Long term fixes?

[cyrano]

One needs to distinguish between individuation and genetics. I was researching the dark triad (narcissism, machiavellianism & psychopathy) some time ago and it seems clear that a component of those personality traits is hereditary. It is the same with the big five personality traits (ranging I think from about 40% - 60% inherited genetically).

I think some children might have a genetic predisposition to become bad adults no matter what you do.

I have a theory that dark triad traits have actually been accentuated in certain family lines due to selection.

We know that violent behaviour and addiction are clearly hereditary. So I'd expect some other things would be too. But that shouldn't be a call to start testing parents for the right genes. Or even putting some newborns in special education programs, cause it's a stat. And some seem to avoid the bad stats completely, while some others show the same behaviour without the genes.

There still is freedom of choice...

 

[cyrano]

My next door neighbor saw this little one a couple of weeks ago about 20 yards from our backyards...

That looks like Felis sylvestris (Wild cat) to me...

But it's hard to tell from a pic, as there's no reference for size. Next time, put a ruler next to the cat

 

[cyrano]

I would hope that (such testing) was not suggested by my post, I find the concept abhorrent. It is more a matter of being realistic about the clay from which we are made.

No, I didn't take it like that.

When it comes to hereditary disease, it's clear that we want to test and cure or at least warn. I can't see anyone disagreeing with that.

When it comes to psychological disorders, it's all much more vague. But, let's suppose child molesting is hereditary (I've seen no research in casu, but hey) I think it wouldn't be vague at all for most people, since it is a very emotional subject.

 

[JohnRoberts]

While not what I was looking for wrt long term fixes, I heard a comment today made in passing from an experienced ex-police official. He claimed that something like 90+% of all crime in NYC is committed by the same finite population of less than 3,000 repeat offenders. Holding them in jail and off the streets, would dramatically reduce crime. There were previous strategies like the "three strikes legislation" that effectively reduced crime. That must no longer be the goal.

Even if this is only partially true it begs the question what is the goal of catch and release by DAs? .

JR

 

[Tubetec]

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-dog-breeds-looked-100-years-ago-2016-2
look what selective breeding did to mans best friend ,

The arranged marriages of the noble men and ladies is near enough to the same thing ,
the eugenics movement , ubermensch, all the colonial powers had a go at it ,
the embetterment of the species ,
One rule for the rich another for the poor ,

the previous comments made me think of this book ,
https://www.larcenyinmyblood.com/

 

[CJ]

Have you heard of the Atheist Hotline?

You call it up and nobody answers.

If you decide to believe in God and good stuff starts to happen and you enjoy your life, only to find out when you die that he does not exist, what have you lost?

Nothing.

If you shun God and enjoy a miserable life and find out after you die that he does exist, what have you lost?

Everything.

Peace!

 

[sodderboy]

What about the western coalition going into Iraq under a false pretext for war and killing hundreds of thousands of people in the process , Afganistan and the Arab Spring displaced millions of people who ended up coming to Europe for refuge and have now added fuel to the hard right fires burning in our own backyard , thats not what I call matured or coexisting peacefully . Americas foreign policy has been an absolute shambles since the end of WW2 ,its own self interest paved the way for atrocity after atrocity, yet many remain fully convinced it was justified , E pluribus unum , in God we trust , onward christian soldiers .

This is your second post this Anglican hymn from the 1800's, but you should also read the lyrics. There is irony in these days, but not the way you see it. "Christian Soldiers" are dying daily while they turn the other cheek.

I think a good place to start is with the US Congress, where the senate leader, with bi-partisan support in both houses, believes and guides policy that the US needs to produce weapons of war to re-energize their industrial base. How about a good pair of jeans? Or next gen wearable orthopedics?

Then remove the Obama re-tread chicken hawk junta from the White House. I know that they just want to bring it all down and then be our Salvation, but the collateral damage is huge, and getting huger.

Mike

 

[JohnRoberts]

I will repeat my original question, can we stop teaching innocent children to hate?

JR

 

[JohnRoberts]

I guess we need to teach adults to stop hating first....

JR

 

[cyrano]

I will repeat my original question, can we stop teaching innocent children to hate?

The powers that be need an enemy, to avoid scrutiny upon themselves...

The few societies I know about that never had enemies, developed into wildly different structures. The examples I know are either in areas that are very hard to reach from the modern world (like the Amazonian rainforest) or on small, unimportant islands in Micronesia.

All the rest is being pushed into some model prescribed by religion. Of course, different models are evil.

You know, divide and rule. Hard to do on an island where everybody knows everybody. You can still invent an enemy, but chances are people will abandon that idea sooner or later.

We need to make religion a personal matter. Not a national one. We need to stop financing religion. But that's just the beginning of the process of freeing people from dictators.

 

[Philbo King]

"Religion has the same relationship to God, as law has to justice - none." - Robert Heinlein

 

[soapF]

I am a chronic optimist but have been bothered by an epiphany I had a couple weeks ago about the rising conflict around the world. Regarding the Israeli/Hamas (Palestinian?) conflict. From observation it appears that both sides have been taught to hate/distrust each other since they were innocent children.

Distrusting strangers or people different from us probably helped our distant ancestors survive interactions with outsiders, thus getting reinforced in our genome. I don't see any such benefit from hating and/or killing strangers.

