Anyone who has tried to have a rational conversation with a Trump supporter recognizes that the problem with the obdurate and dogmatic closed mindedness of Trump supporters is
that everything is one dimensional, there's no depth, nothing at all below a
surface level understanding. Allow me to try to explain this phenomenon in the
context of the evolutionary approach of science.
Paul MacLean’s "triune brain" thought process posits three distinct
groupings of the human brain’s various autonomous structures that from an
evolutionary point of view developed sequentially in time, and is roughly
associated with the emergence of reptiles, mammals, and humans. The brain structures that evolved over time
on the way to making a human brain are the “R-Complex” or reptilian brain, the
limbic system or “paleomammalian complex”, and the neocortex or “neomammalian
complex”. As we
evolved each sequential brain development necessarily built upon and was added
to the preceding structures and result in the general behavioral
characteristics typical of the reptiles, mammals, and primates that
sequentially emerged and have the added new brain complex in addition to the
ones that had previously evolved. MacLean’s central idea is that human thought
is a complex interplay of separate behaviors characteristic of our evolutionary
development that developed sequentially as these brain groupings were added,
this model allows us to learn more about human behavior by examining and
relating the behavior of the associated three classes of animals.
Anatomical brain research, particularly changes observed after selective damage to cortical regions and brain mapping techniques, have since demonstrated a strong correlation between the behavior described and the brain structures described in the model. While MacLean’s model is not perfect, a great deal of understanding resulted and to this day, most brain researchers think along these lines. The brain did evolve in an additive way and specific types of behavior did emerge sequentially, and there is clearly a spectrum of behavior that ranges from the lowest level reptilian “brain”, strongly associated with the ritualistic displays, territoriality, and aggression of reptiles, to the last general brain structure to evolve, the prefrontal cortex which exploded in size during hominid evolution and in a fully developed form, is considered to be what makes us human. The prefrontal cortex is associated with planning, complex problem solving, regulation of emotion, and spirituality.
The aforementioned obdurate and dogmatic closed
mindedness of Trump supporters is a comprehension problem that stems from an
"R-Complex" (lizard brain) dominance, which is behaviorally
characterized by stereotypically reptilian ritualistic displays and the typical
instincts of dominance, territoriality, and aggression associated with Reptilia
class conduct. R-Complex dominance results in a
limitation to the range of logical or rational responses as reptile
typical automatic and irrational behavioral responses supersede the higher
level processes of logical thought and rational behavior. The ability for abstract thought is
compromised, and the individual becomes trapped in a surface level understanding,
making it difficult or impossible to comprehend symbolism, metaphor, and
meaning. The reason such close minded individuals are so dogmatic is that the
irrational reptilian instinct of territoriality becomes attached to ideas and
opinions which are then aggressively defended as a matter of
self-preservation. The associated
constant and illogical repetition of dogmatic assertions is the reptilian
phenomena of ritualism making an irrational attempt to socially delineate a
hierarchical position of territorial dominance in the realm of ideas and
opinions.
In R-complex dominance reptilian behaviors are amplified and the emotional and thinking brains are down-regulated, so for instance, attempts at logical, rational, and socially acceptable interaction trigger reptilian territoriality and aggression and ritualistic displays instead of logical consideration of the other person’s point of view followed by a reasoned response. The R-Complex dominance will desensitize limbic system characteristics such as altruistic behavior and the capacity for intellectual empathy are subordinated to the reptilian instinctual behaviors of aggression and territoriality, and the mammalian functions that allow an individual to distinguish between what is socially acceptable or unacceptable is compromised as the individual becomes desensitized to other people’s thoughts and ideas in favor of repetitive ritualistic displays and the species typical reptilian behaviors of aggression and territoriality. Social ineptness can result in societal isolation and an associated resentment because the reptilian lack of abstract reasoning and the related reptilian inability to comprehend or respect the affective states of others downgrades logical thought and results in a reptile typical and completely territorial attack approach to discussing other people’s ideas.
