"The thing is that humans tend to believe what they perceive, since there is no evolutionary reason for them not to."
In fact, there's a vety good evolutionary reason for us to believe what we're told/perceive. Human societies couldn't work without the transfer of information from humans to others, and it's the fact that we can form such extended societies that's one of the advantages differentiating us from most of the rest of the animal kingdom. (Let's not go digressing into red herrings about ants.)
One could say, and sometimes I do, that the rogue's cynical exploitation of the evolutionary survival factor of belief in imparted information is a crime against the species.
Treason, as Ann Coulter might call it. Except, of course, that she applies the term instead to anyone who vomits at the thought of . . . well, Ann Coulter, for a start. Mere traitors to the species she approves.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2008-08-29 02:09 am (UTC)"The thing is that humans tend to believe what they perceive, since there is no evolutionary reason for them not to."
In fact, there's a vety good evolutionary reason for us to believe what we're told/perceive. Human societies couldn't work without the transfer of information from humans to others, and it's the fact that we can form such extended societies that's one of the advantages differentiating us from most of the rest of the animal kingdom. (Let's not go digressing into red herrings about ants.)
One could say, and sometimes I do, that the rogue's cynical exploitation of the evolutionary survival factor of belief in imparted information is a crime against the species.
Treason, as Ann Coulter might call it. Except, of course, that she applies the term instead to anyone who vomits at the thought of . . . well, Ann Coulter, for a start. Mere traitors to the species she approves.