The Science of Stress (Part 2)

There is a delicate balancing act within the body that is driven by environmental conditions of both danger and plenty, and our logical interpretations of those conditions.

I talk about it here.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• stress
• health
• adrenal
• growth
• aging
• heal
• stanford
• medicine
• biology
• neuro
• sapolsky
• ulcers
• fertility
• digestion
• cancer

[TheLogicJunkie]

Yeah, Schwarzenegger's true personality was in full bloom in the 70's documentary "Pumping Iron", which a former friend had me watch years ago. His mentality, while myopically effective, is appalling.

[TheLogicJunkie]

Well, the problem is that corporate America doesn't properly understand Yerkes-Dodson because, if they did, they would understand that the more complex the thinking task required, the calmer and more relaxed the subject needs to be.

A manic, fear-based environment of hysteria produces shallow, rigid thinking, and that's what we get in corporate America, and that's why so much has crumbled.

[lantenec]

Get their emotions up with say a good drama or sit-com, then bam, hit with something you want to sell'em. As for A. Schw. that guy's a MAJOR scumbag. A friend of mine did some telephone consulting with Mentzer once, and Mentzer told him some stories you wouldn't believe. Think of the char. Biff Tannen, the bully from Back to the Future, that's Schw. Esp. when he was younger. There was talk of revoking the "american born" rule to get him in the presidency. God help us if he ever gets elected.

[lantenec]

Looked up "Yerkes-Dodson" on Wikipedia, interesting stuff. So corporate america wants to keep us in an arousal state all the time, maybe? I could see that. I began to think a few months ago that commercials in the middle of programs are designed to capitalize on arousal states. If one can buy any of that "Anthony Robbins"/NLP crap. Specifically the idea that one "links" things you see while in a highly emotional state to that emotion.

[TheLogicJunkie]

Well, yes; absolutely. The western world's pathological obsession with image leaves no place for critical down-time, during which organisms rest and recover.

I think you'd really enjoy the Sapolsky book... I can't recommend it enough.

[lantenec]

That actually popped in my head as I was writing all this. Knowing Seyles you get what I mean. That's also how Mentzer's workout protocols worked. Same for life or psychological stress: apply the stress, then go rest and recover. In our society its go, go, go, all day every day. It's just a matter of time before people start to break down. Reminds me of this guy Mark Ames who wrote a book called "Going Postal" about how workplace shootings are so-called "modern-day slave rebellions".

[TheLogicJunkie]

I like that metaphor of culture as the "baking sun" you use.

[TheLogicJunkie]

Yes, I am very much a fan of the stress psychophysiologist Hans Selye. And have you ever heard of the Yerkes-Dodson Law of arousal and cognition?

Finally, I've also heard good things about Mike Mentzer -- I've heard he was a big fan of Ayn Rand. The drawback to that is when he had to deal with someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has no regard for objectivity or scruples, only pathological, cannibalizing narcissism.

[TheLogicJunkie]

Yeah; I've seen that book on the shelves since a few years ago, and I even skimmed through it, but never actually bought it.

I do think that fear is an important emotion -- as opposed to worry/neurosis, which has a much more risky return on your investment of energy.

[lantenec]

Our culture's effect on the human psyche is like 8-12 hours a day, every day, in the midday August sun. It's turning people minds and bodies to mush. (Not that there was ever going to be much to most people's minds anyway, but....)