A severe impairment of cognitive function as a result of repeated exposure to bigoted views (see “Bignorism”).
Neural activity that would normally travel to the neocortex (in the upper
brain) for analysis and evaluation is diverted to the amygdala (in the lower
brain, a center of emotion) where it excites fear and hatred.
This diversion of
brain signals is a survival mechanism that evolved in early mammals to react to dangers, where immediate action is needed before the neocortex has time to mull over incoming information.
The amygdala does not apply logic as it scans for danger. If information is non-threatening, it allows transfer to the neocortex. When it senses danger, other parts of the
brain are activated, and this can lead to aggressive responses driven by the lower (reptilian)
brain.
An example is when
people respond to a mass shooting by saying, “We should enact laws to restrict semiautomatic weapons and large clips”. Someone who has been Limbaughtomized instead hears, “Let’s have the gummint
break into houses and seize any guns they find — next week we’ll
go after swords, knives, needles and then rocks. Hell, let’s take their women while we’
re at it”.
Thank God! Ever since O'Reilly was
fired for sexual harassment, we've
got one less bloviator to perform a Limbaughtomy. Could this help curb the growth of Bignorism?
