Forums > Social Discussion > close minded irrational emotional responses from people

have you ever wondered why some people seem to react without really seeming to have processed the information they have been presented with? well im currently writing a paper on the human visual system and how it relates to artificial vision system design and i stumbled across some interesting information.



information from the eyes and ears travels first to the thalamus and from there to the visual and auditory areas of the cortex (where we process what we see in the world) which then gets sent to the limbic system for an emotional reaction. however evolution being the messy half assed job that it is also added in a direct route from the thalamus to the amygdala (part of the limbic system). so what this all means is that you can have an emotional reaction to the world even BEFORE your cortex has had a chance to experience and recognise what its experiencing



now one would think that an intelligent person would realise that they are having an emotional response and think a little more before reacting, however this greatly depends on the circumstances. emotions are something that evolution cooked up to help make a choice of what to do next from the vast multitude of options, people who suffer damage between their limbic system and frontal lobes have little intellectual imparement but they are unable to make decisions because none of the options "feels" right so they um and ar all day.



When a person faces a problem they will not bother to consider many of the possible solutions instead considering only solutions that "feel right" in the case of highly emotional people they can often only percieve one solution. what feels right to an individual is based on the emotional response from the limbic system which is determined by previous experience (yay evolution and its quick thinking for the fight or flight decisions)



in conclusion there are two useful things to take from this

1. if you have a strong reaction to something straight away become consciously aware that your having a reaction and look and see where that reaction is coming from before reacting and the world will be just that little bit happier

2. if you are unlucky enought to be on the recieving end of an irrational emotional response realise that they are probably not reacting to you but to some unhappy trama from their past which they are projecting onto you

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourself, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous and talented? Who are you NOT to be?

Pull my pin out, roll me in to a room and see what happens

Is it the Truth?
Is it Fair to all concerned?
Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?

Im in a lonely battle with the world with a fish to match the chip on my shoulder. Gnu in Binnu in a cnu

Geologists do it in the dirt................

ture na sig

Written by: Gnorc

---

I expected this to be about HOP posters....

---

.....Can't juggle balls but I sure as hell can juggle details....

"Ours is not to question The Head; it is enough to revel in the ubiquitous inanity of The Head, the unwanted proximity of The Head, the unrelenting HellPresence of The Head, indeed the very UNYIELDING IRRELEVANCE of The Head!" --Revelation X

"but have you considered there is more to life than your eyelids?"

jointly owned by Fire_Spinning_Angel and Blu_Valley

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always

::: I LiKe pLeAsUrE sPiKeD wItH pAiN - MuSiC iS mY aErOpLaNe :::

It is our fantasies that make us real. Without our fantasies we're just a blank monkey' - Terry Pratchett

Loving your life...loving your planet...loving yourself.