4 ms·

I don't think it is even closely true that mental problems like this are sorely caused by genetic mutations. There is a careful chemical balance in your brain a

I don't think it is even closely true that mental problems like this are sorely caused by genetic mutations. There is a careful chemical balance in your brain and it can get out of order by food, drugs, trauma and probably a lot of other factors unknown to us. Our lifestyle isn't very natural, we have long left natural selection behind for that matter.

derefr 6y ago
> There is a careful chemical balance in your brain Homeostasis processes, and redundant gene-coding sites in our DNA, mean that your body is mostly robust to environmental onslaughts. Animals have evolved in a competitive environment where these problems already existed: parasites want to control your brain; predators want to envenomate you before they eat you; prey species want to stop you in your tracks with toxins. But life evolves to adapt to these problems, becoming able to shrug most of them off if it's a consistent part of their niche. Most of the "spices" we eat are plant toxins we've adapted to be fine consuming. When mutations happen, they don't always immediately cause a problem. What they more-often do, is to cause the body (or in this case, the brain) to lose some of its homeostatic mechanisms — to become less robust to these environmental onslaughts. The affected system becomes more vulnerable, or loses compensatory capacity — it remains able to function in the normal case, but loses the ability to function in the edge case. Of course, some of our body processes are more robust/protected than others. Some systems (reward; inflammation; sleep) are very easy to "hack", for some reason; while others (libido; fear) are nearly impossible.
- raxxorrax 6y ago
  Sensitivity can have advantages and disadvantages, so I would argue more defensively in assessing a "purpose" to a mutation. Especially if there are cases of mutism, where trauma is the cause. At least that should pose more questions. edit: Additionally, the is a correlation between "giftedness" and sensory overload.

derefr 6y ago

> There is a careful chemical balance in your brain Homeostasis processes, and redundant gene-coding sites in our DNA, mean that your body is mostly robust to environmental onslaughts. Animals have evolved in a competitive environment where these problems already existed: parasites want to control your brain; predators want to envenomate you before they eat you; prey species want to stop you in your tracks with toxins. But life evolves to adapt to these problems, becoming able to shrug most of them off if it's a consistent part of their niche. Most of the "spices" we eat are plant toxins we've adapted to be fine consuming. When mutations happen, they don't always immediately cause a problem. What they more-often do, is to cause the body (or in this case, the brain) to lose some of its homeostatic mechanisms — to become less robust to these environmental onslaughts. The affected system becomes more vulnerable, or loses compensatory capacity — it remains able to function in the normal case, but loses the ability to function in the edge case. Of course, some of our body processes are more robust/protected than others. Some systems (reward; inflammation; sleep) are very easy to "hack", for some reason; while others (libido; fear) are nearly impossible.

raxxorrax 6y ago
Sensitivity can have advantages and disadvantages, so I would argue more defensively in assessing a "purpose" to a mutation. Especially if there are cases of mutism, where trauma is the cause. At least that should pose more questions. edit: Additionally, the is a correlation between "giftedness" and sensory overload.