The Dissenter

#1120 Pascal Boyer: Ritualized Behavior, Ownership Psychology, and Victim-Devaluation

20 snips
Jul 7, 2025
Guest
Pascal Boyer
Pascal Boyer, a distinguished professor of Psychology and Anthropology, dives deep into the fascinating realm of informal belief systems and their cultural roles. He discusses the allure of 'wild traditions' and their interplay with organized religions. The conversation shifts to the psychology behind rituals and compulsive behaviors, linking them to mental health. Boyer also explores complex themes like ownership psychology, victim-blaming, and societal perceptions of misfortune, offering thought-provoking insights into human behavior and morality.
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INSIGHT

Understanding Religions in the Wild

  • Religions in the wild refer to informal, non-doctrinal spiritual practices with personal specialists.
  • These wild traditions persist because they address specific misfortunes traditional religions often overlook.
INSIGHT

Personalized Misfortune Explanations

  • Wild religious traditions focus on explaining why misfortune happened to a specific person at a specific time.
  • Doctrinal religions often fail to address these personalized questions, creating space for wild traditions.
INSIGHT

Cooperation and Misfortune Dilemma

  • Cooperation dilemmas arise when supporting misfortunate individuals who might not reciprocate.
  • Assigning partial responsibility to victims or others helps balance cooperation costs and reputation.
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