc. type woo?

Of course, not all of us believe it, but such a huge mass of us do, and it makes me wonder what evolutionary benefit we get out of it?

Do we believe religion to stop us over populating the world? (through abstinence, god based wars, etc.)

Do we believe in life after death to keep us feeling non-suicidal about the pointlessness of our existence?

Do we believe in spiritualism just to simply help us be a more social creature?

I'm interesting in your thoughts on why we have evolved to include a desire to buy into these things so easily.

Now off to work, no replies from me for 9 hours or so.

There are many many reasons. For example, Near Death Experiences are one of the top reasons why many previously hardened skeptics choose to accept there is an Afterlife

Marduk · 20th May 2010, 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by gerg

There are many many reasons. For example, Near Death Experiences are one of the top reasons why many previously hardened skeptics choose to accept there is an Afterlife

unsubstantiated fact gerg, the vast majority of people who have near death experiences are those that already believe in an afterlife, so unless you have a study that can name the amount of "hardened sceptics" who suddenly changed their minds you are once again posting unsupported personal opinion and once again making out its scientific fact

do learn to tell the difference

gerg · 20th May 2010, 09:24 PM

Originally Posted by Marduk

unsubstantiated fact gerg, the vast majority of people who have near death experiences are those that already believe in an afterlife, so unless you have a study that can name the amount of "hardened sceptics" who suddenly changed their minds you are once again posting unsupported personal opinion and once again making out its scientific fact

do learn to tell the difference

Marduk we're not talking "facts" we're talking reasons why people choose to believe in things like the Afterlife.Your comprehension skills leave alot to be desired..

Marduk · 20th May 2010, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by gerg

Marduk we're not talking "facts" we're talking reasons why people choose to believe in things like the Afterlife.Your comprehension skills leave alot to be desired..

you stated an example, are you now saying that your example wasn't factual. pretty worthless then wasn't it
your comprehension skills don't exist do they gerg, pwned again eh

MG1962 · 20th May 2010, 10:12 PM

There is no royal us....only a we

gerg · 20th May 2010, 10:33 PM

Originally Posted by Marduk

you stated an example, are you now saying that your example wasn't factual. pretty worthless then wasn't it
your comprehension skills don't exist do they gerg, pwned again eh

Like the theory of evolution, are you prepared to call that worthless as well becuse it's only a theory like reincarnation and not a fact? See how dumb your arguments have become? Yawn..I've had enough for now. over and out.

gabeygoat · 20th May 2010, 11:15 PM

Originally Posted by ksbluesfan

Michael Shermer has spent a lot of time on this subject, and explains it well.

I'd start with The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule.

that's exactly what i was gonna post.
also, as social animals, we want to be "in the know" and if there's a nifty conspiracy theory or esp, then we might feel that we're in on the info (cause we're a social, and gossipy animal)

HumanityBlues · 21st May 2010, 12:56 AM

Why do we fall in love with so many fairy tales and fantasy books....and take hallucinogenics? If woo was real, let's be honest, it would make things pretty interesting.

Marduk · 21st May 2010, 05:17 AM

Originally Posted by gerg

Like the theory of evolution, are you prepared to call that worthless as well becuse it's only a theory like reincarnation and not a fact? See how dumb your arguments have become? Yawn..I've had enough for now. over and out.

youve been told countless times by countless people who have proven to you with evidence that evolution is both a theory and a fact. Why are you incapable of understanding something that most children have no problem with.

once again in English for you
when you give an example it must by necessity be factual.
do you understand that basic premise or not, ?
thats a simple yes/no question that your intellect shouldnt find too taxing
heres some help with that premise if you need it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes-no_question
I mean youre attempts at not answering a straight question by resorting to very very poor and ineffectual ridicule notwithstanding can I ask you
which supermarket checkout do you work at, is it Walmart or Shop 'n Save

Limbo · 21st May 2010, 06:05 AM

Originally Posted by gabeygoat

as social animals, we want to be "in the know" and if there's a nifty conspiracy theory or esp, then we might feel that we're in on the info (cause we're a social, and gossipy animal)

And the opposite is also true. A skeptic who eventually wakes up and sees the light might feel like he has missed out on a lot by 'selling his soul' just so that he can feel like part of the 'smart kid clique'. I hope this is a humiliation all skeptics feel someday.

