Q: Why did mankind develop such high intelligence? I mean, it's not as if less intelligent creatures are having trouble sustaining their respective species. So why do we have this brilliant feature to begin with? – Yousaf Bajwa
A: So that we can eat and get laid.
Sorry. That was crude and entirely unsuitable for Valentine’s Day. Here’s a more professional sounding answer. Our survival involves eating other animals, which means we are participating in an ever-escalating, inter-species arms race. As we develop features for catching them, they develop features for avoiding us. Some think that our intelligence evolved to fill an ecological niche analogous to a cheetah’s speed or a spider’s ability to spin web – it is a highly-developed hunting tool. That’s the inter-species evolutionary explanation. The intra-species theory is much sexier.
Q: Can you explain why, when I have no external forces determining my schedule, I tend to gravitate naturally toward a nocturnal state? -Marty
A: There are several factors that may have predisposed you to the night life. And, naturally, my colleagues have tried to determine what your sleep preference says about you. Are you neurotic? Conscientious? Intelligent? Disorganized? Blame your suprachiasmatic nucleus.
The mind seems to be wired for negative thoughts. Common wisdom says that pessimism is a problem. The anti-pessimists warn us: “don’t think like that or you’ll doom yourself to failure!” But common wisdom can be wrong, and pessimism can be helpful – if it is done correctly. So cinch up your belt and suspenders, and let’s find the positive side of negative thinking!
Q: Nature pushes polygamy. Culture pushes monogamy. How does someone deal with polygamous urges in a monogamous country in a healthy manner? -Kei
A: You’re right, Kei. Monogamy is not humanity’s strong suit. Most cultures have endorsed some form of polygamy. Even in Western society, where it is a crime, polygamy often wins out in the end. But as I’ve said elsewhere, no individual is a statistic, a society, or a slave to genetics. If you and your partner desire monogamy, it’s all yours.
Please be advised: this posting contains sexist, insensitive, shamelessly pragmatic views on human coupling. If you like that sort of thing, you have come to the right place.
Q: Can I really get addicted to the Internet? How is that possible? Do I need to mainline my Internet cable? And can you tell me how to do that? -A.J.
Q: Is it just me, or have you also noticed everyone seems to have an addiction of some sort? Or are my acquaintances of questionable mental health? -Spike
A: Addictions, if we want to go with that word, are surprisingly interchangeable. There are plenty of activities that can take over a person's life, from shopping to... er... playing solo, if you know what I mean. Rather than getting caught up in labels like "addiction," we might ask: what is the function of the habit in question, and why is it so dadgum hard to quit?
Q: Can children have bipolar disorder? If so, how are they diagnosed? –Lynn
A: Yep, children can be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and it is happening with increasing frequency. One study reported that the number of pediatric bipolar diagnoses increased 4,000 percent between 1994 and 2003.* Around 90 percent of those children received prescriptions for powerful medications (Moreno, et al., 2007).
Short of a contagious epidemic, such a massive change in diagnostic trends is hard to account for. Clearly, we’re still working out the kinks in this diagnosis.
Q: How do you account for what seems to be a worldwide mass delusion regarding the belief in something like “global warming” despite the existence of opposing scientific views and data? –Shar Z.
A: Your phrasing betrays the wicked brand of a global warming skeptic. I am also a skeptic, though I’m far from certain about my position. My knowledge of the earth and its atmosphere could barely fill a pamphlet. I suspect that is true of most people in the global warming debate, including Al Gore.
As you point out, there is more than one tenable position on global warming. Yet, despite divergent viewpoints, incomplete data, and sound arguments to the contrary, some global warming proponents – who probably possess no more knowledge than I – can be violently strident.
We’ve seen this sort of thing before, Shar. Collective fears are nothing new. Neither is mass panic, which I think characterizes most organized responses to global warming. A thought is only delusional if it is wrong, but panic is destructive regardless of the facts.
In Part 2, we looked at the mind’s unbidden messages. The deeper the brain structure, the more primitive and powerful the urge. Sometimes we can influence our minds by exerting a bit of managerial pressure from the top. Other times, our primal minds have the upper hand and the best option is to accept what they give us.
