December 3, 2008

"Vagal superstars."

"I would guarantee Barack Obama is off the charts. Just bring him to my lab."

7 comments:

Richard Fagin said...

"When you start thinking about mass movements, all those upturned, glowing faces of true believers—be they the followers of Jim Jones or Adolf Hitler—you don't always get a warm feeling about mankind. Instead, knowing where some of these 'social collectives' end up, the sensation is a cold chill. Haidt acknowledges that in 'calling the group to greatness,' elevation can be used for murderous ends. He says: 'Anything that takes us out of ourselves and makes us feel we are listening to something larger is part of morality. It's about pressing the buttons that turn off 'I' and turn on 'we.'"

That is the most important passage in the Slate piece. The research described is quite well founded, and it suggests why rock solid moral education is so important - people need to have external principles by which they can successfully resist elevation by evildoers. People need to be trained to be elevated by what is objectively good. That was the purpose Americans used to have for socialization of children. Now that we've decided there is no objective "good" we're open for just about anything.

Meade said...

"Research has shown that women who have complete transection of the spinal cord can experience orgasms through the vagus nerve, which can go from the uterus, cervix and probably the vagina to the brain."

wikipedia - vagus nerve

Meade said...
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Meade said...

"In terms of sexuality, the holy grail is: Why does an orgasm feel so damned good? I think we're getting there."

Palladian said...

Obama is a VAGINAL SUPERSTAR!!1

Chip Ahoy said...
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Chip Ahoy said...

I feel so left out.

Were I to be hooked up and monitored and made to listen to his acceptance speech these researchers taking careful note of my physiological reaction would error by misattributing "uplift" to aggrivation. Schwachsinn dummkopfs. They see and report what they want to see and report.

However, this in no way interferes with the enjoyment I'm getting from the myth you're all creating. Do, please continue.

(changed 'they' to 'the' up there ^^^)