Hypothesis:
The part of human nature that predisposes us to belief in gods (ToM and HADD, etc.) is also responsible for predisposing us to belief in malevolent intent on the part of an unseen or vaguely defined group of humans (others) who are assumed to be the cause of problems which are in fact just the result of natural, non-human phenomena, like pandemics.
We want to assign agency to everything, and we derive comfort from assigning blame. Taking full emotional responsibility for our own discomfort is just too much to bear.
3
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2 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Yep. Though I think that there could be several wired in parts to that, not just one. Animism, for one looking for intelligent agents behind any mystery, which may be derived from the false positive wiring. And neophobia, which was once a very useful survival strategy, and probably several others I can't think of yet.
Fernapple
Level 9
Dec 28, 2021
1
Definitely more than one.
no doubt in my mind. even when there is no guilty agent, it bewilderingly becomes imperative to assign that blame to some indefensible fiction. perhaps that's evolutions way of being better on the safe side, just in case there's a bear around the corner.
hankster
Level 9
Dec 28, 2021
3
Parents scare their children by invoking the Boogie Man. However, sometimes the Boogie Man is real.
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