Post No.: 0392 Furrywisepuppy says: The wisdom of a diverse crowd usually leads to better solutions in certain contexts (check out Post No.: 0090). But when that diversity is absent or when people just mindlessly follow each other … Read More
Post No.: 0379 Fluffystealthkitten says: The ‘bystander effect’ suggests that the likelihood of a particular individual helping a stranger under certain conditions, such as when amongst a large crowd and the situation is ambiguous, is low. But the … Read More
Post No.: 0372 Furrywisepuppy says: The natural tendency to categorise things, and typically use mental shortcuts, tends to induce us into forming over-simplified and sometimes even totally unreasonable generalisations. Stereotyping can in turn lead to prejudice and discrimination. … Read More
Post No.: 0361 Fluffystealthkitten says: Entrenched biases from both/all sides of an international difference of perspective can start and perpetuate a conflict. ‘Pre-emptive strikes’ are just triggers of war. ‘Self-defence’ is often just offence. ‘Interrogation’ methods are sometimes … Read More
Post No.: 0352 Furrywisepuppy says: If you don’t have a motorcycle licence and I mocked you for it then would that speak about me or about you? Would this speak about my insecurities or yours? Well that’s … Read More
Post No.: 0335 Furrywisepuppy says: Forgiveness is the ability to make peace without prejudice when things don’t go your way or when people don’t do what you want them to do. It’s a step towards the acceptance of … Read More
Post No.: 0330 Fluffystealthkitten says: It’s utterly, empathically and categorically indisputable that behind every great man there is a great woman! …But would it be even better if more women were in front – in more leadership … Read More
Post No.: 0310 Furrywisepuppy says: Groups that don’t interact much with each other will sometimes hold presumptions and suspicions about each other due to racial, religious or other perceived stereotypes. Groups may even erroneously presume that other groups … Read More
Post No.: 0298 Furrywisepuppy says: Regarding extremist or fundamentalist group recruitment from a foreign country (e.g. British civilians being drawn to and deciding to get involved in the Syrian Civil War, which started in 2011) – there are … Read More
Post No.: 0280 Furrywisepuppy says: When talking about racism, to generalise too far from specific individual cases is to be racist, whether you, for instance, want to kill ‘any’ black person just because ‘a’ black person raped someone … Read More
Post No.: 0271 Fluffystealthkitten says: Affective empathy (as in mirroring the emotions of another person) drives compassion because we’ll adopt another person’s perspective and interests. For example, if we see someone suffering, we’ll vicariously mirror that suffering too, … Read More
Post No.: 0266 Furrywisepuppy says: All cultures incorporate politeness but their norms – such as when, where and to what extent they are applied – can be very different. The context matters too – for instance, people are … Read More
Post No.: 0260 Furrywisepuppy says: Altruism is a motive to increase another’s welfare without conscious regard for one’s self-interests. Some believe that altruism is only a thinly-veiled self-interested behaviour where people will only help other people after doing … Read More
Post No.: 0228 Furrywisepuppy says: Bullies cannot raise themselves up (or at least they don’t think they can) so their primary strategy is to attempt to put others down. And those who are already down or seem ‘weaker’ … Read More
Post No.: 0215 Furrywisepuppy says: We often go to war because the will, influence and decisions of a few (i.e. politicians or generals) will sway or override the will of the many, where such political decisions or initial … Read More
Post No.: 0207 Furrywisepuppy says: A ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ places a label upon another person, or upon oneself, and in turn leads them, or one, directly or indirectly, consciously or subconsciously, to act in a way that supports and … Read More
Post No.: 0191 Fluffystealthkitten says: Countries that are economically open and tied with each other reduce the likelihood of those countries going to war with each other. Countries that are open-bordered, are trading freely and internationally, with foreign … Read More
Post No.: 0178 Furrywisepuppy says: ‘Dehumanisation’ is when someone/a group of people is/are intentionally (via propaganda, such as by using debasing labels for people from outgroups) or unintentionally (via unconscious implicit biases) presented as less than human (e.g. … Read More
Post No.: 0165 Fluffystealthkitten says: In ‘the West’, many of us have a highly skewed perception of where the vast majority of terrorist incidents occur in the world (it isn’t in North America or Europe – check out … Read More
Post No.: 0150 Furrywisepuppy says: ‘Deindividuation’ is when individuals, within group situations, do not feel that they stand out as individuals and do not see or pay attention to themselves as individuals. This loss of self-awareness can lead … Read More
