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In reply to the discussion: Our brains have evolved to look for patterns and assign meaning, even when none exist. [View all]Humanist_Activist
(7,670 posts)18. You forget that we live in groups, and so did our ancestors...
and frankly we do have a flight or fight response, its instinctual. Anyone who gets woken up at night from strange noises can attest to that. The reason to assign agency makes perfect sense in this context, as those who are too curious rather than fearful have a tendency not to return to the group. You also have to remember that humans learn, we aren't slaves to our instincts, we can fight them off, a more experienced member of a tribe of humans may chide and guide the younger members to know the difference between the sound of a big cat and the sound of the wind.
Our instincts were there to help us survive but they aren't perfect, and they can be messy.
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Our brains have evolved to look for patterns and assign meaning, even when none exist. [View all]
cleanhippie
Mar 2012
OP
So basically saying science can be used to study the brain and the evolution of it is...
Humanist_Activist
Mar 2012
#5
The simplest example of this would be the constellations and looking for shapes in clouds...
Humanist_Activist
Mar 2012
#6
Exactly. And unfortunately, people still assign agenticity as seen in horoscopes.
cleanhippie
Mar 2012
#10
I don't forget that we live in groups, your explanation didn't have anything to do with groups.
Jim__
Mar 2012
#19
Anecdotal evidence: Astrology columns in newspapers. Useless gambling systems.
Jim Lane
Mar 2012
#21
Your answer indicates that you are far more prone to see patterns than to be overly skeptical.
Jim__
Mar 2012
#24
All it takes for overzealous pattern recognition to be an evolutionary advantage...
Silent3
Mar 2012
#50