Friday 26th of April 2024
Home » Blogs » Gus Leonisky's blog

catching them young...

goldfish believes

Brains generally accept beliefs because they have to work much harder to reject them as false.

 Additionally, the scans clearly showed something that was more straightforward. Brain activation, overall, was much greater and persisted longer during states of disbelief. This is important because neuroscience has long shown that greater brain activity requires more mental resources, of which there is a limited supply. A cognitive process that demands little mental resources, such as believing, is less work for the brain and therefore favored. This concept was summed up nicely in a 2015 NewScientist cover story on the science of beliefs, which stated, "Harris' results were widely interpreted as further confirmation that the default state of the human brain is to accept. Belief comes easily; doubt takes effort."

 This finding has great implications for understanding the factors involved in human behavior and decision-making. We all know that our beliefs strongly guide our actions and shape our moral and political attitudes. Since the brain tends to accept ideas rather than reject them, those raised in cultures that promote religious indoctrination of children at a very early age—long before they are taught science, if taught science at all—are more susceptible to holding fundamentalist beliefs later in life.

 Further evidence supporting the notion that the brain favors believing comes from classic psychology experiments with children. Many studies have shown the perhaps common sense idea that young children are prone to believe what they are told rather than reject it. The latter involves an evaluation phase that the former does not, which again places more demands on the brain's limited resources. Suggestibility and gullibility, in a sense, come naturally.

 for more details please check The Daily Beast 


https://atheistalliance.org/regional-reports/north-america/1146-religious-fundamentalism-a-side-effect-of-lazy-brains.html

 

meanwhile, the proselytisers...

 

There's been a lot of alarmist stuff written recently about the potential detrimental effects of religious teaching on young people. But the research suggests religious faith can lead to greater levels of wellbeing, writes Michael Jensen.

If you want to get a snapshot of contemporary parental anxieties, then you need only look at a few school websites.

Years ago, schools pitched themselves to mum and dad as places where John and Joanne would fulfil their potential, and become successful. Achievement was the emphasis.

But we live in more disturbed and anxious times. The mention of achievement is always there, of course, but a new theme has emerged. We now want our kids to be resilient and happy. We want them to experience wellbeing. We want John and Joanne not simply to know how to succeed, but how to fail and come back.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-24/jensen-if-you-want-kids-to-be-happy-try-religion/6797634

-------------

Gus: Rubbish... More anxious and disturbed times? You should have lived through WWII, or WWI or the 100 years religious wars or the plague... Or even the more recent time of nuclear annihilation... Hey ! We're still here... but the bunkers are growing weeds on their lids because no-one has had the folly to press the red button. 

Actually, we live in more liberated times and that is more demanding than just swallowing a simplistic pill or a suppository of Abrahamic dictum. We live in more complex, more diverse and more exciting times apart from some religious nuts trying to blow us sky high with simpletonium... 

And we have a greater understanding of the planet we live on, except the rabid rightwingers see nothing good about it but cash. 

Now I am sure that every kid is taught to discover success with the trial and error system, from an early age, by placing square pegs into round holes. Joy can become finding the right slot. Applause or try again... And this is the story of our life all the way. 

 

flower-power and guitar-music make terrorists?...

Environmentalists and teachers are up in arms over a new Federal Government anti-radicalisation kit that links green activism and "alternative music" to terrorism.

The Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Terrorism Michael Keenan launched the Radicalisation Awareness Kit in the form of a 32-page booklet on Monday.

Through a series of examples and fictitious case studies, the booklet aims to illustrate the circumstances which can lead young people to become radicalised.

But one surprising example cites the power of the alternative music scene and environmental activism in the radicalisation process.

read more http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-24/anti-radicalisation-kit-under-fire-from-green-groups-teachers/6803024