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It is possible that this kind of magical thinking is a side effect of genes that are actually beneficial. And beneficial in a wider range of situations than bu
by 7952 5y ago
It is possible that this kind of magical thinking is a side effect of genes that are actually beneficial. And beneficial in a wider range of situations than buying pendants. These kind of traits have obviously been in our genes for a very long time. Why is that?
- noduerme 5y agoThe magical thinking gene has probably survived, like psychopathy, because it's a force multiplier when it comes to massacring other people. Crusades, jihads, revolutionary communism... movements held together by magical thinking don't need all or even most of their members to lead long and healthy lives, as long as they do a good enough job of killing off skeptics.
- 7952 5y agoMy guess is that it's a consequence of theory of mind. Humans have an amazing capacity to imagine properties and feelings within other things. You are able to model how the predator stalking you is thinking. It may not be scientifically accurate but it can be useful. Children do this all the time and assign properties to all manner of animals and objects. And as adults we still do it. You have to build mental models because the internal complexity is just too great. This might help us to conquer an enemy by assigning evil properties. But it also helps us brew beer, trust our family, train pets, bake bread. We never fully understand any of those things but we can predict them well enough using mental models. Magical thinking is just another mental model. And for most of human evolution were were completely lacking other explanations. Magical thinking was sometimes the best explanation.