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No. As an example, if you've ever experienced an overwhelming urge to downvote a comment on HN despite the fact that it conforms to the site guidelines, but it

by User23 6y ago

No. As an example, if you've ever experienced an overwhelming urge to downvote a comment on HN despite the fact that it conforms to the site guidelines, but it makes you feel intellectually threatened, then you’ve experienced this phenomenon.

frogpelt 6y ago
I’m gonna have to call this a bad example. I’m pretty sure the neocortex is heavily involved when you’re reading comments on Hacker News.
- CountDrewku 6y ago
  It's a terrible example. Most here don't seem to understand what actual fight/flight is and what this person has coined "amygdala hijacking". It wouldn't work as a survival mechanism at all if they had the ability to think their decision through. In a true fight/flight scenario your amygdala responds in such a quick way that you really don't have time to override it. This IS a panic attack, except that panic attacks are usually used in reference to something that's not a real imminent danger. Regardless, the body response is the same with adrenaline, heightened sense etc..
deleted 6y ago
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carapace 6y ago
Not only is this a valid point in and of itself, but it bring up a fascinating (IMO) aspect of the human mind: just how abstract the "stimuli" can be that we respond to, eh? It's arguably a neurological "mis-wire" that it's even possible to be intellectually threatened, eh? Snakes, yes, but furious green ideas[1]? [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorless_green_ideas_sleep_furiously https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorless_green_ideas_sleep_fu...
- deleted 6y ago
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CountDrewku 6y ago
It's still general anxiety, which is just the lesser form of what eventually creates a panic attack and clearly not what he's referring to with a term like "amygdala hijack". I see no reason to get pedantic with it and create and entirely new sensationalist term to describe what is essentially a panic response. Also, in the example you've given most people have the ability actually think through the process logically and make a decision before they decide on something like voting. In a true "amygdala hijack" (like a panic attack) you don't get the chance to decide you just immediately respond with fight/flight. If you had the ability to think it through it would be a shit survival mechanism.

by User23 6y ago

frogpelt 6y ago

I’m gonna have to call this a bad example. I’m pretty sure the neocortex is heavily involved when you’re reading comments on Hacker News.

CountDrewku 6y ago
It's a terrible example. Most here don't seem to understand what actual fight/flight is and what this person has coined "amygdala hijacking". It wouldn't work as a survival mechanism at all if they had the ability to think their decision through. In a true fight/flight scenario your amygdala responds in such a quick way that you really don't have time to override it. This IS a panic attack, except that panic attacks are usually used in reference to something that's not a real imminent danger. Regardless, the body response is the same with adrenaline, heightened sense etc..

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

carapace 6y ago

Not only is this a valid point in and of itself, but it bring up a fascinating (IMO) aspect of the human mind: just how abstract the "stimuli" can be that we respond to, eh? It's arguably a neurological "mis-wire" that it's even possible to be intellectually threatened, eh? Snakes, yes, but furious green ideas[1]? [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorless_green_ideas_sleep_furiously https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorless_green_ideas_sleep_fu...

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

CountDrewku 6y ago

It's still general anxiety, which is just the lesser form of what eventually creates a panic attack and clearly not what he's referring to with a term like "amygdala hijack". I see no reason to get pedantic with it and create and entirely new sensationalist term to describe what is essentially a panic response. Also, in the example you've given most people have the ability actually think through the process logically and make a decision before they decide on something like voting. In a true "amygdala hijack" (like a panic attack) you don't get the chance to decide you just immediately respond with fight/flight. If you had the ability to think it through it would be a shit survival mechanism.