Abigail Marsh: Why some people are more altruistic than others
[12:21]
AMYGDALA….. We all have an amygdala…. It’s a key part within our brain, essential for complex processes of how we deal with fear which then in turn triggers off emotions, memory and ultimately how to react in same/similar life circumstances in the future, helping to form autopilot thought habits when collaborating with other key areas of the brain… ALL HAPPENING BEYOND OUR AWARENESS, BILLIONS OF NEURONS INTERACTING…..
FIGHT / FLIGHT / FREEZE is what we do all day, with narratives formed appropriately….. (dogma, excuses, procrastination, altruism, religious belief, rituals and much more….) all have a root first in the amygdala which continually reacts to the environment and actually can go a little nuts when presented with the unfamiliar…. If we are not mindful when presented with the unknown / different, the amygdala left to just react without us being mindful can be the root of all sorts of prejudice when there really is no need for…
It’s an absolute bugger if the amygdala didn’t form too well beyond our control from birth…… the conversation for being compassionate towards psychopaths born with a poorly reacting amygdala for example is for another day…. but briefly, yet another reason as to why we need to understand the brain more, so we can then understand human nature better and not judge people so easily…. HUMAN NATURE IS WAY TOO COMPLEX…. Who we are, and who we become starts from our brain structures reacting automatically for us and then form patterns / norms without us realizing how…. We have to do the careful thinking beyond these automatic processes so as we can help mold a better quality, happy life and world. 🙂
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