Saturday, January 02, 2016

Fear Produces False Negatives



Trusting people are prone to false positives, in thinking that some specific Other can be trusted.  

Fearful people are prone to false negatives, in thinking that some specific Other can not be trusted.  

The bias of our sociobiology is to be too fearful, just in case; it takes a high degree of civilization to nurture people who are too trusting.  

Nonetheless, civilization is a great thing, the highest achievement of human beings. A bias toward trust is a good thing.  And the best way to create trust in others is to be trustworthy, and to be trusting.

Thursday, December 31, 2015

The Residence of Fear and of Trust


Where do people live when they are primarily driven by fear of other people?

Where do people live when they are primarily driven by trust in other people?

I am working on a new research project.  I have been wrestling with the core question.

Today, I think this is it.

Monday, December 28, 2015

The Japanese Apology to Their WWII Sex Slaves.


Today's good thing:  the Japanese government apologized for making thousands of Korean women sex slaves during World War II, and agreed to pay a billion yen as compensation to the victims.