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lickenforyou -> RE: Pascal's Wager (12/27/2010 4:53:01 PM)
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ORIGINAL: tazzygirl
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ORIGINAL: lickenforyou
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ORIGINAL: tazzygirl
You do realize that many psychologists believe that relying solely upon rational thought... if thats at all possible... has just as many problems as someone relying completely upon emotions. Your assertion that rational thought process is best is flawed.
No, I don't realize that at all. I think that most psychologist and psychiatrist try to help patients learn to use reason to reach logical decisions in their lives. Of course there are people who need help getting in touch with and understanding their feelings. Understanding one's emotions is essential for mental and physical health.
You say that my assertion that rational thought process is best is flawed, but you have to show me where it is flawed.
In reference to the bolded part,.. didnt you say .......
quote:
It’s also my observation that people who rely on emotions more than logic to make decisions tend to make poor decisions.
Now, keep that in mind.
We make many decisions, and sometimes we are more or less logical about them. And it is arguable that all decision are, ultimately emotional.
Logical vs. emotional decision-making
Decision-making is a cognitive process where the outcome is a choice between alternatives. We often have different preferences as to our preferred, approach, varying between thinking and feeling.
Logical decision-making
When we use logic to make decisions, we seek to exclude emotions, using only rational methods, and perhaps even mathematical tools. The foundation of such decisions is the principle of utility, whereby the value of each option is assessed by assigning criteria (often weighted).
Emotional decision-making
There is a whole range of decision-making that uses emotion, depending on the degree of logic that is included in the process.
A totally emotional decision is typically very fast. This is because it takes time (at least 0.1 seconds) for the rational cortex to get going. This is the reactive (and largely subconscious) decision-making that you encounter in heated arguments or when faced with immediate danger.
Common emotional decisions may use some logic, but the main driving force is emotion, which either overrides logic or uses a pseudo-logic to support emotional choices (this is extremely common).
Another common use of emotion in decision is to start with logic and then use emotion in the final choice.
Damasio's research
Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio studied people who had received brain injuries that had had one specific effect: to damage that part of the brain where emotions are generated. In all other respects they seemed normal - they just lost the ability to feel emotions.
The interesting thing he found was that their ability to make decisions was seriously impaired. They could logically describe what they should be doing, in practice they found it very difficult to make decisions about where to live, what to eat, etc.
In particular, many decisions have pros and cons on both sides. Shall I have the fish or the beef? With no rational way to decide, they were unable to make the decision.
The point of decision
Always emotional decision?
So at the point of decision, emotions are very important for choosing. In fact even with what we believe are logical decisions, the very point of choice is arguably always based on emotion.
We talk about decisions that feel or seem right. When logical decisions are wrong, we will often feel that this is so. Emotions are perhaps signals from the subconscious that tell us a lot about what we really choose.
Subconscious in charge?
An even stranger factor is research where the subject's brain was wired up to recorders and the subject was asked to simply press a red button at any time. The notion was that if the conscious mind was in charge, then that part of the brain would be seen to change first, an if the decision started in the subconscious, then electrical activity in that part of the brain would work first.
And the answer was...that the subconscious started activity first. The shocking conclusion is that the subconscious is in charge of the bus, and that we are living an illusion of conscious choice. As emotions also stem from the subconscious, then this makes it even more likely that decisions have a strong emotional influence.
http://changingminds.org/explanations/emotions/emotion_decision.htm
You've posted way too much here for me to respond to. When I first started posting on these boards I would respond point by point to someone's posted study. Only to have them not respond or only respond to something that was a minor point for me. Or, worse yet, post another study for me to respond to.
If you would pull one or two bullet points from the study that backs up your POV and then post the link to the study I'd be happy to continue the discussion.
I do love to debate but I have to leave some time to masturbate, uh, I mean work.
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