I was watching a man interview women who said they were going to vote for Hillary Clinton. They were asked why, and the first words were "because she's a woman."
Is it sexist for a woman to vote for a person because she's a woman?
My first reaction was yes. Then I thought it odd that the first word out of their mouth was "woman" when they could have said, because she was an experienced secretary of state, or because she was an intelligent politician, or she will fight for human rights.
But then again, it would be too obvious and highly unlikely to consider them sexist. So why would they say it?
It isn't just Hillary, but Trump as well. Here are some side by side photos with the first word that came to peoples minds when they think of them.
Could it be that the first words out of our mouth are not what we think, but more what we feel? I say that because, when we are put on the spot, or are in a threatening situation, our brain triggers the "fight or flight" syndrome.
The fight-or-flight response is an acute stress response... a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival.
The reaction begins in the amygdala and triggers a series of physiological events to occur. The amygdala is by definition "an almond-shaped mass of gray matter inside each cerebral hemisphere, involved with the experiencing of emotions."
Did you notice the last word in the definition - emotions?
The amygdala activates the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and other parts of our body during times of stress; essentially there is a rise in blood pressure and a series of other physiological changes that causes us humans to respond in a physical way....not in an intellectual way.
Have you ever noticed that you only figure out what startled you after you’ve already reacted? (see link below) "The amygdala is able to process sensory information and initiate behavioral responses before the information reaches the awareness centers of the brain."
This may be why we quickly say kooky things and think "why did I just say that?"
It may be more important to think through our thoughts before answering, but in the end, our thoughtful insights are far behind our reactions to incoming circumstances.
Therefore, when we are put on the spot, I contend that we do not think our answers through thoughtfully, but rather respond with a gut reaction. We might respond with what we fear, what we love, what is dear to our heart, but it isn't because we thought through the answer with deep introspection.
So whether it's a response to a political question, or any other situation that is controversial, we shouldn't be too hard on ourselves or hard on others for saying something awkward. For in these moments, what may sound sexist, or just plain dumb, actually may have an important emotional meaning. It may not be well thought out, but it may have some significance to it that your brain really has no control over.
Yes that's right, it's the truest form of a no brainer.
Next time someone questions your rushed response to a voting question, you might not have had a choice...it may well be just your Amygdala talking.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/poll-liar-frequently-word-hillary-clinton/story?id=33361629
