By Cliff Lewis
New York Times columnist David Brooks typically works in the realm of political thought; however, in a recent interview on Charlie Rose, Brooks looked to the study of thought itself to discuss the basis for much of the nation’s political actions. In an upcoming book, Brooks will probe the massive influence of neurological, emotional, and unconscious factors upon often cherished, stubbornly held political convictions.
Brooks noted that, while this submerged cognitive apparatus can absorb about 12 million pieces of information each minute, we are only consciously aware of 40 such pieces through that time.
Since the unconscious is cultivated almost entirely through our early development and socialization, Brooks explained, most convictions, values, and opinions are not rooted in bare logic. We are fundamentally emotional creatures, Brooks noted.
The conscious, rational mind, Brooks said, is like a general, dictating decisions at a distance from the world. The unconscious mind is like a fleet of scouts, collecting information and sending out emotionally-tinted signals. Contemporary neuroscience, Brooks noted, is hard at work to reshape our understanding of how these ‘scouts’ are sent out.
But Brooks was already was certain of one thing: The pre-programmed influence of the unconscious mind helps explain “why we’ve had so many policy failures.”
Editor’s note: As was recently pointed out by the Watchdog, political opinions may be determined as much by emotions for those who are highly educated as for others. We suspect that most citizens with a high school education are exposed to sufficient factual information to make objective, fact based decisions. It is the emotional pre-disposition that often controls views and inflexible convictions.
