Hugh Mackay on the Human Desire to Be Taken Seriously

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2011/03/22/Hugh_Mackay_What_Makes_Us_Tick

Hugh Mackay, author of What Makes Us Tick?, examines how the desire to be taken seriously affects human behavior. "If we're not taken seriously enough it usually brings out the worst in us," says Mackay. "Much anger in humans individually, and in entire nations comes from feeling as if we haven't been taken seriously."

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Hugh Mackay has been making notes and taking the pulse of the Australian psyche for several decades now. His latest book illuminates how our desires, such as "being taken seriously" and "a place to call home" are linked to personal identity and relationship satisfaction.As much as Mackay has been able to come up with a broad list, his refreshing humility on the subject of human "rationality" allows room for a good chuckle, if at least in hindsight. - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Hugh Mackay is a psychologist, social researcher and novelist. He is the author of thirteen books, including six bestsellers. His latest book, What Makes Us Tick?: The Ten Desires That Drive Us, came out last year. In recognition of his pioneering work in social research, Hugh has been awarded honorary doctorates by Charles Sturt, Macquarie, NSW and Western Sydney universities.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• psychology
• psychologist
• respect
• listening
• attention
• perspective
• point
• of
• view
• opinion
• honor
• conflict
• human
• behavior
• aggression
• anger
• violence
• humiliation
• resentment
• foreign
• policy
• hugh
• mackay
• australian
• broadcasting
• corporation
• foratv
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[xZigoNinjaZx]

this guy is my clan leader????

[dewinthemorning]

To be humiliated or neglected can feel sometimes like a phisical pain.

Our feelings after we've been neglected and the resulting reaction are a result of evolution, and they profit us in our development.

[drche420]

@unamaxify

Np. Just throwing my 2 cents in.

[unamaxify]

@drche420

yeah ok that makes perfect sense. (guess i misinterpreted it slightly)

[drche420]

@unamaxify

He is not saying that one should take opinions of all other people seriously. Some opinions are not worth being taken seriously. He is trying to say that we should sincerely analyze someone's opinion and give people a chance to get across their point. Once their point has been made, nobody need respect a stupid opinion. 

[PLOttawa]

This is a nice summation of why we become indignant when not taken seriously. Thank you.

[SuperNache]

Proud. Auto correct fail

[SuperNache]

There are a few groups I'm period to be limited into. American. US Marine. Artilleryman. Conservative.

[unamaxify]

His message is: one should take opinions of all other people seriously.

But everybody has an opinion on everything even when knowing absolutely

nothing. Its just impractical. I think that to be taken seriously is earned.

How would you take stupid/uninformed people seriously.

Or is he merely asking to act as if one takes them seriously.

[liquidminds]

@optionsupdate it's a complicated story. Some people prefer the "the evil one"-View on the topic. Nevertheless, his uprising had more to do with a whole nation, without perspective, without future, without dignity, and one crazy lunatic, who was enough of a demagogue to convince a whole nation, that under his lead, they will return to prosperity, blinding them not to see what's really going on.

The sad thing is, his scapegoat-approach still works on most people, as demagogues worldwide prove.