Why do we use moral language? Hello, I'm Dom and I am a human. Like other humans, I play the language-game of morality. I say things like, "Lying is bad," "You ought not to steal," "Rape is immoral," "Sadistic psychopaths are evil," "Abortion is ethical," "Euthanasia is morally right," and "A government should express the will of the people." But why do I talk like that? What am I trying to communicate with such statements? More generally, what's the use of moral words? Let's look at six … [Read more...]
Is Willpower a Cognitive Strength?
Willpower is the ability to pursue long-term goals in spite of inner obstacles created by needs, desires (cravings), thoughts (excuses), and automatisms (bad habits). We know from ample empirical data that willpower is key for financial, social, and personal success. But where does this ability to control ourselves come from? Executive Functions Adult humans have a highly developed prefrontal cortex, which makes us exceptionally good at executive functioning. Executive functions are cognitive … [Read more...]
How the Brain Makes Emotions
Here's the latest state of the art in the cognitive science of emotion, summarized in three words: Emotions are predictions More precisely, emotions are predictions generated by the brain using an internal model informed by sensory data and past experiences. What does this mean? Let's analyze that definition word by word, starting from the end: Past experiences. All your emotions are shaped by your memories of the past, categorized by distinct emotion concepts. Some of your experiences … [Read more...]
Buddhism Debunked: Meditation Boosts the Ego
According to Hinduist and Buddhist philosophy, the ego is a major source of human suffering. Hence, Eastern mind-body practices like yoga and meditation are intended to quiet the ego, to deflate one's sense of self-importance, in order to improve well-being. Indeed, we know from a myriad of scientific studies that mindfulness practice factually improves well-being. But is this really due to a quieting of the ego? In a new study, Gebauer et al. (2018) conducted two experiments to investigate … [Read more...]
Are You Using Your Strengths? (A Six-Week Plan to Improve Your Character)
Character strengths are positive traits that are vital for living a good life. They exist in all cultures, have moral worth, and manifest in a person's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. According to Peterson & Seligman (2004), the 24 universal character strengths, grouped by six core virtues, are: Wisdom: Creativity, Curiosity, Open-Mindedness, Love of Learning, Perspective Courage: Bravery, Perseverance, Honesty, Zest Humanity: Love, Kindness, Social Intelligence Justice: … [Read more...]
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