Flexibility of the Mind

"A scientist knows that evidence will change her mind, but a fundamentalist knows that nothing will change his mind."

The essence of the flexibility of the mentality of scientists lies in the fact that it is a common agreement that humans are the ones who come up with scientific theories. Fundamentalist or not, we all agree that humans can make mistakes, so that offers the first reason as to why it is much easier for scientists to believe that a scientific theory could be defunct. On the other hand however, it is God, or some higher power and perfect entity; on whom religious beliefs are based. So, with evidence or not - due to the fact that this higher power- is literally put on a level above any human. It makes sense that fundamentalists believe that no human can challenge their beliefs.

Moreover, when establishing this distinction between science and religion. It is important to note that a major difference is that science is the pursuit of knowledge; theories are made and tested in order to continue moving forward...science is going to- as a pose to religion which is coming from; once again, this makes it much easier for scientists to question their theories than it does for fundamentalists to question their beliefs.

However, I think it is very important to mention, that these ideas apply namely to fundamentalist. Fundamentalism is basically an interpretation of religion that is very narrow, very strict and very literal. I personally believe in a great difference between religious people and fundamentalists. For example, continuing with the idea that is introduced in the previous paragraph; it might still apply when speaking about fundamentalism; and people who simply blindly follow their religion; and never question the validity of their beliefs...

Nonetheless, I personally think, contrary to popular belief that the true essence of religion is going to- rather than coming from. I think religion is about asking questions, and about seeking the truth; the idea behind the views expressed by religion; is that they should be there as a guide through life; and that even if one chooses to break them at some point; after his own experiences, there will be this strong force that might not exactly make sense when assessing the situation logically; but this force will drive him back to his religion.

On the other hand, what if we ask questions, and break rules...but in doing so become more and more distant from whatever views are expressed by our religion. I think that in that case, there is no point in blindly following something that one does not actually believe and truly understand.

What causes a heart attack?

A cause of something is a person or thing that gives rise to an action, phenomenon, or condition. In this specific case, it would be the one thing that has given rise to the man’s heart attack. Some of the pieces of information offered are very irrelevant to the end result (the heart attack,) so they can be omitted from the consideration of causes.

Causation is the causal relationship between content and result. However, can we say that any of these pieces of information have a direct and unquestionable relationship to the heart attack? I do not think so, so what we mean by causes in this case is slightly different. Here we are referring to hypotheses as causes. Hypotheses are basically proposed explanations made on the basis of some evidence as a starting point for further explanation.

I think that in the scenario presented, the most plausible reason for this mans heart attack would probably be that he has always loved chocolate cake and hadn’t been able to resist it for years (3.) One of the main medical reasons for heart attacks are a clotting of coronary arteries; and the plaque that clogs these arteries comes from negative dietary habits, such as high fat diets. This “cause” is basically based on association. This hypothesis or opinion even- is derved from statistical extrapolation. Because most people who get heart attacks get it due to that reason more than any of the other ones mentioned. I hypothesize, that the pattern continues in this case…however, there is not concrete certainty. The more associations you have, the stronger your case becomes.

I think there are plenty of patterns in life, and although it is not a rule that everything fits into these patterns, experiments and experience have shown that a large percentage of things do, and the same concept applies to science. Science is often associated with facts and certainty, quite ironically however, there is not very much certainty in science. & I mean 100% certainty. This is the case to the extent that no scientific theory can be proven…trials and experiments only support scientific theories, but never prove them. The more support a theory has, the more credible it is….

Emotions unit essay

You are a supreme leader in "Brave New World" attempting to persuader readers to understand the necessity of emotions and their value in human life - convince them with examples and reason that more emotion is better.

- refugee camps and charity work

- they keep wars limited

- offer challenges…./ ma us feel the need for advancement (motivation etc)

- at a personal level: communication

- counter example: autism article/response

Emotions form the foundation of our thought, our perception, and most importantly our logic and "common sense." Human emotions in my opinion, with no doubt have been the reason for our advancement. What sort of a world would we live in if emotion did not exist. In what way do emotions specifically better the human race?

