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#843 - Richard Dawkins - Why Can No One Agree On Evolution, Race & Religion?
Modern Wisdom
In Chaos, We Seek Agency
Human beings have a natural inclination to attribute supernatural explanations to events they cannot understand, stemming from a deep-rooted desire for agency and control. Historically, this tendency is linked to survival instincts; our ancestors faced unpredictable dangers and thus ascribed intentionality to environmental phenomena to make sense of their perilous lives. In modern contexts, when confronted with uncertainty, especially regarding something critical like health, individuals tend to perceive patterns in randomness, illustrating how the mind seeks to impose order and narrative on chaotic situations. This psychological phenomenon, known as compensatory control, explains the human urge to personify the unpredictable elements of life, suggesting a fundamental need for agency in an often chaotic existence.
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