The Cabrera Lab Podcast #27: All About Identity-Other Distinctions
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Sep 25, 2024 Discover how identity shapes our choices and perceptions through the lens of distinctions. Learn about the surprising cognitive processes that influence decision-making in nature and humans alike. Delve into visual experiments revealing challenges in recognizing negated options and the complexities of abstract concepts. Explore the psychological inkblot test and its role in personal interpretation. Enhance problem-solving skills through practical communication strategies, all while fostering awareness of the intricate ties between personal and collective identities.
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Distinctions Are Universal Structures
- Distinctions always have an identity (the thing) and an other (the not thing).
- This identity-other structure is universal in both the mind and nature, forming the foundation of cognition.
Examples of Distinction in Nature
- Fetuses in the womb distinguish their mother's voice and familiar songs, showing pre-birth distinction-making.
- Penguins identify their own juvenile's call in a colony of thousands, illustrating distinctions in nature.
Identity Bias in Thinking
- People are very good at recognizing identities but struggle more to recognize 'others' that are not concrete objects.
- Our thinking is biased toward object-oriented distinctions, making ambiguous concepts harder to distinguish clearly.