How do Females and Males differ?  

Posted by Plato Greybeard

    
    
      Implying or suggesting that there are intellectual differences between man and women could be considered politically incorrect.  In January 2005, the President of Harvard University, Lawrence Summers, provoked a firestorm of controversy when he suggested that there might be an intrinsic difference in intelligence between men and women, leading to a fewer  number of women than men in high-end science and engineering jobs.  This is said to have contributed to his resignation the following year.
     
      In 2006, Danish psychologist and intelligence researcher Helmuth Nyborg was temporarily suspended from his position at Aarhus University, deemed guilty by some of scientific misconduct by publishing a peer-reviewed paper in Personality and Individual Differences that showed an 3.15-point IQ difference in favor of men.
     
     Nor is there agreement as to whether any assumed differences are the biological or sociological in origin. Diane F. Halpern, in her 2000 book Sex Differences in Cognitive Abilities, states that “The literature on sex differences in cognitive abilities is filled with inconsistent findings, contradictory theories, and emotional claims that are unsupported by the research.”  She continues, “Socialization practices are undoubtedly important, but there is also good evidence that biological sex differences play a role in establishing and maintaining cognitive sex differences.”
      
     The opposite view was taken in the book Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference, published in 2010 by Cordelia Fine, provides a critical analysis of hundreds of recent studies on sex and intelligence. She argues that there is currently no scientific evidence for innate biological differences between men and women's minds, and that cultural and societal beliefs contribute to commonly perceived sex differences.
       
     So, aside from the obvious physical differences (vive la difference, btw), what gender differences do you see as important? What consequences follow from our physical differences?  Should females be placed in combat positions in the armed forces?  Do hormonal differences account for behavioral variations?  What is the significance of the distinctly larger splenium in the female brain? Are men/women better/worse at some tasks than others?
     
     Lot’s of questions, few concrete answers.

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What are Emotions and how are we affected by them?  

Posted by Plato Greybeard


    
     Emotions! Life is can be difficult with them or dull without them. They can be the bane of our existence or the spice of our lives. Emotions can get in our way or motivate us towards progress. They can be extremely scarce when we would like to experience them or maddeningly in our face when we would prefer that they be gone. They come unbidden and leave unexpectedly. They can hide or they can betray our innermost and secret feelings.
     
     Emotions are difficult to manage because they are not under conscious control.  They spring from the subconscious part of our mind, which is generally a mysterious place. Yet they have profound effects on our physical and mental health.
     
     For years, classifying emotions has been a major subject for research psychologists. Their objective has been to provide a tool for recognizing emotions so that they might be responded to appropriately. However, there is little agreement as to the form this classification should take. One researcher (Parrot, 2001) suggests that the primary emotions are love, joy, surprise, anger, sadness and fear. Parrot goes on to list 25 secondary emotions and over 100 tertiary emotions. Perhaps classifying emotions has only limited advantages because even when we identify an emotion, that does not help modify it.
     If there is one emotion that you would prefer to keep over all others, which would it be? If there is one that you would like to never experience again, which would it be?
     Emotions! Can't live with ‘em and can't live without ‘em, but they sure add spice to life!

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What is the Meaning of Love?  

Posted by Plato Greybeard


     When we attempt to understand or define such a complex concept as "Love", we immediately run into the problem of individual interpretation. Based on previous experience, everyone is going to look at the matter somewhat differently. This can cause immense problems when a couple holds vastly different concepts of what each means when they say "I love you".

     What are the laws of attraction? Why are we attracted to one person but not another while someone else has exactly the opposite preferences? Is it their looks, brains, personality, sense of humor, a subconscious sense that they will be a good provider or that they will be likely to pass on strong and healthy genes?

     Is establishing a harmonious relationship the same thing as being in love? Is it possible to love someone and treat them badly, or be unfaithful, or even be self-centered? How is physical and emotional intimacy related? Does love require one or the other, or both…or neither?

     It may have been Frank Sinatra who sang a song whose lyrics included "I can't be right for somebody else until I right for myself". Would you agree with this statement? In other words, is it possible to love someone else if you don't love yourself? Having to have another person in your life to love in order to feel good about yourself defines a need-based relationship, not love. It is likely to fail if self-esteem is ever attained.

     One of the problems with loving someone else is that it makes you vulnerable. Many who have suffered the pangs of losing a loved one have vowed to never take such a risk again. Do the benefits of love justify the risks?

     A teacher once told me that humans could not love an inanimate object. What is the difference between loving another human, a pet or a stamp collection?