Lets take charity work as an example. We build refugee camps and make other attempts to help those who are less fortunate than us. Due to the existence of positive emotions of compassion and caring, people who have the ability often work towards making other people's lives better by building refugee camps for example; they offer shelter and protection to a great extent, for people who need it more than anything in the world.

Also, taking war as an example for the benefits of emotion; it is our emotions that led previous world leaders to try and develop some sort of "just war theory" even when it comes to warfare. World War one is one of the few examples of a total war…otherwise, most wars are usually fought on scales of limited wars, that limit some sort of factor such as geographical location or weapons used. For example, there are some chemicals such as white phosphorus whose use in wars is considered a violation of human rights…therefore restricting governments from their use. If all wars could escalate to total wars, there would be serious damage around the world both in terms off loss of life and human rights violations, but also in terms of infrastructure, economy and social welfare in general.

Furthermore, taking a more abstract approach to the issue, it is due to our emotions that we feel compelled to challenge ourselves. Motivation, drive, desire and willpower are all emotions that make us want to do better and give us the needed inclination to advance. If we look at technological advancements starting from the 20th century, I would say that these emotions of inspiration and inducement have bettered our lives in ways we could never before imagine.

Also, I think that funny enough, emotions are actually the foundation of our logic and reasoning. There exists something within us that gives us the "logic" to "think without thinking" somehow, we have some sort of instinct that guides us through situations in which we have no time to think about our actions, i think this is the way that humans adapted and survived since the earliest of times. Emotions of fear for example, send waves from our brain to receptors in our body, and somehow seem to guide us through decisions and situations. A recent concept of much interest to psychologists and authors is the way in which our subconscious brain encompasses our emotions, the idea of emotional intelligence.

Furthermore, at a personal level, emotions help us communicate with each other. People with similar emotions at a time often feel connected. Our emotions are the bond that ties us all together in some way. It helps us understand each other and surprisingly decrease our need to think hard about things that seem so simple and straightforward to us simply because of our emotions.

This idea can be further developed through examining a counter example. Our emotions help us develop the basic instincts that have nothing to do with our conscious brain, that make communication a natural process. Autistic people have to work out a separate 'translation code" for every new person they meet; responding appropriately to social interactions is not a natural process.

Our emotions also help us understand each other, and ourselves, as well as to communicate with others. It is due to emotions, that others can understand subtle emotional cues, such as a change in our tone of voice to indicate disturbance for example.

Grandin writes about how it was through her experiences only that she learned that certain social behaviors can make people angry; for most of us, we do not need to learn these things by doing; our emotions give us some inherent tendency that makes our lives so much easier if you think about it!

It is true that perhaps autistic people are much more logical; but to what extent can they put that logic and sense to use, do they have the necessary skills? I think that our emotions sometimes do get the best of us, can can blind our judgment; or cause us to act irrationally. But somehow, I think that at the same time, they give us a feeling of safety and of ease of interaction. Emotions connect us to each other; we do not feel alone, it is easier for us to establish connections to people, places and events that eventually build up our character and perception in life...it is through these experiences and relationships that we form who we are.

Religion and Emotion

It is difficult to argue that religion does not encompass emotion. I do believe however, that it is a common misconception that religion is based purely on emotion. In most religions, one must feel a connection with God, and believe the beliefs of ones particular religion...however, if religion was purely emotion...why are there some atheists that become religious? Or why do people convert? I think that conversion is proof that one must be able to objectively look at the ideas of a religion and assess that they make more sense that religion x or y. I think that there would be many more atheist and agnostics if religion was based purely on emotion. Although society has instilled in our minds, the idea that religion must not be questioned...I think that it is in our nature, to feel that there is some sort of foundation of logic on which we base our emotion. And I do think that that is present in religion, which is why so many people believe in it...

