Emotionally Interested People Resemble the Mentally Impaired

To neurophysiologists, who research cognitive functions, the emotionally driven appear to suffer from cognitive deficits that mimic certain types of brain injuries. Not just partisan political junkies, but ardent sports fans, the devout, even hobbyists. Anyone with an intense emotional interest in a subject loses the ability to observe it objectively: You selectively perceive events. You ignore data and facts that disagree with your main philosophy. Even your memory works to fool you, as you selectively retain what you believe in, and subtly mask any memories that might conflict.

Studies have shown that we are actually biased in our visual perception - literally, how we see the world - because of our belief systems.

Notes:

When people become emotionally involved with something, they lose perspective on it, missing information that contradicts their emotional investment.

Folksonomies: emotion mental illness political bias

Taxonomies:
/science/social science/philosophy (0.578836)
/health and fitness/disorders (0.502029)
/religion and spirituality (0.156571)

Keywords:
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Entities:
neurophysiologists:Person (0.811423 (neutral:0.000000))

Concepts:
Psychology (0.958634): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Cognition (0.725782): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Neuroscience (0.544472): dbpedia | freebase
Perception (0.475273): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Mind (0.412919): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Emotion and memory (0.390020): dbpedia | freebase
Cognitive psychology (0.345347): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Brain (0.339548): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc

 Why politics and investing don't mix
Electronic/World Wide Web>Internet Article:  Ritholtz, Barry (February 6, 2011), Why politics and investing don't mix, Washington Post, Retrieved on 2011-02-25
  • Source Material [www.washingtonpost.com]
  • Folksonomies: neuroscience cognition mental health emotion


    Triples

    01 MAR 2011

     Emotional Investment is a Vice

    Emotionally Interested People Resemble the Mentally Impaired > Conclusion > The Samurai, or "Voluntary Nobility"
    To be emotionally invested in something, to feel passionate about it, corrupts our objectivity, and turns us into fools. Psychologists know this, and HG Wells saw it as a vice in describing his Modern Utopia.


    Schemas

    01 JAN 2010

     Scientific Virtues

    Memes that define the virtues of science and behaviors that we should emulate.
     41