     Any consideration of this topic would be remiss without distinguishing between love and limerence. Limerence is the condition we find ourselves in when we first meet another person who rings our bell. We cannot stop thinking about them, wanting to be near them, feeling their presence even though they are away and fantasizing a lifetime of unimpeded pleasure in their presence. The words "I love you" fall easily and trippingly off the tongue. But this is not love, only limerence. The problem is that these feelings, as pleasurable and exciting as they are, are going to fade, sooner or later, 100% of the time. Certainly, true love may remain after the initial excitement has faded, but unless there is a substantial basis for the relationship, a new question might occur, "What did I EVER see in him/her?"

     All of which brings up the question, how do you know when you're in love?

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What is the meaning of sex?  

Posted by Plato Greybeard


     It may come as a surprise to many to consider the possibility that sex has no intrinsic meaning. While the ultimate purpose of sex is undoubtedly procreation for any living plant or animal, none other than humans attach any meaning to it…as far as we know.
 
     There seems to be a stigma attached to having sexual thoughts or activity outside a sanctioned relationship such as marriage.  It may be that we attach a lofty purpose like "commitment" or "intimacy" to sexual activity to prevent feelings of guilt. Just because many of us have been taught that sex is bad does not make it so.

     But if we consider sex as good and wholesome, what boundaries should apply? Most would agree that holding a positive view toward sex does not give one license to be promiscuous. Each person will make choices consistent with their own moral compass, however diverse these might be between individuals. Therefore, communication leading to understanding the meaning that a prospective partner holds about sex may prevent unnecessary heartache. But have this conversation prior to the intimacy. A discussion of the value of nutrition or the process of digestion never enhanced any dining experience.

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What does it mean when we experience wonder and awe?  

Posted by Plato Greybeard


     Despite the fact that our lives sometimes seem boring, mundane and perhaps anxiety ridden, it does have its finer moments. We might experience these moments when we hear a particularly beautiful piece of music, witness the glory of a sunset or contemplate the vastness of the cosmos. Perhaps a chill or tingling stretches from head to toe or a tear falls unbidden down our cheek, not of sadness, but of wonder and awe.

     The esteemed philosophers attending the session on November 7 examined the occurrence and dynamics of this human phenomenon. Why the sensation various from one individual to the next depends, in part, on the richness and variety of their experiences. It seems that the more experiences one has, the fewer opportunities one has for experiencing the sensation. This is why we experienced it more as a child than we do as an adult, since everything was new to us in the beginning. Gender differences have an influence on what triggers wonder and awe, but males and females are equally open to having the experience.

     One's fundamental outlook on life will have a decided influence on the experience. If I wake up in the morning full of vim, vigor and vitality, I am more likely to experience a thrill at seeing the sunrise than if I hate getting out of bed. Also, setting aside one's preconceived notions and prejudices contribute toward being open to the experience of wonder and awe.

     The moments of wonder and awe may be rare, and fleeting when they do occur, but they always add to the richness and quality of our lives.

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What is the relationship between mental and physical health?  

Posted by Plato Greybeard


     If we were searching for a subject to generate healthy controversy and differences of opinion, this would not have been the topic to pick. All were in agreement that our state of mind has a tremendous influence on the health of the body, and vice versa. Several, if not all, participants related instances where this was the case.

     What was missing, of course, was any concept of how this phenomenon comes about. That it does so was without question in our minds, but the mechanism remains unknown. We heard examples of where an understanding of the pain's cause led to its disappearance. Likewise, a severe and prolonged depression lead to cancer, which in turn led to a spiritual journey resulting in current physical and mental health. It was suggested that almost every disease has an emotional component, although some few come about regardless.

     Parts of our discussion led into considering nature versus nurture, the stigma of mental illness, the meaning of pain and how physical and mental outlooks affect relationships. All of these may be good topics for future discussions.

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Wisdom of Quotations - by Gita Bellin  

Posted by Plato Greybeard




     Beliefs are like keys to a prison cell: they lock or unlock our access to the outside world. We live in our own veritable prison of experience, and escape only by careful consideration and examination of what we have come to believe. They do indeed , as Gita Bellin says, stand between us and our relationship to others and to ourselves.

     If we dislike ourselves, it is only because we believe it to be so since we remain worthwhile human beings regardless of our self-perception or the world’s opinion. When our beliefs cause us to remain discouraged, what words could provide greater inspiration to change than the poem by the English poet William Ernest Henley (1849-1903):

1) Out of the night that covers me,                2) In the fell clutch of circumstance
     Black as the pit from pole to pole,                I have not winced nor cried aloud.
     I thank whatever gods may be                      Under the bludgeonings of chance
     For my unconquerable soul.                         My head is bloody, but unbowed.

3) Beyond this place of wrath and tears        4) It matters not how strait the gate,
    Looms but the horror of the shade,               How charged with punishments the scroll,
    And yet the menace of the years                    I am the master of my fate:
    Finds and shall find me unafraid.                    I am the captain of my soul.

     If you want to change for the better, begin by looking at your beliefs.
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