The Importance of Emotions - Dr. Richard van de Lagemaat

Once again, this article discusses the importance of emotions and our need for human emotion. In the battlefield between emotion and logic, logic is often portrayed as the objective and wise side of the human being; while emotions are the subjective and folly side. That might be true to a certain extent, but would logic and reason be of any use to our race had we lacked emotions? Motivation, drive, desire, passion....these are all emotions. And not only are they emotions, they are the emotions that give us the something to work for, and the inclination for advancement...

Dating Data- response

I can honestly say that "Dating Data" by Temple Grandin, was one of the most eye opening things that I read. It is written in first person limited, which made is very touching; it gave real insight into the life of this woman.

I always knew the definition of autism, but i never truly understood what it was like to be autistic. However, the reason that the article had such a big influence on me is that it made me aware of the importance of emotion; and of how heavily we rely on our emotions on a day to day basis.

During this unit; we spoke a lot about the distinction between emotion and logic. I thought i understood the concept very well; and it was easy for me to point out the differences; however, through this article, I realized how intertwined the two are. Emotions are not simply a feeling or a state of mind, such as being happy or sad. Emotions are much more complicated, which is what I was trying to say in my previous blog. However, I now understand why they are so complicated.

Our emotions are our instinct. Since early childhood, even before our brain or logic begins to develop; our emotions are already at work. We form personal relationship simply and firstly through our emotions; and I was able to see that through the authors description of how she could not understand them. I thought personal relationships were established firstly according to our personalities; but something exists that isolates autistic people and prevents them from fitting in; it is the bond of our subconscious emotions. "I have very few subconscious cues to guide me during complex social interactions." we have an instinct that guides us, we do not even need to think to know- or sense rather; that telling someone they are fat or ugly, is rude. Our emotions conduct us through the dynamics of people's emotions, feelings and reactions. However in the case of autistic people, they actually have to be taught appropriate behavior that seems so very obvious and "logical" to us.

Our emotions help us develop the basic instincts that have nothing to do with our conscious brain, that make communication a natural process. Autistic people have to work out a separate 'translation code" for every new person they meet; responding appropriately to social interactions is not a natural process.

Our emotions also help us understand each other, and ourselves, as well as to communicate with others. It is due to emotions, that others can understand subtle emotional cues, such as a change in our tone of voice to indicate disturbance for example.

Grandin writes about how it was through her experiences only that she learned that certain social behaviors can make people angry; for most of us, we do not need to learn these things by doing; our emotions give us some inherent tendency that makes our lives so much easier if you think about it!

It is true that perhaps autistic people are much more logical; but to what extent can they put that logic and sense to use, do they have the necessary skills? I think that our emotions sometimes do get the best of us, can can blind our judgment; or cause us to act irrationally. But somehow, I think that at the same time, they give us a feeling of safety and of ease of interaction. Emotions connect us to each other; we do not feel alone, it is easier for us to establish connections to people, places and events that eventually build up our character and perception in life...it is through these experiences and relationships that we form who we are.

The need to feel in control

Psychologists think there are six primary emotions – happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, disgust. Are these like the three primary colours in light, where all others can be made of combinations of these six? Do you agree with the idea of “primary emotions”?

I think the idea of primary emotions comes from the human need to feel in control. I think human feelings and emotions are too complex to classify so simply.

There are some emotions that are not really connected to any of these "primary emotions"...for example; when one feels confused...he is not sad...or angry...or disgusted...he is confused! Another example, is the feeling of disappointment; once again; I think it is quite different to any of the primary emotions.

Furthermore, not only do I not think they cannot be classified so easily; I also think that there aren't enough words in the English dictionary for human feelings...which further supports the point that they can't be categorized as such. Sometimes, I personally feel a certain way; but do not find the words to describe it;l it could be a combination of one or more emotions...that are not so easy to identify.

The topic of human emotions is one into which a lot of extensive research and study has gone in to. Psychologists have tried to comprehend how our complex and intricate system of emotion works. Classifying emotions makes it easier to feel like we have come a step closer to understanding the way that our emotions influence us. When something so complicated yet such a significant part of our daily lives; is foreign to our understanding...Fear of the unknown leads us to classify and generalize....which I personally disagree with.