All those cameras

Here's a random thought. I suspect that small tightly-knit communities--small towns--have tended to produce, on average, more people with a traditional sense of morality--more people with strong consciences. Don't steal, don't kill, be kind, look out to help others in need, for instance. I don't know this to be a fact. Rather, it's anecdotal, but it's based on 54 years of experience. I also suspect that part of the reason that this is true (to the extent that it is true) is that people in small towns keep a close eye on each other. In small towns, I suspect that children grow up more closely watched and corrected by others (especially corrected by neighbors and even strangers) when they gets out of line. I think that this sort of upbringing will tend to produce more of a traditional moral "conscience." Now consider that there are a lot of cameras out there these days. Lots and lots of government cameras, of course, but also millions of phone cameras as well as plain old . . . cameras. Anything unusual that happens out in a public space is now likely to draw at least some photos and video. Is it possible that all of these cameras in big cities might have the effect of turning big city "dog-eat-dog" people into something more akin to small town people? Will the presence of so many cameras tend to make big city people feel constantly "watched." Will that, in turn, encourage big city individuals to develop traditional moral habits?

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Bold, idealistic and anxious

According to Science Daily,

Anxiety and uncertainty can cause us to become more idealistic and more radical in our religious beliefs, according to new findings by York University researchers, published in this month's issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. . . [T]he results of this research program suggest that bold but vulnerable people gravitate to idealistic and religious extremes for relief from anxiety.

See this related cross-link to Gregory Paul's work showing that religion thrives when a population feels insecure.

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Climategate scientists vindicated

Another inquiry has determined that the "Climategate" scientists' "rigor and honesty as scientists are not in doubt." Not that this will slow down attacks on inconvenient science. Perhaps the biggest lesson illustrated is that when you show know-nothings that they are wrong, it has no effect on their opinions. For an equally good example, read about the "Lenski Affair," where the scientists had conducted 20 years of rigorous experiments that clearly demonstrated evolution of E. coli in the lab. Evidence just isn't good enough for zealots.

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Comprehensive list of cognitive biases

The next time someone mentions that humans are "rational" you might want to refer them to Wikipedia's list of dozens of cognitive biases. How handy to have all of these biases listed in one place. The list includes each of the following biases, each of them liked to specific Wikipedia articles. Decision-making and behavioral biases Bandwagon effect Base rate fallacy Bias blind spot Choice-supportive bias Confirmation bias Congruence bias Contrast effect Denomination effect Distinction bias Endowment effect Experimenter's or Expectation bias Extraordinarity bias Focusing effect Framing Hyperbolic discounting Illusion of control Impact bias Information bias Interloper effect Irrational escalation Just-world phenomenon Loss aversion Mere exposure effect Money illusion Moral credential effect Need for Closure Negativity bias Neglect of probability Normalcy bias Omission bias Outcome bias Planning fallacy Pseudocertainty effect Reactance Restraint bias Selective perception Semmelweis reflex Status quo bias Von Restorff effect Wishful thinking Zero-risk bias Biases in probability and belief Ambiguity effect Anchoring effect Attentional bias Authority bias [More . . . ]

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How to change

Most of the big problems we face today are created by human beings, and they have human solutions. If only we could and would change our ways. If only we could switch to a non-fossil fuel economy, we could solve dozens of well-known environmental and political problems. If only we would "just say no" to drugs, reckless conduct, sloth, and rampant consumerism. If only we would just buckle down and be more informed and more active citizens, we could keep a better eye on our government. It goes on and on. Well designed solutions already exist for so many of our problems. If only we would change, but we can’t seem to change. We tend to be trapped in our own destructive and ignorant ways. How can we break out of this stagnant cycle? Back in 2002 at Psychology Today, in an article titled “The 10 Rules of Change,” Stan Goldberg wrote that change isn’t easy, but it is possible, and there’s more to it than just saying yes (or no). He offers ten observations and strategies for implementing change. They include the following (these are Goldberg’s ideas, as I interpret them): 1. All behaviors are complex. Therefore, break down the behavior into smaller parts and take baby steps. If you want to be a better musician, practice your scales, study your theory, practice new pieces, listen carefully to others performing, and a dozen other things. [More . . . ]

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