[Keith_McClary]

Researchers use magnetic pulses to brain to reduce overly optimistic tendencies

Scientists have known for many years that human beings, as a general rule, are an overly optimistic bunch. We close our eyes to statistics suggesting our eating habits may be killing us, ignore warnings about texting while driving and almost always believe things will come out all right in the end if we'll just hang in there, despite sometimes obvious indications to the contrary. Research has suggested that two specific symmetrically opposite parts of the brain influence our optimism or pessimism
...
The only change noted was for those that had had the TIMS directed onto their left IFG; they became noticeably more logical and less likely to paint a rosier picture of the evidence just presented to them.
While the study offers clear evidence that the left IFG is most certainly involved in our generally overly optimistic outlook, it doesn't explain how it does so, or why, though the researchers suggest it might be a trait we've evolved to make us more likely to overlook some dangers so that we'll seek out and explore new environments, increasing the likelihood of our survival overall by populating more areas.
...
Humans form beliefs asymmetrically; we tend to discount bad news but embrace good news. This reduced impact of unfavorable information on belief updating may have important societal implications, including the generation of financial market bubbles, ill preparedness in the face of natural disasters, and overly aggressive medical decisions. Here, we selectively improved people's tendency to incorporate bad news into their beliefs by disrupting the function of the left (but not right) inferior frontal gyrus using transcranial magnetic stimulation, thereby eliminating the engrained "good news/bad news effect." Our results provide an instance of how selective disruption of regional human brain function paradoxically enhances the ability to incorporate unfavorable information into beliefs of vulnerability.

[careinke]

Researchers use magnetic pulses to brain to reduce overly optimistic tendencies

Scientists have known for many years that human beings, as a general rule, are an overly optimistic bunch. We close our eyes to statistics suggesting our eating habits may be killing us, ignore warnings about texting while driving and almost always believe things will come out all right in the end if we'll just hang in there, despite sometimes obvious indications to the contrary. Research has suggested that two specific symmetrically opposite parts of the brain influence our optimism or pessimism
...
The only change noted was for those that had had the TIMS directed onto their left IFG; they became noticeably more logical and less likely to paint a rosier picture of the evidence just presented to them.
While the study offers clear evidence that the left IFG is most certainly involved in our generally overly optimistic outlook, it doesn't explain how it does so, or why, though the researchers suggest it might be a trait we've evolved to make us more likely to overlook some dangers so that we'll seek out and explore new environments, increasing the likelihood of our survival overall by populating more areas.
...
Humans form beliefs asymmetrically; we tend to discount bad news but embrace good news. This reduced impact of unfavorable information on belief updating may have important societal implications, including the generation of financial market bubbles, ill preparedness in the face of natural disasters, and overly aggressive medical decisions. Here, we selectively improved people's tendency to incorporate bad news into their beliefs by disrupting the function of the left (but not right) inferior frontal gyrus using transcranial magnetic stimulation, thereby eliminating the engrained "good news/bad news effect." Our results provide an instance of how selective disruption of regional human brain function paradoxically enhances the ability to incorporate unfavorable information into beliefs of vulnerability.

So, maybe we need to invent a hats that send magnetic pulses to everyone's left brain. Then, maybe we will finally be able to see what is wrong, and start fixing things.

[Beery1]

So, maybe we need to invent a hats that send magnetic pulses to everyone's left brain. Then, maybe we will finally be able to see what is wrong, and start fixing things.

What if it influences those of us who already see what's wrong and are motivated to fix things, and turns us into despondent wrecks who are convinced that humanity's end is the only logical solution?

Can't we just declare cornucopianism a mental disorder and put the brain-fixing hats on all the cornucopians?

[careinke]

So, maybe we need to invent a hats that send magnetic pulses to everyone's left brain. Then, maybe we will finally be able to see what is wrong, and start fixing things.

What if it influences those of us who already see what's wrong and are motivated to fix things, and turns us into despondent wrecks who are convinced that humanity's end is the only logical solution?

Can't we just declare cornucopianism a mental disorder and put the brain-fixing hats on all the cornucopians?

Awesome improvement. So OF2, do you want to volunteer to be first?

[peripato]

So, maybe we need to invent a hats that send magnetic pulses to everyone's left brain. Then, maybe we will finally be able to see what is wrong, and start fixing things.

What if it influences those of us who already see what's wrong and are motivated to fix things, and turns us into despondent wrecks who are convinced that humanity's end is the only logical solution?

Can't we just declare cornucopianism a mental disorder and put the brain-fixing hats on all the cornucopians?

Unfortunately, 99.91% of the general population would be on the side of cornie-copier-ism. Presently, Mother Nature is preparing a shit-sandwich for each and everyone.

[Keith_McClary]

Neuromolecular foundations of the superiority illusion

depressive realism – the assertion that people with depression actually have a more accurate perception of reality, and moreover are less affected by its counterpoint, the superiority illusion. The superiority illusion is a cognitive bias by which individuals, relative to others, overestimate their positive qualities and abilities (such as intelligence, cognitive ability, and desirable traits) and underestimate their negative qualities. (Other cognitive biases include optimism bias and illusion of control.)
...
The scientists state that their findings help clarify how the superiority illusion is biologically determined and identify potential molecular and neural targets for treating depressive realism.
...
For Yamada and her colleagues, all of these stories and findings imply that the superiority illusion is a normal human condition, and therefore the brain must support it.

So it turns out, the superiority illusion is normal. We need a treatment for realism.

Anthropologists also suggest this illusion to be central to human evolution – and recently, computer simulation3 showed that positive illusion is evolutionally advantageous, in that it maximizes individual fitness.

T-Rex had individual fitness. Did she have superiority illusion?

Of course, they could be wrong:

Yamada also addresses research that comes to different conclusions about the relationships between cognitive biases and mental health. Such research suggests that mentally healthy people actually have fewer positive illusions (and illusions in general) than do those who are depressed; finds that all forms of illusion, positive or not, were associated with higher depressive symptoms; and rejects the idea of depressive realism by showing no link between positive illusions and mental health, well-being or life satisfaction, and thereby maintains that accurate perception of reality is compatible with happiness.