Great piece! Totally agree and this has been the same binary perspectives of the brain and its development; top-down or bottom-up? environment or genetics? The truth it's both top-down and bottom-up, it's both environment and genetics, it's both from within and from without that we see the forces shaping the developing brain.
So to with…
Great piece! Totally agree and this has been the same binary perspectives of the brain and its development; top-down or bottom-up? environment or genetics? The truth it's both top-down and bottom-up, it's both environment and genetics, it's both from within and from without that we see the forces shaping the developing brain.
So to with society (the brain is always such a good analogy for society!), as you say, systemic forces AND those individual forces are all at play. And of course it's the right hemisphere that can appreciate the two playing together in a non-linear complexity that's difficult to clearly define.
One thing that I would add, which is not spoken of in academic circles, is the supernatural element - a layer above (or below, depending on your allegiances) the systemic and individual forces at play. What the Bible calls "principalities and powers", I believe, have a significant influence, but not either the "Great Man" nor the "Social Forces" but catalytic to both (for it is still men and society who have the agency to perpetrate both good and evil).
Part of me wanted to cast conspiracism as more right-brain than systemicism, but it really does have the character of schizophrenia, and is extremely left-brain in its own way. Then I realized, ah, obviously, the right brain way of seeing this is both-and. Duh.
The supernatural element is indeed a very important aspect of all of this ... and often denied by both (although conspiracists are far more likely to acknowledge it).
Several of the delusions described in "Matter with Things" made me think of the conspiretards. (I use the term somewhat endearingly.) E.g. the delusion that a person you know has been replaced by a cheap facsimile, that other people are actually robots, and I'm sure a few others that I forget right now. I love me a good conspiracy, but I draw the line at Miles Matthis - i.e. crisis actors (all the time, everywhere), "x" didn't really die but is actually now this other person who slightly looks like them. That's not to say that no one has ever been replaced by a cheap facsimile, or that some people aren't robots, however. lol
Paranoia is very left brain. Thankfully the right-brain both-and maneuver allows me to keep my paranoia but temper it with something a little less cracked.
Exactly. At the same time, many of McGilchrist's descriptions of hyper-systematizing brought on by right hemisphere lesions - insisting on logically deriving everything and such - were highly reminiscent of, well, systemitards.
Both-and cognitive parallax is the key technique to avoid getting trapped in halls of mirrors of every description.
Yes you will have read McGilchrist’s description of schizophrenia and likeness to left-hemispheric perception, and Louis Sass has much to say on this as well - and the thinking is highly conspiratorial in nature and exactly the delusions you mention - so it does seem to me that the really “out there” conspiracy theories are fueled by the left hemisphere, and at the same time the same hemisphere can be so dismissive of what it cannot grasp and will only accept a linear logic that may be as far from the truth as the schizo perspective. Fascinating.
I must go because I think the CIA has just tapped into my prefrontal cortex to steal the memory of my passwords. Damn telepathic secret agents!
My Substack inbox is giving me a 'you're all caught up' error. At the same time, Protonmail's server is down and I can't retrieve messages. This is clearly the result of malign influence intended to prevent me from connecting with other essayists. Fucking CIA.
After decades with Windoze, dual boots with Linux, I use a MAC and a iPhone with no regrets.
My 'trash can' MAC is nearly obsolete, but works fantastic with 1 Apple 27" TB2 monitor and 2 ASUS 23.5, one HDMI and one DVI (plugged into the LACIE Little Big Disk Thunderbolt port-the trick!).
I'm a Linux nerd myself. I admit that 90% of that is aesthetic and philosophical. Neal Stephenson's characterization nailed it. Microsoft is a malfunctioning economy box that gets terrible mileage and looks like hell. Apple is a top of the line sportscar that purrs like a dream. Linux is a free tank - ugly as sin but it crushes everything in its path, although you're gonna get your hands dirty retreading it every once in a while.
Great piece! Totally agree and this has been the same binary perspectives of the brain and its development; top-down or bottom-up? environment or genetics? The truth it's both top-down and bottom-up, it's both environment and genetics, it's both from within and from without that we see the forces shaping the developing brain.