"New and stirring things are belittled because if they are not belittled, the humiliating question arises, 'Why then are you not taking part in them?' " -H. G. Wells

serpentine · 3rd June 2010, 02:33 AM

]..."IF that assumption is correct, then why do we still have the (sometimes driven) force in us to believe religion, psychic, spiritual, etc. type woo?"...

Because that 'force' has some truth in it...It's not all 'woo'...
It is simply a part of our evolution..Part of who we are as humans...
Evolutionary wise...I think we are meant to develop our 'psychic' abilities, or our intuitive force...Be open to them anyway, since they definitely exist...

Cueshark · 3rd June 2010, 03:23 AM

I always understood that communities which practiced religion were at an advantage over those that didn't. Religion encouraged group cohesion and solidarity and at other times gave the very poor a sense of meaning.

I can also imagine that without everything we now know about the world, things must have been terribly confusing and scary. Believing in the divine would definately be a natural result of this kind of fear of the unknown and I'm sure it developed from there.

yomero · 4th June 2010, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by Cueshark

I always understood that communities which practiced religion were at an advantage over those that didn't. Religion encouraged group cohesion and solidarity and at other times gave the very poor a sense of meaning.

I can also imagine that without everything we now know about the world, things must have been terribly confusing and scary. Believing in the divine would definately be a natural result of this kind of fear of the unknown and I'm sure it developed from there.

What you are saying is probably true. It seems reasonable to think that religion gives a group an advantage. But it also is a factor in divisiveness and hostility between groups. Catholics and Protestants in Nortern Ireland and Bosnians and Serbs are examples of hatred based mainly on religious affiliation, with little else besides to account for such violent loathing. In my opinion, if we compare the good and the bad that religion offers, the harm will surpass the benefits to humanity.

Of course I understand that natural selection doesn't work at the species level, that a trait for accepting woo will be selected for if it profits the individual. There is no one to guide evolution to an optimal, pre-defined point in the distant future.

Fiona · 4th June 2010, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by Dancing David

Um, the best explanation is that it is a side effect of the way the brain it works.

It looks for patetrns, it creates patterns. This allows us to do things like 'see' and other useful traits, like recognizing useful patterns. Suprious and invalid ones as well.

This, I think.

We impose pattern as a matter of necessity. We select what to attend to because otherwise we would be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stimuli we can detect. It works, mostly. But it makes story tellers of us: we see patterns by excluding much. That is how perception works, and it is also how narrative works I think

Soapy Sam · 4th June 2010, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by Fiona

This, I think.

We impose pattern as a matter of necessity. We select what to attend to because otherwise we would be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stimuli we can detect. It works, mostly. But it makes story tellers of us: we see patterns by excluding much. That is how perception works, and it is also how narrative works I think

This is one of the finest examples of something which is an example of itself that I have seen lately.

As is this.

19th May 2010, 10:56 AM	#1
HasKey Student Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 46	Why do "We" seem to have a driving need to believe woo? Hi folks, First, let me say I use the term "we" and "us" a lot in referring to things I personally don't believe. I'm talking about the royal "us." You know, the human race as a whole. Ok, then... When I found out we have tails when we start out in life, and when I started wondering why we have a seemingly useless appendix, I wondered what it was about evolution that brought about these changes. In my totally uneducated logic, I'm assuming evolution drops things we don't need and has us keep things that benefit us. IF that assumption is correct, then why do we still have the (sometimes driven) force in us to believe religion, psychic, spiritual, etc. type woo? Of course, not all of us believe it, but such a huge mass of us do, and it makes me wonder what evolutionary benefit we get out of it? Do we believe religion to stop us over populating the world? (through abstinence, god based wars, etc.) Do we believe in life after death to keep us feeling non-suicidal about the pointlessness of our existence? Do we believe in spiritualism just to simply help us be a more social creature? I'm interesting in your thoughts on why we have evolved to include a desire to buy into these things so easily. Now off to work, no replies from me for 9 hours or so.
HasKey Student Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 46

19th May 2010, 11:20 AM	#2
Robo Sapien Skepocalypse Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 538	You're stepping on my toes here, sir. There's only room for one lame topic starter in this town, and thats me. Got it? Since your entire notion starts with a false assumption, the rest of it unravels pretty quickly. Evolution doesn't "drop" anything. Under adverse conditions, species will mutate new features and those which can survive are "naturally selected" to continue evolving. So I guess when a species goes extinct, that is nature's way of "dropping" something it doesn't need. And spiritualism is not an appendix, or a pinky toe. It is the means human society has developed (in the absence of science) to cope with cognitive dissonance where morality and mortality are concerned.
	__________________ This public service announcement brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Department.

