<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2604" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"
bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><FONT
face=Arial>Alice,</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>>>
Someone beyond the liberal/conservative<BR>dichotomy may be rejected by both
sides as a nuisance,<BR>a threat to shared assumptions that define a
group<BR>against another.<BR><BR>This is absolutely amazing! Why would any
audience <BR>reject someone who cannot plop into either the liberal <BR>or
conservative camp? Please explain the threat you <BR>feel is
apparent. This I need to hear!</STRONG></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><FONT
face=Arial></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><FONT face=Arial>Since Todd included
this in his email (below) I assumed you were author of the first paragraph,
especially since you were also posted on this. If you weren't the speaker,
any idea who was?</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>And....if you clearly understand what Todd has to say, then
could you kindly enlighten me why he mentions "moderates" and their refusal to
commit?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>Regards,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>Gerry</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3></FONT><A href="http://www.home.earthlink.net/~waluk"></A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=andrewsa@newpaltz.edu href="mailto:andrewsa@newpaltz.edu">Alice
Andrews</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=waluk@earthlink.net
href="mailto:waluk@earthlink.net">G. Reinhart-Waller</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Cc:</B> <A title=paleopsych@paleopsych.org
href="mailto:paleopsych@paleopsych.org">The new improved paleopsych list</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, March 02, 2005 12:41 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Paleopsych] threat and signals of
commitment</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Hi. I have no idea what this
means:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><STRONG>I still do not understand
Alice's call for all to select either a liberal or conservative
focus.</STRONG> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I have never and <EM>would never</EM> call for such a thing. It's
ludicrous.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>I generally don't use these words
on this list: 'liberal' etc, and rarely get political here. In fact, I'm
not sure if i have ever used these terms on Paleo, though maybe. Perhaps you are
confusing me with someone else? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>My only contribution to this discussion
was to mention that Randy Nesse's book seemed an appropriate book for
understanding why some people fear people who sit on fence, etc. I think Todd's
comments re all this, btw, were right on.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>-Alice</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=waluk@earthlink.net href="mailto:waluk@earthlink.net">G.
Reinhart-Waller</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=Thrst4knw@aol.com
href="mailto:Thrst4knw@aol.com">Thrst4knw@aol.com</A> ; <A
title=andrewsa@newpaltz.edu
href="mailto:andrewsa@newpaltz.edu">andrewsa@newpaltz.edu</A> ; <A
title=paleopsych@paleopsych.org
href="mailto:paleopsych@paleopsych.org">paleopsych@paleopsych.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A title=ToddStark@aol.com
href="mailto:ToddStark@aol.com">ToddStark@aol.com</A> ; <A
title=waluk@earthlink.net
href="mailto:waluk@earthlink.net">waluk@earthlink.net</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, March 02, 2005 2:28
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Paleopsych] threat and
signals of commitment</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Gerry, of the Alice & Gerry team,
speaks.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>I still do not understand Alice's
call for all to select either a liberal or conservative focus. The last
time I checked was pre 2004 election and from what the officers at my polling
place told me, I continued having the option to sign my voting
preference as Independent. It's possible that in less than 3 or so
months, policies have changed but I would find this fairly unusual since I've
heard nothing nor have I been notified by mail. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>My reason for signing up as an
Independent is because I saw very little difference in the platforms of
Kerry vs. Bush, although I cast my ballot, as always, for the Democrats.
By demanding that everyone takes an either, or position is a sure fire way of
again CRACKING our nation into two warring factions.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Commitment to marriage, especially
when children are involved, is different from commitment to a particular
political party. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Gerry Reinhart-Waller</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=Thrst4knw@aol.com href="mailto:Thrst4knw@aol.com">Thrst4knw@aol.com</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=andrewsa@newpaltz.edu
href="mailto:andrewsa@newpaltz.edu">andrewsa@newpaltz.edu</A> ; <A
title=waluk@earthlink.net
href="mailto:waluk@earthlink.net">waluk@earthlink.net</A> ; <A
title=paleopsych@paleopsych.org
href="mailto:paleopsych@paleopsych.org">paleopsych@paleopsych.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Cc:</B> <A title=ToddStark@aol.com
href="mailto:ToddStark@aol.com">ToddStark@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, March 02, 2005 8:48 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Paleopsych] threat and signals of
commitment</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>Some thoughts about Alice and Gerry's email.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I'm in agreement with Alice's thought, though I think the situation is
greatly exacerbated by fear. Threat shuts down higher planning functions
and the facilties that make measured evaluation possible, and leans us toward
more hard-wired action schema. The need for action draws on our capacity
to find salient patterns in massive amounts of noise very rapidly. Most
of us have a deep revulsion to behavior in people around us who seem to be
vacilating or entering reflective thought when action seems to be called
for. We recognize that we can respond to threat with action or
succomb. Under conditions of fear, it is very difficult to persuade
anyone that what is needed is calm reflection. We pick up mostly on
signals that show people are willing to commit to decisive action.
Witness the sudden popularity of firemen and policemen following 9/11.
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The whole point of much political propaganda is to create this sense
of threat so that people will pull toward these quick impressions, with the
assumption that they are then more easily persuaded because this simplifies
the decision process. If you instill fear, some people will become
paralyzed, but many will fall back on instinctive moral realism and their
decisions become much more predictable. This greatly facilitates group
coordination. It happens naturally, but obviously can be exploited
readily. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Under these conditions, "moderates" are viewed with particularly
deep suspicion by everyone else, because they don't seem to be willing or able
to commit to action when needed. Our idealized belief that wisdom lies
somewhere in measured reflection and balancing different viewpoints quickly
dissolves under conditions of perceived threat. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We recognize the need for commitment to action (or signals of the
capacity for commitment) in each other. This is often exploited in
politics by confusing the capacity for commitment with commitment to
particular causes. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Does that make sense? It seems to me to explain a lot of our social
behavior. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>kind regards,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Todd</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In a message dated 2/23/2005 8:59:35 AM Eastern Standard Time,
andrewsa@newpaltz.edu writes:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=mailto:waluk@earthlink.net href="mailto:waluk@earthlink.net">G.
Reinhart-Waller</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=mailto:paleopsych@paleopsych.org
href="mailto:paleopsych@paleopsych.org">The new improved paleopsych list</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, February 21, 2005 9:55
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Paleopsych] Re:
paleopsych Digest, Vol 9, Issue 20</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT face=Arial>>> Someone
beyond the liberal/conservative<BR>dichotomy may be rejected by both sides
as a nuisance,<BR>a threat to shared assumptions that define a
group<BR>against another.<BR><BR>This is absolutely amazing! Why would
any audience <BR>reject someone who cannot plop into either the liberal
<BR>or conservative camp? Please explain the threat you <BR>feel is
apparent. This I need to hear!<BR><BR>Gerry</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>