Monday, April 16, 2018

parsing the Trump-support base

CNN screen shot of Trump supporters
Passed along in email today was this analysis of how/why Donald Trump's supporters remain steadfast in the face of lunacy:
[H]ow exactly are Trump loyalists psychologically or neurologically different from everyone else? What is going on in their brains that makes them so blindly devoted?
There follow a series of scientific frameworks in which to see and explain supporters' point of view. These appear to be sober applications.

But the punchline on the essay is a bit dispiriting:
So what can we do to potentially change the minds of Trump loyalists before voting in 2020? As a cognitive neuroscientist, it grieves me to say that there may be nothing we can do. The overwhelming majority of these people may be beyond reach, at least in the short term. The best we can do is to motivate everyone else to get out to the booths and check the box that doesn’t belong to a narcissistic nationalist who has the potential to damage the nation beyond repair.

2 comments:

  1. I didn't come here to change the ruling president or leader of my country much lesser yours. :)

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  2. Lionel - apologies but dumb comment. Do you live in this world? Did you comment to change anyones mind? Thought so - world - cause - effect - player.

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