19th May 2010, 11:29 AM	#3
ExMinister RSL Acolyte Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,749	I have been reading a book on exactly this called Religion Explained by Pascal Boyer. The short answer is: Because that is how our minds were prepared by evolution. Of course, it's the details that make up the 300 or so pages of the book. At any rate, seems to be an informative and well written book so far.
ExMinister RSL Acolyte Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 2,749	__________________ www.stopsylvia.com

19th May 2010, 12:19 PM	#5
marplots Philosopher Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 5,416	I think it's because we like the feeling of 'open ended'. In much of the 'regular' world, the answers are known and dead end with 'that's how it is'. In the woo sector, I get to bring my creativity to bear. I get to play with concepts and ideas. OK, mental masturbation. But hey, that feels good, right? I am often reminded of cats who stare, transfixed, at some crumpled bit of shiny aluminum foil. Perhaps it is the predator in us. But I like the musing, "what if" feeling; the fantasy element; the transporting out of myself. It's likely going to be one of the solid difficulties in AI -- how to get robots to ponder the ineffable and to purchase homeopathic remedies.
marplots Philosopher Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 5,416

20th May 2010, 06:51 AM	#7
ksbluesfan Graduate Poster Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 1,384	Michael Shermer has spent a lot of time on this subject, and explains it well. I'd start with The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule.
	Last edited by ksbluesfan; 20th May 2010 at 06:53 AM.

19th May 2010, 11:31 AM	#4
Safe-Keeper Philosopher Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sogndal, Norway Posts: 7,118	Control is one factor that pops up a lot. We don't want our lives to be outside of our own control, or that things "just happen". So we resort to things like alternative medicine, prayer, magic jewellery and conspiracy theories.

19th May 2010, 05:38 PM	#6
GrandMasterFox Graduate Poster Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 1,315	Let me ask you a question - why are people more attracted to hollywood style entertaiment over educational shows? Why do kids prefer to play rather than do their homework? Why we do any of the number of idiotic stuff that we do? Because we're bored.

20th May 2010, 08:05 AM	#8
Trent Wray I Will Not Impregnate You Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 4,562	Because what we don't know might hurt us.

20th May 2010, 08:11 AM	#9
Dancing David Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 34,727	Um, the best explanation is that it is a side effect of the way the brain it works. It looks for patetrns, it creates patterns. This allows us to do things like 'see' and other useful traits, like recognizing useful patterns. Suprious and invalid ones as well.
	__________________ Hell, dynamiting fish in a barrel is more challenging. - Ladewig I suspect you are a sandwich, metaphorically speaking. -Donn And a shot rang out. Now Space is doing time... -Ben Burch You built the toilet - don't complain when people crap in it. _Kid Eager

20th May 2010, 08:51 PM	#10
gerg Critical Thinker Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 398	Originally Posted by HasKey Hi folks, First, let me say I use the term "we" and "us" a lot in referring to things I personally don't believe. I'm talking about the royal "us." You know, the human race as a whole. Ok, then... When I found out we have tails when we start out in life, and when I started wondering why we have a seemingly useless appendix, I wondered what it was about evolution that brought about these changes. In my totally uneducated logic, I'm assuming evolution drops things we don't need and has us keep things that benefit us. IF that assumption is correct, then why do we still have the (sometimes driven) force in us to believe religion, psychic, spiritual, etc. type woo? Of course, not all of us believe it, but such a huge mass of us do, and it makes me wonder what evolutionary benefit we get out of it? Do we believe religion to stop us over populating the world? (through abstinence, god based wars, etc.) Do we believe in life after death to keep us feeling non-suicidal about the pointlessness of our existence? Do we believe in spiritualism just to simply help us be a more social creature? I'm interesting in your thoughts on why we have evolved to include a desire to buy into these things so easily. Now off to work, no replies from me for 9 hours or so. There are many many reasons. For example, Near Death Experiences are one of the top reasons why many previously hardened skeptics choose to accept there is an Afterlife
gerg Critical Thinker Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 398

