Pineapple Express: Someone Is Wrong on the Internet?

[Scribe]

Unfortunately its abundantly clear that some people connect things they like with their identity in a way they don't (maybe in a sense, can't) separate out.

The flaw of our modern society as corporations gleefully filled the gaping hole in our psychology.

 

[Thomas Shey]

The flaw of our modern society as corporations gleefully filled the gaping hole in our psychology.

They aren't the only ones though. You can have relatively obscure fandoms where people will do everything but (and maybe even that) knife each other over things of both minor significance, and to even some fans trivial difference. There's money to made playing to it, but people would do it whether big corporations were involved or not.

 

[Umbran]

Reason has its limits. And, as you say, some people are beyond reason.

Make that pretty much everyone, from time to time.

The human limbic system give us our emotional response to a stimulus before we can logically respond to it - which means we typically know what we feel about a thing before we can analyze it. So, when we do get the analytical possibilities, we usually pick one that aligns with our emotions as what we expect to be the truth.

This is subconscious stuff, and takes a goodly bit of practice to combat, and we cannot expect to effectively combat it in every instance, because we don't notice is happening until after the fact.

 

[Umbran]

The flaw of our modern society as corporations gleefully filled the gaping hole in our psychology.

Not a gaping hole. It is actually a trait that enhanced survival once, but now is maladaptive in our current circumstances.

 

[Scribe]

They aren't the only ones though. You can have relatively obscure fandoms where people will do everything but (and maybe even that) knife each other over things of both minor significance, and to even some fans trivial difference. There's money to made playing to it, but people would do it whether big corporations were involved or not.

People are unhinged, thats nothing new certainly, but where it was before your community, your religion perhaps, that people got up in arms about, its now driven with market research by the best and brightest minds in propaganda 24/7 through a device in most of our pockets, to make SURE people latch onto these various fandoms, brands, and so on, and internalize it as part of their sense of self.

I mean just look at what happened when people were talking about walking away from D&D, some posts were nearly pleading for people to forgive the corporation because "D&D is just too important to me".

 

[dragoner]

People side with strength a lot, it's natural, and then flee when the bully gets it.

 

[Ryujin]

Make that pretty much everyone, from time to time.

The human limbic system give us our emotional response to a stimulus before we can logically respond to it - which means we typically know what we feel about a thing before we can analyze it. So, when we do get the analytical possibilities, we usually pick one that aligns with our emotions as what we expect to be the truth.

This is subconscious stuff, and takes a goodly bit of practice to combat, and we cannot expect to effectively combat it in every instance, because we don't notice is happening until after the fact.

OK, I'm going to be rather predictable here and cite another motorcycle reference Cyclists and drivers can also likely get it as well, though.

A big part of learning performance motorcycle riding/racing, is making learned responses override the instinctive. It's quite common for someone to approach a corner, feel like they are going too fast to make the turn, then absolutely nail the brakes to try and save it. For various reasons this is the exact wrong response, but it's instinct. Making a fist comes easy. If you do this, you may overwhelm the friction of the front tire, skid, and crash. If you turn into the corner, while also braking hard, then the lateral forces will almost certainly make you lose traction. If you don't turn then you'll go straight off the road/track. If you brake while leaned over then all of that applies, plus inertia will tend to make the bike stand up, go wide in the corner, and again you're in the weeds. Worst case; the bike slides, catches, and throws you over the "high side" like a medieval catapult. I've seen people not hit the ground for 40 feet after that. They don't get up for a while, if at all.

What is the right thing to do? Lean. Take the corner. As you lean, the circumference of the tire is effectively reduced, slowing you down slightly. A little trailing brake, gently applied, slows you down more. Still too fast and going wide? Lean MORE. Get your body off the seat and shift your centre of gravity, so you don't run out of tire surface touching the ground. (This is why racers get their butts off the seat in corners; higher speeds in a corner, while maintaining traction.) Best case; you're through the corner and ready to panic over the next one, instead of potentially laying in the grass and waiting for an ambulance. Worst case; you lose traction and the bike slides. Because you're leaned over and closer to the ground, you both have a shorter fall and will slide instead of catching the Space Shuttle.

Reason over instinct, but learned response is faster. Do this enough, consciously, and you'll end up doing it unconsciously.

TLDR: Thinking is better than reacting, but reacting right is even better.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

One of Gene's biggest talents is marketing.

He could legit teach a course.

 

[trappedslider]

 

[Umbran]

TLDR: Thinking is better than reacting, but reacting right is even better.

Exactly.

So, the limbic system works the way it does because that fast emotional response is used to drive potential fight/flee/freeze reactions, and other behavior which has to happen NOW if they are going to be useful.

Unfortunately, this doesn't work for things that require deeper understanding of the situation - like taking a curve fast on a motorcycle, or navigating a financial crisis.