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No, it's not short-sighted, it's good long-term thinking. It may be too simplistic to be of use to somebody whose self-esteem has been reduced to ashes by long-

No, it's not short-sighted, it's good long-term thinking. It may be too simplistic to be of use to somebody whose self-esteem has been reduced to ashes by long-term bullying without any viable strategy for dealing with it, but it's definitely a place that most of us can get to given time. > At the end of the day, we are a social species, hardwired to function by looking for approval from others, and especially from those we hold in high regard. That's what makes us tick, unless you're a sociopath. This is bullshit conjecture with some convenient nasty labeling ("sociopath") for anybody that doesn't fit your mold. It's not as hard-wired as you think. It's mostly software, a lot of it installed by our parents, all of it hackable.

vanderZwan 13y ago
> This is bullshit conjecture with some convenient nasty labeling ("sociopath") for anybody that doesn't fit your mold. I'm not saying that not caring about ones particular opinion makes you a sociopath - that's misinterpreting my words. Saying that we are hardwired as a social species is not conjecture, it's what evidence from pretty much every bit of research on the subject shows - from psychological experiments to brainscans showing that feeling "pain" over not being treated nicely isn't a metaphor - it actually activates the same areas of the brain as things that physically hurt. And how else would you explain that social isolation even works as a form of punishment/torture in the first place?
- jasonwocky 13y ago
  Certainly, we are a social species. There are thousands of social species. Isolate certain birds from social interaction, and they'll be depressed as well. I'm not talking about real isolation, they kind they do in psychological experiments. What is conjecture, as far as I can tell, is that we're "hardwired to function by looking for approval from others". > it's what evidence from pretty much every bit of research on the subject shows - from psychological experiments to brainscans showing that feeling "pain" over not being treated nicely isn't a metaphor - it actually activates the same areas of the brain as things that physically hurt. But that doesn't tell me the order of operations. Is it, a) Someone does something "not nice" (leaving aside whatever that specifically means) b) My senses take the event in c) My lizard-brain activates my pain center d) I have a bad emotional reaction Or is it a) Someone does something "not nice" (leaving aside whatever that specifically means) b) My senses take the event in c) I have a bad emotional reaction d) My lizard-brain activates my pain center ?

vanderZwan 13y ago

> This is bullshit conjecture with some convenient nasty labeling ("sociopath") for anybody that doesn't fit your mold. I'm not saying that not caring about ones particular opinion makes you a sociopath - that's misinterpreting my words. Saying that we are hardwired as a social species is not conjecture, it's what evidence from pretty much every bit of research on the subject shows - from psychological experiments to brainscans showing that feeling "pain" over not being treated nicely isn't a metaphor - it actually activates the same areas of the brain as things that physically hurt. And how else would you explain that social isolation even works as a form of punishment/torture in the first place?

jasonwocky 13y ago
Certainly, we are a social species. There are thousands of social species. Isolate certain birds from social interaction, and they'll be depressed as well. I'm not talking about real isolation, they kind they do in psychological experiments. What is conjecture, as far as I can tell, is that we're "hardwired to function by looking for approval from others". > it's what evidence from pretty much every bit of research on the subject shows - from psychological experiments to brainscans showing that feeling "pain" over not being treated nicely isn't a metaphor - it actually activates the same areas of the brain as things that physically hurt. But that doesn't tell me the order of operations. Is it, a) Someone does something "not nice" (leaving aside whatever that specifically means) b) My senses take the event in c) My lizard-brain activates my pain center d) I have a bad emotional reaction Or is it a) Someone does something "not nice" (leaving aside whatever that specifically means) b) My senses take the event in c) I have a bad emotional reaction d) My lizard-brain activates my pain center ?