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We all produce the same primal reactions to emotions. That part is instinctive. How we display them, is an entirely different matter as this is more a function of behaviour .. and behaviours are easily modified, hence the variations you observe.
We a re called 'Human Beings' … and that might mean that we can 'Be' anything we want ! from Craig
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I guess having started this thread I should add something to it.
Craig, what you have said above is quite an interesting subject. "We all produce the same primal reactions to emotions." This is true at the very base of the response, but then there is variation in intensity of response (how much hormone is released to stimulate a response such as the "fright, flight" response). The degree of variation in this response is somewhat genetically pre-programmed into us. For example, in my case that initial release of hormones that lead to fright/flight is strong. I suspect that this may be a contributing factor to my very fast reflexes. Of course, I may be wrong in that too. Correlation does not necessarily mean causation; something we have a great deal of trouble getting medical quacks like homeopaths to understand.
But additionally there is emotional learning which is a function of the amygdala, a very primitive part of the brain. In this context primitive means that this would have been one of the first parts of the brain to evolve, which makes sense because this is a necessary survival response. Emotional learning occurs when an event happens (lion chases primitive man across savannah) and the amygdala begins to store this kind of event as a memory. As repeated events happen, the memory becomes stronger until eventually fear may be produced simply by thinking about lions.
The really curious thing to me is instinct. How does a dog who has never seen a snake seem to instinctively know that snakes are dangerous and either to be avoided or attacked and killed? How can information like this be inherited?
Warren, this from Wikipedia may interest you, although I suspect you probably already know that this sort of thing occurs:
Buddhist monks who do compassion meditation have been shown to modulate their amygdala, along with their temporoparietal junction and insula, during their practice.
Stuart