My cognitive dissonance is that I do not see an easy, productive way to change the course we are on. These world views seem hardened and difficult to change in adults. In the short term force can be used to stop unacceptable behavior, but this is only a temporary solution when there are future generations maturing with the same programming.

Improved education "should" be helpful but brain development (maturity) continues well past the end of adolescence (nominally 18 YO) and into young adulthood (nominally 25 YO). Brain maturity is the process of different regions of the brain developing communication with each other. The mature adult brain is stronger cognitively. As we age some of these paths degrade and we become weaker cognitively. This is why interest groups invest so much effort into steering young minds while they are still plastic and less discerning.

Education is a strong area of influence and an obvious target for controlling sentiment. Another area is social media, especially fora frequented by young people with the most plastic minds (like instawhatever).

It is human nature to think its different this time or this is some new development but this has been known to political or religious leaders for centuries thus the desire to lock young people into ideological indoctrination.

We need to understand the game we are playing in if we want to win. Sadly I feel like the world is getting worse right in front of us, with little we can do. I have never seen one mind changed by logic and factual citations here, so don't expect different from the world at large.

Good luck to us all.

JR

Agree with the sentiment here, however there’s some evidence from recent neuro research that suggests that plasticity continues into adulthood and for the entire duration of life. They've found that the silent synapses that are a marked characteristic of the young brain’s ability for neuroplasticity actually do not vanish with age and instead they begin to appear on a threadlike structure called the filopodia rather than the dendritic spines. In huge quantities too.

i think with the internet there’s been a loss of shared experience of reality. as everything becomes more compartmentalized and curated in order to satisfy people enough to keep pulling more of their attention away, beliefs become increasingly hardwired because of a lack of neuronal stimulation in regards to seeking out new ideas that may run counter to your comfort zone.

People need to stop identifying with their ideas and beliefs, we need to experience life as the observer. Many are instead experiencing life from a tribal perspective, our damn biology does not play well with particular technologies and I fear that there’s too little education in regards to the pitfalls that continue to be dug deeper around it.

 

[JohnRoberts]

The frontal lobe is responsible for cognitive functions such as decision making, problem-solving, attention, and emotional regulation. It is one of the last regions of the brain to fully develop,
===
the frontal lobe, which is responsible for executive functions such as decision-making, planning, and inhibitory control, continues to develop until the mid-20s.
===
According to research, the frontal lobe is not fully developed until the mid-20s, with some studies suggesting that it can continue to develop into the early 30s.
===
In conclusion, the development of the frontal lobe is crucial for executive functions such as decision-making, problem-solving, and emotional regulation, which shape a person’s personality, behaviors, and life outcomes. While it is true that significant brain development occurs during childhood and adolescence, the brain continues to change and develop throughout adulthood. It is essential to understand how the brain develops and how it can be affected by various factors to maintain and enhance its health.

Frontal Lobe Development: Understanding Brain Development by Age - National Human Neural Stem Cell Resource

We can debate whether people become adult by 25 YO or 30 YO, it remains clear that adolescents lack impulse control, emotional regulation, etc.

I doubt we can find one single factor to blame, but it appears several are working in harmony to move us in the wrong direction.

JR

 

[Gold]

Even if this is only partially true it begs the question what is the goal of catch and release by DAs? .

JR

The "facts" and reasoning make no sense with even a little bit of thought. The reason for catch and release is because the jails are overcrowded. There are way more than 3000 people in city jails. The same people are for arresting teenagers for jumping subway turnstiles. Get those repeat offenders!

 

[JohnRoberts]

The "facts" and reasoning make no sense with even a little bit of thought. The reason for catch and release is because the jails are overcrowded. There are way more than 3000 people in city jails. The same people are for arresting teenagers for jumping subway turnstiles. Get those repeat offenders!

Governor Kathy Hochul today unveiled Seneca, the selected proposal to redevelop the former Lincoln Correctional Facility in Manhattan. This proposed project would invest over $90 million in Harlem, bringing 105 affordable homeownership units, community spaces, and jobs with ambitious MWBE contracting and local hiring goals, all of which would contribute to the enduring prosperity of the Harlem community. A 65 percent Minority-Owned Business Enterprise partnership led by Infinite Horizons, L+M Development Partners, Urbane, and Lemor Development Group has been conditionally designated to transform the 10,000-square-foot property to deliver affordable homeownership and community-centric spaces.

“This announcement brings us one step closer to transforming the former Lincoln Correctional Facility in New York City into a vibrant, mixed-use development with more than 100 affordable new homes,” Governor Hochul said. “As part of my commitment to increasing New York’s housing supply, my administration is continuing to follow the recommendations of the Prison Redevelopment Commission and reimagine what’s possible at underutilized jails and prisons. Soon, this project will unlock tools to help us address the housing crisis, create jobs, and improve New Yorkers’ quality of life, and I look forward to working with the development team to bring it to fruition.”

Governor Hochul Unveils Winning Proposal to Build 105 Affordable Housing Units and Arts and Community Space at Former Lincoln Correctional Facility

Hard to find good news sources about this..(everyone wants me to subscribe). I'll have to take you word for what the DA's are thinking.

JR