Insecure Minds Wired for Pattern-Finding

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/10/02/mind-control-pattern-print.html

by nickb • 18 years ago

11 4 18 years ago

dsc.discovery.com

rkts• 18 years ago

cf. Hume, 1757

"In proportion as any man's course of life is governed by accident, we always find, that he encreases in superstition; as may particularly be observed of gamesters and sailors, who, though, of all mankind, the least capable of serious reflection, abound most in frivolous and superstitious apprehensions. The gods, says Coriolanus in Dionysius, have an influence in every affair; but above all, in war; where the event is so uncertain. ...

"Any of the human affections may lead us into the notion of invisible, intelligent power; hope as well as fear, gratitude as well as affliction: But if we examine our own hearts, or observe what passes around us, we shall find, that men are much oftener thrown on their knees by the melancholy than by the agreeable passions. Prosperity is easily received as our due, and few questions are asked concerning its cause or author. It begets cheerfulness and activity and alacrity and a lively enjoyment of every social and sensual pleasure: And during this state of mind, men have little leisure or inclination to think of the unknown invisible regions. On the other hand, every disastrous accident alarms us, and sets us on enquiries concerning the principles whence it arose: Apprehensions spring up with regard to futurity: And the mind, sunk into diffidence, terror, and melancholy, has recourse to every method of appeasing those secret intelligent powers, on whom our fortune is supposed entirely to depend."

shaunxcode• 18 years ago

Surely cognition itself IS pattern-finding/recognition/manipulation.

In my reductionist view all human belief and action can be traced back to prejudice driven heuristics.

So I find it a little naive/short sighted of the article to indicate that false pattern finding is something that happens only under stress.

jsmcgd• 18 years ago

It doesn't say only under stress. It says it happens more frequently.

jherber• 18 years ago

akes perfect sense under the Evolutionary Psychology framework. If something bad is happening around you, you should be trying to overfit the data to avoid your demise. Assuming an escapable, cataclysmic event as a fitness function - only those growing paranoid and neurotically "connecting the dots" are going to make it out alive to breed again.

Insecure Minds Wired for Pattern-Finding

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