Tuesday, October 28, 2014

trait leveraging

Our ability to act fast, with rationalization by our prefrontal-cortex "public-relations module" catching up only after the fact, as well as our evolved tendencies to look out for family and distinguish our belief system from those of others, can be leveraged for better or for worse. This is especially true in this information age, as all kinds of new ways to elicit these traits (sometimes even globally) come into focus.

In other words acting on impulse doesn't always work for the better, just as promotion of family and bias against other cultures have dark sides to them. Moreover today's information media can help elicit xenophobia toward others, prompting us to arm ourselves with tools that make our unthinking responses harmful to others as well as ourselves.

What are ways for us to help put these three important traits (namely fast reactions along with our care for family & belief-system) to use for the better, instead of for the worse?