Is the Brain Hard Wired to be Narrow Minded?

There are wonderful discoveries being made about the human brain in recent decades; I believe this can be a helpful tool in our growth in understanding our life in God.

Recently I read about a study that was done on a select group of people; each person had strong convictions politically (from both the right and the left). When they were presented with information that was contrary to their political beliefs, the part of the brain that was activated was the amygdala, the "fight or flight" part of the brain. When presented with information they agreed with, the pleasure center in the brain was triggered. In both instances the neo-cortex, the reasoning part of the brain, was virtually inactive. (I suspect that similar findings would be made if this kind of study were done with Christians with dogmatic doctrinal convictions, whether conservative or progressive.)

Studies have also showed that since the 1970's, Americans have become increasingly polarized politically, making it virtually impossible for our political leaders to make needed compromises in order to benefit all citizens. Alongside this is the growing divide between American Christians who are viewing issues differently.

This all confirms what is obvious as we hear the news, which is that growing numbers of people are holding extreme positions, unwilling to listen to and learn from others who hold different views.

Could it be that the human brain is hard wired to be narrow minded when it comes to issues that affect us? If so, this may be another way of understanding that we, as fallen creatures, are born fearful; the natural response to anything that threatens our life and well being is the "fight or flight" response which is a fear-based and self-preserving response.

(In a past blog post I touched on the topic of fear as the fundamental human predicament: The Picture Frame Makes a Difference.)

In the next post I will touch on how being aware of this reality can help those of us who are followers of Jesus as we seek to live in His life and grace each day and influence the world we live in.