by H Williams on Monday, March 12, 2012 at 8:03am
"Now why go to Egypt to drink water from the Shihor? And why go to Assyria to drink water from the River?" Jeremiah 2:18
It is clear that on our day to day we drink from knowledge fountains that are completely uncharacteristic of our beliefs. Some may call that 'being a hypocrite'. However, what if it is a question of impulse and ignorance? A decision made under a lack of information that acts to fool the decision maker into adopting a strategy that is uncharacteristic of its beliefs.
Therefore, this is a question where the perception of time can be seen to play a central role. Sometimes man cannot help but act on impulse to carry out a decision seemingly wrapped in urgency.
What makes an event urgent?
A 'stress' is most commonly one associated with danger, which normally tiggers a fight/flight response. An impulse to act in the now. Therefore, this evident characteristic of a highly strung person may merit the fact that they would indulge in knowledge fountains that are normally uncharacteristic of their beliefs.
Therefore, the strategy Marketing Executives adopt on these kinds of people is to push the subject towards feeling an emotional response (love; sympathy; desire etc. etc.), then stress the subject to encite a response of 'danger' by a discourse of 'loss' and then point out a manipulative solution that will ameliorate their fight or flight response with a 'happily ever after'. The critical choice then usually follows the manipulative suggestion.
It is interesting how despite an ability to think, when these people are subject to this rudimantary roller-coaster of emotion or four point arc it doesn't fail to enact the same effect.
Under these circumstances "choice" can thus be described as an "emotional response" rather a "rational one", which must discount the whole "rational actors" approach to Economics and Political philosophy. Moreover, these can be said to serve to distinguish between the differences of brain-stem functions or brain-stem decision making and higher brain functions and higher brain decision making.
Moreover, it also seems to allude to the fact that the rudimentary brain-stem functions and decision making must be over-run or over-powered by higher brain functions to enact so-called "rational thought". Basic instinct is indeed a powerful tool that can still be used enslave a self-proclaimed intelligent species to the desires of others.
© 2012 H Williams. All rights reserved