Here's why you don't debate politics (or religion)

[Reverend Satan]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11009379/

A little research was done on how information can or cannot change a person's political views. I suspect this would apply in many other aspects of life as well.

"Researchers asked staunch party members from both sides to evaluate information that threatened their preferred candidate prior to the 2004 Presidential election. The subjects' brains were monitored while they pondered.

The results were announced today.

"We did not see any increased activation of the parts of the brain normally engaged during reasoning," said Drew Westen, director of clinical psychology at Emory University. "What we saw instead was a network of emotion circuits lighting up, including circuits hypothesized to be involved in regulating emotion, and circuits known to be involved in resolving conflicts."" (bold is mine)


But it gets better. Apparently, not accepting factual information that conflicts with a person's current views gives them a high like a drug addict.


"Bias on both sides
The test subjects on both sides of the political aisle reached totally biased conclusions by ignoring information that could not rationally be discounted, Westen and his colleagues say.

Then, with their minds made up, brain activity ceased in the areas that deal with negative emotions such as disgust. But activity spiked in the circuits involved in reward, a response similar to what addicts experience when they get a fix, Westen explained."

I always assumed it is nearly impossible to make someone see an issue based on the facts instead of their feelings but I never expected someone to research and have some actual scientific proof of it.

It matters not to me anyway. I argue both subjects to beat up on people who have different views from me as I see their views to be harmful to everyone in the long run.

[Adam F]

This article does hold water thats for sure. Nobody wants to accept the fact that they might be wrong.

[Gator_Mclusky]

Originally Posted by Adam F

This article does hold water thats for sure. Nobody wants to accept the fact that they might be wrong.

Yea...when I was bartending and people would be arguing over Politics I'd say to them "Why don't yall talk about Religion next!"

[Voodoo]

I think the more you try to prove your side the more the other person holds to their beliefs.

Although, a good debate is always fun, IMO.