sasha_feather (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sasha_feather) wrote2009-10-30 05:59 am
sasha_feather) wrote2009-10-30 05:59 am
Entry tags:
Insticts, Intuition, Emotion, the knowledge of the body
Jonah Lehrer talks about the science of making decisions. If you use your intellect alone, you will dither forever between the Wheaties and the Cheerios. People use intuition and instinct; their back brains, to help in decision making. He talks about the role of dopamine-- if there is a dopamine imbalance; people may exhibit addictive behaviors. If people (or animals) are under great stress; the mind will shut down.
Michael Pollan writes and talks about the "rise of nutritionism" as a kind of false expertise, a false doctrine that leads to bad decision making about what to eat. He advocates using older received wisdom to help in the decision making process. "What would your great great grandmother consider to be food?" That is womens' knowledge.
The Gift of Fear attempts to teach women to listen to their instincts to help protect themselves in dangerous situations. Even listening to your instincts is gendered: women are told to suppress this knowledge, to "be nice" to strangers, to give others our attention, not to be a bitch.
There is an element of "Geek Boy" culture in which men will say something along the lines of, "I'll tell you little lady, what movies you should be watching/which music is better/why my show is better than your show". The man attempts to prove his coolness and knowledge by providing facts and expertise. This denies the power of intuition, emotion, and the knowledge of the body. It privileges a certain kind of intellect above all other kinds of intelligence. Does he know your tastes better than you do? Why is he exhibiting this behavior?
ETA!
It also fits in with this tendency of doctors to deny the patient's pain or experience (link to eruthros). The doctor has expertise, after all! And the patient only has the experience of the body! And the cultural expectation is to defer to expertise.
Michael Pollan writes and talks about the "rise of nutritionism" as a kind of false expertise, a false doctrine that leads to bad decision making about what to eat. He advocates using older received wisdom to help in the decision making process. "What would your great great grandmother consider to be food?" That is womens' knowledge.
The Gift of Fear attempts to teach women to listen to their instincts to help protect themselves in dangerous situations. Even listening to your instincts is gendered: women are told to suppress this knowledge, to "be nice" to strangers, to give others our attention, not to be a bitch.
There is an element of "Geek Boy" culture in which men will say something along the lines of, "I'll tell you little lady, what movies you should be watching/which music is better/why my show is better than your show". The man attempts to prove his coolness and knowledge by providing facts and expertise. This denies the power of intuition, emotion, and the knowledge of the body. It privileges a certain kind of intellect above all other kinds of intelligence. Does he know your tastes better than you do? Why is he exhibiting this behavior?
ETA!
It also fits in with this tendency of doctors to deny the patient's pain or experience (link to eruthros). The doctor has expertise, after all! And the patient only has the experience of the body! And the cultural expectation is to defer to expertise.
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He once said, "I'm not trying to be that person who does that, but I mean, I really thought you would have seen it. (Giant pause). It's a compliment."
REASONS I WOULD RATHER HOLD OUT FOR A FANTASY TEENAGE CRUSH THAN DATE A GUY WHO IS PURSUING ME: YOU CANNOT PULL "THAT IS A COMPLIMENT" ON ME.
THE END.
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He's really up on political stuff, so he does it with that, too. "You don't know who senator so-in-so is?!?!"
My way of retaliating is to get into some philosophical discussion, because I've studied philosophy and he hasn't. But then, I've gotten the patronizing "See? You've taught ME something now!" in response when I win a philosophical debate with him. Like, WOW, who woulda thunk I knew more than him about something?? *groan*