25 FEB 2011 by ideonexus
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 ...When people become emotionally involved with something, they lose perspective on it, missing information that contradicts their emotional investment.