from Sex thread: Are you gay if...

[Nate]

By that definition, most of what's in the brain category comes from the environment.

[Bullet Magnet]

A lot does. But the idea that the mind is a blank slate at birth is as bogus as it is old.

[Wings of Fire]

A lot does. But the idea that the mind is a blank slate at birth is as bogus as it is old.

Now now, all respect to Watson, it must have taken a lot to take a large, rich, complex and beautiful study of thoughts, feelings and emotions and brutally replace it with the narrow and contrived study of his own paradigm.

Nemo, you have some of your nature/nurture categories mixed up.

[Munch's Master]

well by randomly I mean the sudden urge to be with other men. But I think that you are as bullet magnet said "predestined", or that the feeling slowly rises to the surface, which is in some way kind of the same as having the sudden urge, i guess. And I don't beleive in bi sexuals either >_< I mean it's cool in all but it just confuses me how you can't choose one sex over the other.

I don't think you can "not believe" in Bisexuality, as it does exist. As for whether certain people are bisexual, now that can be argued. Whether its a real preference or just because its considered fashionable.

As for the whole issue of whether you are born gay or turn gay, I am all but certain that genetics can play a significant role in it, more specifically chromosome, testosterone or hormone levels and types.

[Pilot]

A lot does. But the idea that the mind is a blank slate at birth is as bogus as it is old.

Now now, all respect to Watson, it must have taken a lot to take a large, rich, complex and beautiful study of thoughts, feelings and emotions and brutally replace it with the narrow and contrived study of his own paradigm.

The both of you are being ambiguous. Do you want to discuss matters or throw words around to make yourselves sound like there's some thought happening?

[Bullet Magnet]

We have a billion years' worth of evolution behind us, and we are spawned with a great deal of innate, evolved behaviour that is the most important influence in our entire lives.

[Pilot]

We have a billion years' worth of evolution behind us, and we are spawned with a great deal of innate, evolved behaviour that is the most important influence in our entire lives.

Are you talking about 'instinct' specifically?

[Bullet Magnet]

Maybe. What we think of as "instinct" and what we like to consider "other" aspects of human behaviour are not exactly distinct from one another.

[Nemo]

By that definition, most of what's in the brain category comes from the environment.

Yes. Who you are is molded by your environment and your physical brain.

[Wings of Fire]

The both of you are being ambiguous. Do you want to discuss matters or throw words around to make yourselves sound like there's some thought happening?

Don't complain about jokes you don't get?

Yes. Who you are is molded by your environment and your physical brain.

Your brain is molded by your experience, neural networks and all that.

[Nate]

A lot does. But the idea that the mind is a blank slate at birth is as bogus as it is old.

Oh, I don't disagree with you. I was just debating his defintion.

[Nemo]

Don't complain about jokes you don't get?


Your brain is molded by your experience, neural networks and all that.

Your mind is. Your brain is just a physical object.

[Nate]

Yes. A physical object that is molded by its experiences. Where do you think the mind comes from? It's all to do with the interconnections between physical neurons. [/vast oversimplification]

[Nemo]

Yes, the mind comes from the brain.

[Wings of Fire]

Your mind is your brain, unless you're a dualist.

Expect a long post from BM sometime in the near future.

[OANST]

Your mind is your brain, unless you're a dualist.

Expect a long post from BM sometime in the near future.

I always expect long posts from BM. I just don't usually read them.

[Nemo]

Your mind is your brain, unless you're a dualist.

Expect a long post from BM sometime in the near future.

My definition of mind is a bit different from what is commonly accepted, I think.

What I mean when I say "mind" is an individual. Every personality trait, every like and dislike, every opinion, every psychological thing that makes you you.

[Hazel-Rah]

i don't think i ever met a gay person i didn't like

it's straight people that tend to piss me off lol

[OANST]

Oh, I have. I've met every type of person that I didn't like. There are also every type of person that I like.

I'm aware that those sentences make no sense.

[Wings of Fire]

My definition of mind is a bit different from what is commonly accepted, I think.

What I mean when I say "mind" is an individual. Every personality trait, every like and dislike, every opinion, every psychological thing that makes you you.

That's called personal identity, you're confusing biology and metaphysics now.

[Alcar]

i don't think i ever met a gay person i didn't like

it's straight people that tend to piss me off lol

Have you been to a gay bar/club? There are men in there that rival and even surpass the bitchiest and nastiest cheer leaders.

The majority of my friends are straight males, and I usually find I get along better with straight males as opposed to gay males.

Alcar...

[Havoc]

This discussion makes me think of an experiment that should be done at some point but prolly won't be because it's so immoral.

I'm just really curious what exactly would happen if you'd raise a child in a completely controlled environment. Like, don't talk to it, interact with it as little as possible aside from nurture and stuff. It would be very interesting to see what would happen to this individual after 10 or 20 years. How he would look and act.

[Wings of Fire]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_H...infant_monkeys

There are also a variety of naturalistic observations about feral children, there is a pretty complete list on Wikipedia.

[Nemo]

That's called personal identity, you're confusing biology and metaphysics now.

Elaborate, please.