:Study Ties Political Leanings to Hidden Biases:

“Emory University psychologist Drew Westen put self-identified Democratic and Republican partisans in brain scanners and asked them to evaluate negative information about various candidates. Both groups were quick to spot inconsistency and hypocrisy — but only in candidates they opposed.

When presented with negative information about the candidates they liked, partisans of all stripes found ways to discount it, Westen said. When the unpalatable information was rejected, furthermore, the brain scans showed that volunteers gave themselves feel-good pats — the scans showed that ‘reward centers’ in volunteers’ brains were activated. The psychologist observed that the way these subjects dealt with unwelcome information had curious parallels with drug addiction as addicts also reward themselves for wrong-headed behavior.”

Well. This isn’t surprising at all – but the implications are pretty scary. Especially since we seem to be electing more and more partisan leaders in all walks of life. I guess this is why I’ve been coming across so many people who simply can’t hear any ideas which don’t fit into their pre-determined world view

The Anglican Way is to find the middle and walk that path. Maybe it’s getting so hard to do because the national conversation is becoming polarized enough that people simply can not hear each other anymore. And if they can’t listen how shall they find the middle?

(Via The Washington Post.)