Category Archives: Psychology

The Real Trump Mystery, and My Explanation

Posted on Friday 27 September 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Thomas B. Edsall on The Real Trump Mystery, and how base human nature explains this; Fareed Zakaria on how Trump’s economic ideas would stunt growth and spur inflation; Because Trump doesn’t understand money; Short items about Roseanne Barr accusing Democrats … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, conservatives, Economics, Human Nature, Politics, Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on The Real Trump Mystery, and My Explanation

Reality v Fear

Posted on Wednesday 25 September 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

If there’s a core lesson to take away from the studies of psychological biases over the past two or three decades, it is this: our minds evolved for survival, not for accurate perception of the real world. We are primed … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Nature, Human Progress, Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on Reality v Fear

Francis Collins on Facts (!)

Posted on Tuesday 24 September 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Francis Collins on how facts don’t care how you feel; Short pieces on Trump and golf; how brain damage is linked to religious fundamentalism; how Carlson and Vance are smart guys who play dumb; about Trump’s Truth Social posts; how … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on Francis Collins on Facts (!)

Admitted Liars; Presumptions of the Ancients

Posted on Saturday 21 September 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Republicans repeatedly are admitting they lie; How Republicans voters trust Trump as a source of election information; Reading Timothy Ferris, revisiting the ancient astronomers and their presumptions about the universe — not unlike the modern discovery of psychology biases. Increasingly, … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, conservatives, Lunacy, Psychology, Science | Comments Off on Admitted Liars; Presumptions of the Ancients

Fear vs. Hope

Posted on Friday 13 September 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

An essay about “contrasting views of reality” by the American right and the left; Short items about MAGA and pets; Republicans and raunch; Laura Loomer; Buttigieg explains Trump; Lance Wallnau blames witchcraft; and Trump’s new big lie about crime; And … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Nature, Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on Fear vs. Hope

Cory Doctorow on Marshmallow Longtermism

Posted on Monday 2 September 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

I read Cory Doctorow’s latest column for Locus Magazine last week, when I browsed through my advance PDF copy of the September issue. It’s a fascinating piece that considers the difference between the political left and the political right in … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Psychology | Comments Off on Cory Doctorow on Marshmallow Longtermism

Lukianoff & Haidt, THE CODDLING OF THE AMERICAN MIND

Posted on Sunday 1 September 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Here’s a book that was published six years ago this month, and which I read one year ago last month. Subtitle: “How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting Up a Generation for Failure” (Penguin Press, Sept. 2018, 338pp, including … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Culture, Human Nature, Psychology | Comments Off on Lukianoff & Haidt, THE CODDLING OF THE AMERICAN MIND

Steven Pinker: THE BLANK SLATE, post 10

Posted on Friday 2 August 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Finally: the last topic chapter, about The Arts, and then the final chapter. Earlier posts about this book: post 1, post 2, post 3, post 4, post 5, post 6, post 7, post 8, post 9. – – – –Ch20, … Continue reading →

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Steven Pinker: THE BLANK SLATE, post 9

Posted on Thursday 1 August 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

This time: Children. The old nature vs. nurture debate is too simplistic and binary. Given implications of our innate human nature, the (by now unsurprising) takeaway here is that parents have far less influence on their children than people have … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Children, Culture, Human Nature, Psychology, Steven Pinker | Comments Off on Steven Pinker: THE BLANK SLATE, post 9

Nostalgia, Weird Ideas, Joy vs Grimness, Prayers

Posted on Tuesday 30 July 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Tom Nichols on how nostalgia for the past tells us lies; More on JD Vance’s tribal morality and short-term thinking; Robert Reich on Kamala’s joy and Donald’s grimness; And the meaning of why Trump rallies open with Christian prayers. —— … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal history, Politics, Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on Nostalgia, Weird Ideas, Joy vs Grimness, Prayers