20th May 2010, 08:58 PM	#11
Marduk Banned Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Newbury, Berkshire Posts: 10,242	Originally Posted by gerg There are many many reasons. For example, Near Death Experiences are one of the top reasons why many previously hardened skeptics choose to accept there is an Afterlife unsubstantiated fact gerg, the vast majority of people who have near death experiences are those that already believe in an afterlife, so unless you have a study that can name the amount of "hardened sceptics" who suddenly changed their minds you are once again posting unsupported personal opinion and once again making out its scientific fact do learn to tell the difference

20th May 2010, 09:24 PM	#12
gerg Critical Thinker Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 398	Originally Posted by Marduk unsubstantiated fact gerg, the vast majority of people who have near death experiences are those that already believe in an afterlife, so unless you have a study that can name the amount of "hardened sceptics" who suddenly changed their minds you are once again posting unsupported personal opinion and once again making out its scientific fact do learn to tell the difference Marduk we're not talking "facts" we're talking reasons why people choose to believe in things like the Afterlife.Your comprehension skills leave alot to be desired..
gerg Critical Thinker Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 398

20th May 2010, 10:11 PM	#13
Marduk Banned Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Newbury, Berkshire Posts: 10,242	Originally Posted by gerg Marduk we're not talking "facts" we're talking reasons why people choose to believe in things like the Afterlife.Your comprehension skills leave alot to be desired.. you stated an example, are you now saying that your example wasn't factual. pretty worthless then wasn't it your comprehension skills don't exist do they gerg, pwned again eh

20th May 2010, 10:12 PM	#14
MG1962 Guest Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kansas (Australia) Posts: 14,750	There is no royal us....only a we

20th May 2010, 10:33 PM	#15
gerg Critical Thinker Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 398	Originally Posted by Marduk you stated an example, are you now saying that your example wasn't factual. pretty worthless then wasn't it your comprehension skills don't exist do they gerg, pwned again eh Like the theory of evolution, are you prepared to call that worthless as well becuse it's only a theory like reincarnation and not a fact? See how dumb your arguments have become? Yawn..I've had enough for now. over and out.
gerg Critical Thinker Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 398

20th May 2010, 11:15 PM	#16
gabeygoat Muse Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Hard Corvallis, Oregon Posts: 668	Originally Posted by ksbluesfan Michael Shermer has spent a lot of time on this subject, and explains it well. I'd start with The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule. that's exactly what i was gonna post. also, as social animals, we want to be "in the know" and if there's a nifty conspiracy theory or esp, then we might feel that we're in on the info (cause we're a social, and gossipy animal)

21st May 2010, 12:56 AM	#17
HumanityBlues Graduate Poster Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: New York City Posts: 1,522	Why do we fall in love with so many fairy tales and fantasy books....and take hallucinogenics? If woo was real, let's be honest, it would make things pretty interesting.
	__________________ Even if you hate the Knox case, you'll appreciate this example of confirmation bias. Taken down by the "impartial mods" because certain aviators kept clickiting clicking violation.

21st May 2010, 05:17 AM	#18
Marduk Banned Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Newbury, Berkshire Posts: 10,242	Originally Posted by gerg Like the theory of evolution, are you prepared to call that worthless as well becuse it's only a theory like reincarnation and not a fact? See how dumb your arguments have become? Yawn..I've had enough for now. over and out. youve been told countless times by countless people who have proven to you with evidence that evolution is both a theory and a fact. Why are you incapable of understanding something that most children have no problem with. once again in English for you when you give an example it must by necessity be factual. do you understand that basic premise or not, ? thats a simple yes/no question that your intellect shouldnt find too taxing heres some help with that premise if you need it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes-no_question I mean youre attempts at not answering a straight question by resorting to very very poor and ineffectual ridicule notwithstanding can I ask you which supermarket checkout do you work at, is it Walmart or Shop 'n Save
	Last edited by Marduk; 21st May 2010 at 06:08 AM.

