New research led by the University of Oxford has found that perceptions of globally shared life experiences and globally shared biology can strengthen psychological bonding with humanity at large, which can motivate prosocial action on a global scale and help to tackle global problems. The findings have been published today in Royal Society Open Science.
  • @over_cloxEnglish
    8•7 months ago

    Daydreaming, wishful thinking, and chasing wild geese all at once.

    They barely even mentioned religion. As long as people keep believing in invisible entities, people will never be able to cooperate on such a global scale.

    • GloomyEnglish
      6•7 months ago

      Your comment is a good example of the us vs. them mindset they are talking about in the article.

      First author Lukas Reinhardt (Leader of the Global Cohesion Lab at the Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion [CSSC], University of Oxford) said, “Us-vs-them thinking is on the rise in many places all over the world, exacerbating conflicts and complicating finding solutions for pressing global problems.”

      • @over_cloxEnglish
        4•7 months ago

        Okay. You’re not wrong.

        So go forth and educate people that their invisible deity isn’t gonna fix a damn thing.

        In the meantime, I live in the real world and know better than to argue with religious people.

        And the cycle continues…

        • GloomyEnglish
          2•7 months ago

          I assume that you are American. And I assume that when you are talking about religion, you are talking a about the Christo-Fashist flavour of Protestantism that is all too common there these days.

          And I understand the bitterness. I see and agree on the harm done by said group.

          But.

          Speaking about humanity, there is a lot of religion going on. Some is clearly bad and does indeed separate their participants from the rest of humankind. Christian Fashism, Islam, Hinu Nationalism. I see that.

          Some is just neutral tough. Most of Europe these days has a Christian flavour of some kind that happens more in the background and isn’t in the way of progress, science or a secular moral system.

          I am a Buddhist, and it has done nothing but help me become a more logical and a more compassanate person. I don’t see a downside so far. Have there been harmful Buddhist movements? Absolutely. Look at Myanmar and you can see how the Dharma can be used as a tool of hate.

          I guess what I’m trying to say is: When religion becomes a tool of othering people, of creating a “us and them” dichotomy, then it is harmful, I agree with you.

          But by making such a broad statement as yours, grouping every singe person on the planet that has some theistic belive together, you are too and I don’t think that is a good thing to do. Certainly not when we need unity more than ever, as the article does point out correctly in my opinion.

          • @over_cloxEnglish
            1•7 months ago

            Your opinion does not offend me at all.

            But your opinion also seems to lean towards dictating certain things to people, based on your beliefs and opinions.

            Not exactly helping the cause homie…

            • GloomyEnglish
              3•7 months ago

              But your opinion also seems to lean towards dictating certain things to people, based on your beliefs and opinions.

              Could you specify this a bit, please? I honestly don’t see what you mean here.

              • @over_cloxEnglish
                2•7 months ago

                Congratulations, you are a Buddhist. And you say it basically brings you peace and a logical way of thinking. That’s fantastic, and I don’t doubt you a bit.

                But you state it in a way that suggests if everyone on the planet followed your beliefs, then the world would be at peace and everyone would think logically, and start cooperating to fix all the world’s problems.

                Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that hypothetical idea. Sounds great on paper, but we got like 8 billion people on the planet.

                Good luck getting them all to even so much as agree what a spoon is, let alone peacefully, logically, collectively cooperate towards fixing all the world’s issues.

                • GloomyEnglish
                  2•7 months ago

                  But you state it in a way that suggests if everyone on the planet followed your beliefs, then the world would be at peace and everyone would think logically, and start cooperating to fix all the world’s problems.

                  I am sorry, but neither have I writen this nor have I implied it. If you read it that way then okay, you can interpret it that way if you wish so. But I am, rest assured, not of the opinion you statet here.

                  Religion isn’t for everyone. Buddhism isn’t for everyone. Nor is Atheism. I think what view of the world you choose or don’t choose should be up to you and you alone. I don’t support preaching about it, I for sure don’t support trying to convert others to your way of thinking.

                  I think every person should make up their own mind about those things, while staying open to others arriving at a different conclusion. That is the mindset we would need to arrive at a true level of global cooperation.