It sometimes seems like people are queueing up to reject attempts to make the world better.
When I’ve been thinking about barriers to change, worldview bubbles and all that, there seems to be one thing at the base of it all.
Our brains have a directive to keep their processing workload down. They use all sorts of tricks to protect themselves.
There’s a marketing principle I came across for the first time recently: “The confused mind says no.”
When too much thinking is required, we reject the whole thing rather than working through it. But how does the level of ‘too much’ get set, and how do different people react?
One way to look at it is inflammation that’s built up over time.
Inflammation-type processes
Do you know what a panic attack is? I experienced it a couple of times several years ago, and responded in typical fashion by getting a book and learning more about it. (Panic Attacks by Christine Ingham – recommended if you’re interested.)
A panic attack happens when something that’s not actually that serious triggers your system into a fight or flight response. Adrenaline is released, heartbeat and breathing increase, senses heighten, etc – the things your body would need to fight bears or run away from them. [Read more…] about Facing the barricades kindly: the mental inflammation epidemic