Q: Why did mankind develop such high intelligence? I mean, it's not as if less intelligent creatures are having trouble sustaining their respective species. So why do we have this brilliant feature to begin with? – Yousaf Bajwa
A: So that we can eat and get laid.
Sorry. That was crude and entirely unsuitable for Valentine’s Day. Here’s a more professional sounding answer. Our survival involves eating other animals, which means we are participating in an ever-escalating, inter-species arms race. As we develop features for catching them, they develop features for avoiding us. Some think that our intelligence evolved to fill an ecological niche analogous to a cheetah’s speed or a spider’s ability to spin web – it is a highly-developed hunting tool. That’s the inter-species evolutionary explanation. The intra-species theory is much sexier.
Q: Can you explain why, when I have no external forces determining my schedule, I tend to gravitate naturally toward a nocturnal state? -Marty
A: There are several factors that may have predisposed you to the night life. And, naturally, my colleagues have tried to determine what your sleep preference says about you. Are you neurotic? Conscientious? Intelligent? Disorganized? Blame your suprachiasmatic nucleus.
The mind seems to be wired for negative thoughts. Common wisdom says that pessimism is a problem. The anti-pessimists warn us: “don’t think like that or you’ll doom yourself to failure!” But common wisdom can be wrong, and pessimism can be helpful – if it is done correctly. So cinch up your belt and suspenders, and let’s find the positive side of negative thinking!
Q: Nature pushes polygamy. Culture pushes monogamy. How does someone deal with polygamous urges in a monogamous country in a healthy manner? -Kei
A: You’re right, Kei. Monogamy is not humanity’s strong suit. Most cultures have endorsed some form of polygamy. Even in Western society, where it is a crime, polygamy often wins out in the end. But as I’ve said elsewhere, no individual is a statistic, a society, or a slave to genetics. If you and your partner desire monogamy, it’s all yours.
Please be advised: this posting contains sexist, insensitive, shamelessly pragmatic views on human coupling. If you like that sort of thing, you have come to the right place.
Q: Can I really get addicted to the Internet? How is that possible? Do I need to mainline my Internet cable? And can you tell me how to do that? -A.J.
Q: Is it just me, or have you also noticed everyone seems to have an addiction of some sort? Or are my acquaintances of questionable mental health? -Spike
A: Addictions, if we want to go with that word, are surprisingly interchangeable. There are plenty of activities that can take over a person's life, from shopping to... er... playing solo, if you know what I mean. Rather than getting caught up in labels like "addiction," we might ask: what is the function of the habit in question, and why is it so dadgum hard to quit?
Q: Can children have bipolar disorder? If so, how are they diagnosed? –Lynn
A: Yep, children can be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and it is happening with increasing frequency. One study reported that the number of pediatric bipolar diagnoses increased 4,000 percent between 1994 and 2003.* Around 90 percent of those children received prescriptions for powerful medications (Moreno, et al., 2007).
Short of a contagious epidemic, such a massive change in diagnostic trends is hard to account for. Clearly, we’re still working out the kinks in this diagnosis.
Q: How do you account for what seems to be a worldwide mass delusion regarding the belief in something like “global warming” despite the existence of opposing scientific views and data? –Shar Z.
A: Your phrasing betrays the wicked brand of a global warming skeptic. I am also a skeptic, though I’m far from certain about my position. My knowledge of the earth and its atmosphere could barely fill a pamphlet. I suspect that is true of most people in the global warming debate, including Al Gore.
As you point out, there is more than one tenable position on global warming. Yet, despite divergent viewpoints, incomplete data, and sound arguments to the contrary, some global warming proponents – who probably possess no more knowledge than I – can be violently strident.
We’ve seen this sort of thing before, Shar. Collective fears are nothing new. Neither is mass panic, which I think characterizes most organized responses to global warming. A thought is only delusional if it is wrong, but panic is destructive regardless of the facts.
In Part 2, we looked at the mind’s unbidden messages. The deeper the brain structure, the more primitive and powerful the urge. Sometimes we can influence our minds by exerting a bit of managerial pressure from the top. Other times, our primal minds have the upper hand and the best option is to accept what they give us.
