From my friend Ryan Hunt:
The following simple quote, commonly attributed to Roman slave-turned-playwright Terence, is at the heart of my practice of psychotherapy. It remains as true and relevant today as when it was first articulated over two millennia ago: “I am a human being, I consider nothing that is human alien to me.”
Because of its specific association with Sufism and its ensuing identification with Islam, dervishhood is an order comprised almost exclusively of Muslim practicioners. The two Jewish dervishes pictured here in this rare photograph are among the very few who had successfully been integrated into the order without converting to Islam. Like the Jewish practitioners of a traditional Iranian sport in the houses of strength (zurkhaneh) — a sport that is profoundly intertwined with Islamic ritual — these dervishes represent a uniquely Iranian hybrid of Judaism and Islam. More here.
Chris Mooney: The theory of motivated reasoning builds on a key insight of modern neuroscience: Reasoning is actually suffused with emotion (or what researchers often call “affect”). Not only are the two inseparable, but our positive or negative feelings about people, things, and ideas arise much more rapidly than our conscious thoughts, in a matter of milliseconds—fast enough to detect with an EEG device, but long before we’re aware of it. That shouldn’t be surprising: Evolution required us to react very quickly to stimuli in our environment. It’s a “basic human survival skill,” explains political scientist Arthur Lupia of the University of Michigan. We push threatening information away; we pull friendly information close.
We apply fight-or-flight reflexes not only to predators, but to data itself.
We’re not driven only by emotions, of course—we also reason, deliberate. But reasoning comes later, works slower—and even then, it doesn’t take place in an emotional vacuum. Rather, our quick-fire emotions can set us on a course of thinking that’s highly biased, especially on topics we care a great deal about.
Consider a person who has heard about a scientific discovery that deeply challenges her belief in divine creation—a new hominid, say, that confirms our evolutionary origins. What happens next, explains political scientist Charles Taber of Stony Brook University, is a subconscious negative response to the new information—and that response, in turn, guides the type of memories and associations formed in the conscious mind. “They retrieve thoughts that are consistent with their previous beliefs,” says Taber, “and that will lead them to build an argument and challenge what they’re hearing.” In other words, when we think we’re reasoning, we may instead be rationalizing. Or to use an analogy offered by University of Virginia psychologist Jonathan Haidt: We may think we’re being scientists, but we’re actually being lawyers. More here.
une légende dit que quand vous ne pouvez pas dormir la nuit c’est que vous êtes éveillé(e) dans le rêve de quelqu’un d’autre.
awesome!!!
Ali (29) and Baig (21) are natives of Shimshal village in Hunza valley, Pakistan. Ali has been climbing since age 15, and he was Baig’s mentor, guide and support. More here.
may 16, 2013: i talk about the struggle for justice pretty much non-stop at home. politics is what drives my work, even my artwork. my kids don’t participate a whole lot but i keep hoping that they’re listening. yesterday was my son’s 18th birthday. crucial moment in our lives. after all the food and celebrations, he shared his english homework with me. he was supposed to write a poem about racism but he decided he’d rather rap about it. he wrote this searing critique of capitalism and what it’s like to be black/brown/muslim in america. he didn’t mince his words. hard-edged, keenly felt, real. a saturation of words and emotions that he hadn’t expressed before. it blew my mind. i am the mother of a thinking adult. wow.
first a story in the NYT and now in the boston globe. my brother doing his usual magic at BMC which is now being acquired for $6.9 billion. as my husband said yesterday, “couldn’t have happened to a better person!” more here.
march 24, 2013: spent the weekend with my buddy missi, who was visiting from toronto. eastman museum, village gate, dark horse coffee, little theatre and spot coffee. the weather was sub-optimal but we still had a lot of fun.
made baked ziti last night. for the little one.
2/12/2013: married for 20 yrs today! here is a super short version of how i met my husband, recorded for NPR’s storycorps, a few yrs ago.
happy new year from trafalgar square to all my family, friends and compadres! may 2013 be a good year for true beauty and justice in the whole world and may it be a peaceful and productive year for all of us personally. in solidarity…
my second film “pakistan one on one” will be broadcast by PBS in the greater rochester area, tomorrow dec 18th at 10.30 pm. if u live in the area pls watch it and let me know ur thoughts! here is more info.
this is southampton, ny. here in rochester spectacular wind and rain continue. schools r closed tomorrow. hoping we won’t have any power outages. be safe everyone.
