1. political blind spot?

2. Mindful Politics Glimpsing Your Inner World
With Joe Brewer
Founder of Cognitive Policy Works
November 16, 2008

3. When belief becomes truth
Environment is separate from economy
Saddam Hussein linked to 9/11
Regulation hurts markets
Government is wasteful
“Mission Accomplished” in Iraq
Environmental action destroys jobs

4. What do you trust?
Who do you trust?

5. Why is it that many people vote against their economic self-interest?
A Common Question:
Why is it that many people vote against their economic self-interest?

6. Another Question: Are you part of the “reality-based” community?
(More than one reality?)

7. Getting the Big Picture

8. Making Sense of Things

9. Inhibiting Inconsistencies

10. The Great Political Blind Spot

11. What Can Cognitive Science Offer?
Insights (into ourselves)
Perspective (on human behavior)
Strategy (creates a road map of obstacles, hazards, alternative routes, etc.) 11

12. Things We Know (That Just Ain’t So) Folk Theory of Mind
Thought is conscious
Thought is literal
Thought is dispassionate
Thought is universal
Thought is logical

13. The Political Mind
Our minds are constrained and influenced in fundamental ways by
the structures of the brains we have,
and the physical and social environments we find ourselves immersed in.
the bodies we have,

14. Do you really know your own thoughts?

15. Politics on the Brain

16. Framing 101: The Basics Roles Logic and inference Moral values
The “invisible beyond”

17. Frames Everywhere!
How do you know what to do when you go to the hospital?
Or a restaurant?
…a drug store?
…thanksgiving dinner?
Frames are the understandings, values, ideas, and facts that allow us to understand the world and act in it.

18. Example: Tax Relief Taxes are an affliction! Relief Frame
Various Roles
An Affliction
The Afflicted
Causer of Affliction
Reliever of Affliction
Moral Attributes
Causer of Affliction is bad (villain)
The Afflicted is innocent (victim)
Reliever of Affliction is good (hero)
Time Sequence
Past time before affliction
Current state of affliction
Future state of relief
Taxes are an affliction!
(central metaphor)

19. Metaphors Abound! Affection is Warmth Intimacy is Closeness
Important is Big
Happy is Up
Knowing is Seeing 19

20. Life’s a journey. Path to Success Stuck in a rut Getting ahead
Lost your way 20

21. Life’s a container. A vessel An empty void Filled with memories
Overflowing with love 21

22. Canada is a container. Cultural reservoir Imports flow in
A geographic region
Exports flow out 22

23. Canada is a family. Send sons and daughters to war Motherland
Founding fathers
Protect our children 23

24. Thinking works by association…
…no metaphor acts alone.

25. Think Fast!
bird

26. Prototypes Spring to Mind
Which is a grandmother? OR 26

27. Prototypes Spring to Mind
Who is a bachelor? OR 27

28. Prototypes Spring to Mind
Who is a patriot? OR 28

29. Prototypes Spring to Mind
Who is presidential? OR 29

30. There’s a lot going on!

31. “Faculty” View of Mind Reason the “Decider” Judgment the “Assessor”
Will the “Doer”
Reason the “Decider”
Emotion the “Impulsive”

32. A Political Psyche Alternative

33. Why is it that many people vote against their economic self-interest?
A Common Puzzle:
Why is it that many people vote against their economic self-interest?
Solution: The wrong idea about human nature

34. Rational Actor Weighs pros and cons Makes conscious choices
Maximizes self-interest

35. Many moral contexts Religion threatened He’s not like me
Democrat is untrustworthy
Unsafe against terrorists
Murders unborn babies
Will take my guns away

36. Success depends on knowing the political mind

37. Let’s talk