[Paleopsych] polarity and feedback

[Steve Hovland]

I prefer to think of the political spectrum
as many shades of gray.

The extremes may not communicate
very much, but messages may travel
between them through the range of
less extreme values.

The margin of victory in the last election
was not much bigger than the margin
of error for typical polls.  A small shift
in the Matrix can produce a different
outcome.

Based on the article about beliefs I
sent out awhile back, I would assume
that both extremes are subject to
adjustment by large external events,
such as losing a war.

Steve Hovland
www.stevehovland.net


-----Original Message-----
From:	Michael Christopher [SMTP:anonymous_animus at yahoo.com]
Sent:	Sunday, January 16, 2005 6:30 PM
To:	paleopsych at paleopsych.org
Subject:	[Paleopsych] polarity and feedback


>>I am skeptical of 'news' originating from blogs, 
partisan websites, and so on. Yet in a sense, those
very blogs form a rapidly self-correcting system, like
the genius behind wikipedia or the Rathergate that has
damaged CBS.<<

--An intriguing thought... internet seems to have
introduced a number of surprising variables into the
global system. 

>>Left or right, your comment about the symmetry of
blind spots "come in pairs" as you say, is a nicely 
turned phrase.<<

--And something I've been thinking about a lot lately.
Along with that concept comes this one: groups which
do not interact socially may vote against one
another's interests, not realizing the damage done.
Since they get no realtime feedback from the other
groups, they are able to vote into power people who
are transparently ideological to the other groups, but
not to the groups whose interests are being championed
(at least rhetorically, if not in action). Those who
stand between groups, who have continuing friendships
with, say, conservative Christians and liberal
atheists (not to perpetuate a stereotypical dichotomy)
at the same time, will better understand how each
group perceives the overall political climate and be
more likely to vote for people who are similarly
situated between groups and better able to understand
the needs of a plurality rather than a few special
interests. Being able to see what's happening "on the
street" seems crucial to making decisions that are
good for the system as a whole. Isolate yourself in a
bubble, and you can vote for someone who sees himself
the way you see yourself, not realizing that other
groups see something very different.

michael







		
__________________________________ 
Do you Yahoo!? 
Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. 
http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail
_______________________________________________
paleopsych mailing list
paleopsych at paleopsych.org
http://lists.paleopsych.org/mailman/listinfo/paleopsych