So to with society (the brain is always such a good analogy for society!), as you say, systemic forces AND those individual forces are all at play. And of course it's the right hemisphere that can appreciate the two playing together in a non-linear complexity that's difficult to clearly define.
One thing that I would add, which is not spoken of in academic circles, is the supernatural element - a layer above (or below, depending on your allegiances) the systemic and individual forces at play. What the Bible calls "principalities and powers", I believe, have a significant influence, but not either the "Great Man" nor the "Social Forces" but catalytic to both (for it is still men and society who have the agency to perpetrate both good and evil).
Part of me wanted to cast conspiracism as more right-brain than systemicism, but it really does have the character of schizophrenia, and is extremely left-brain in its own way. Then I realized, ah, obviously, the right brain way of seeing this is both-and. Duh.
The supernatural element is indeed a very important aspect of all of this ... and often denied by both (although conspiracists are far more likely to acknowledge it).
Several of the delusions described in "Matter with Things" made me think of the conspiretards. (I use the term somewhat endearingly.) E.g. the delusion that a person you know has been replaced by a cheap facsimile, that other people are actually robots, and I'm sure a few others that I forget right now. I love me a good conspiracy, but I draw the line at Miles Matthis - i.e. crisis actors (all the time, everywhere), "x" didn't really die but is actually now this other person who slightly looks like them. That's not to say that no one has ever been replaced by a cheap facsimile, or that some people aren't robots, however. lol
Paranoia is very left brain. Thankfully the right-brain both-and maneuver allows me to keep my paranoia but temper it with something a little less cracked.
Exactly. At the same time, many of McGilchrist's descriptions of hyper-systematizing brought on by right hemisphere lesions - insisting on logically deriving everything and such - were highly reminiscent of, well, systemitards.
Both-and cognitive parallax is the key technique to avoid getting trapped in halls of mirrors of every description.
Damn I just stepped on your toes dear chap! Was trying to articulate the same above before reading your response.
Totally agree.
Like minds… 😉
Yes you will have read McGilchrist’s description of schizophrenia and likeness to left-hemispheric perception, and Louis Sass has much to say on this as well - and the thinking is highly conspiratorial in nature and exactly the delusions you mention - so it does seem to me that the really “out there” conspiracy theories are fueled by the left hemisphere, and at the same time the same hemisphere can be so dismissive of what it cannot grasp and will only accept a linear logic that may be as far from the truth as the schizo perspective. Fascinating.
I must go because I think the CIA has just tapped into my prefrontal cortex to steal the memory of my passwords. Damn telepathic secret agents!
My Substack inbox is giving me a 'you're all caught up' error. At the same time, Protonmail's server is down and I can't retrieve messages. This is clearly the result of malign influence intended to prevent me from connecting with other essayists. Fucking CIA.
(Seriously though the inbox thing is irritating).
Yep I’ve got the same (not the CIA, the inbox error!) makes it hard - haven’t checked proton yet.
Oh good it's not just me then.
Thanks, I've already cleared caches and such, to no avail!
The iPhone app seems good however. I even tried turning the phone off, rebooting, everything, again no effect.
It is irritating, but not disabling.
Really wish they'd release an Android app.
After decades with Windoze, dual boots with Linux, I use a MAC and a iPhone with no regrets.
My 'trash can' MAC is nearly obsolete, but works fantastic with 1 Apple 27" TB2 monitor and 2 ASUS 23.5, one HDMI and one DVI (plugged into the LACIE Little Big Disk Thunderbolt port-the trick!).
I'm a Linux nerd myself. I admit that 90% of that is aesthetic and philosophical. Neal Stephenson's characterization nailed it. Microsoft is a malfunctioning economy box that gets terrible mileage and looks like hell. Apple is a top of the line sportscar that purrs like a dream. Linux is a free tank - ugly as sin but it crushes everything in its path, although you're gonna get your hands dirty retreading it every once in a while.
Me, I like tanks.