21st May 2010, 06:05 AM	#19
Limbo Jedi Consular Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 3,000	Originally Posted by gabeygoat as social animals, we want to be "in the know" and if there's a nifty conspiracy theory or esp, then we might feel that we're in on the info (cause we're a social, and gossipy animal) And the opposite is also true. A skeptic who eventually wakes up and sees the light might feel like he has missed out on a lot by 'selling his soul' just so that he can feel like part of the 'smart kid clique'. I hope this is a humiliation all skeptics feel someday. "New and stirring things are belittled because if they are not belittled, the humiliating question arises, 'Why then are you not taking part in them?' " -H. G. Wells
Limbo Jedi Consular Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 3,000	__________________ "Faith in what?" he asked himself, adrift in limbo. "Faith in faith," he replied. "It isn't necessary to have something to believe in. It's only necessary to believe that somewhere there's something worthy of belief." Last edited by Limbo; 21st May 2010 at 06:35 AM.

3rd June 2010, 02:33 AM	#20
serpentine New Blood Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 19	]..."IF that assumption is correct, then why do we still have the (sometimes driven) force in us to believe religion, psychic, spiritual, etc. type woo?"... Because that 'force' has some truth in it...It's not all 'woo'... It is simply a part of our evolution..Part of who we are as humans... Evolutionary wise...I think we are meant to develop our 'psychic' abilities, or our intuitive force...Be open to them anyway, since they definitely exist...
serpentine New Blood Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 19	Last edited by serpentine; 3rd June 2010 at 02:37 AM.

3rd June 2010, 03:23 AM	#21
Cueshark Thinker Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 166	I always understood that communities which practiced religion were at an advantage over those that didn't. Religion encouraged group cohesion and solidarity and at other times gave the very poor a sense of meaning. I can also imagine that without everything we now know about the world, things must have been terribly confusing and scary. Believing in the divine would definately be a natural result of this kind of fear of the unknown and I'm sure it developed from there.
Cueshark Thinker Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 166

4th June 2010, 12:35 PM	#22
yomero Muse Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: North of here South of there Posts: 931	Originally Posted by Cueshark I always understood that communities which practiced religion were at an advantage over those that didn't. Religion encouraged group cohesion and solidarity and at other times gave the very poor a sense of meaning. I can also imagine that without everything we now know about the world, things must have been terribly confusing and scary. Believing in the divine would definately be a natural result of this kind of fear of the unknown and I'm sure it developed from there. What you are saying is probably true. It seems reasonable to think that religion gives a group an advantage. But it also is a factor in divisiveness and hostility between groups. Catholics and Protestants in Nortern Ireland and Bosnians and Serbs are examples of hatred based mainly on religious affiliation, with little else besides to account for such violent loathing. In my opinion, if we compare the good and the bad that religion offers, the harm will surpass the benefits to humanity. Of course I understand that natural selection doesn't work at the species level, that a trait for accepting woo will be selected for if it profits the individual. There is no one to guide evolution to an optimal, pre-defined point in the distant future.
	Last edited by yomero; 4th June 2010 at 12:55 PM.

4th June 2010, 01:17 PM	#23
Fiona Guest Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 8,238	Originally Posted by Dancing David Um, the best explanation is that it is a side effect of the way the brain it works. It looks for patetrns, it creates patterns. This allows us to do things like 'see' and other useful traits, like recognizing useful patterns. Suprious and invalid ones as well. This, I think. We impose pattern as a matter of necessity. We select what to attend to because otherwise we would be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stimuli we can detect. It works, mostly. But it makes story tellers of us: we see patterns by excluding much. That is how perception works, and it is also how narrative works I think
Fiona Guest Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 8,238

4th June 2010, 10:46 PM	#24
Soapy Sam NLH Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 25,885	Originally Posted by Fiona This, I think. We impose pattern as a matter of necessity. We select what to attend to because otherwise we would be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stimuli we can detect. It works, mostly. But it makes story tellers of us: we see patterns by excluding much. That is how perception works, and it is also how narrative works I think This is one of the finest examples of something which is an example of itself that I have seen lately. As is this.
Soapy Sam NLH Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 25,885