Ever hear the expression “it’s all in your mind”? Well, according to Robert Sapolsky all the negativity in the world might all be coming from one part of the brain: the frontal cortex. The science of temptation runs parallel to the science of why people make “bad” decisions.
Sapolsky talks about how active the frontal cortex can be in some people when they have the opportunity to do a bad thing… and how calm it can be in other people when presented with a similar situation.
Understanding the basis of the world’s problems on a scientific level might help make future generations much more adept at stopping humanity’s biggest mistakes.
ROBERT M SAPOLSKY:
Robert M. Sapolsky holds degrees from Harvard and Rockefeller Universities and is currently a Professor of Biology and Neurology at Stanford University and a Research Associate with the Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya. His most recent book is “Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst.”
Courtesy of bigthink.com