I like it! Interesting.

This explains why hypercompetitive narcissistic individuals climb to the top! They have no empathy and walk over people in their climb to the top.

I wonder if this explains the religious. They think they’re (literally) God’s image made manifest, and clearly swallow totalitarian doctrine based on emotional need, rather than sound reasoning and hard evidence (most often).

I liked it at first; then not so much.

[...] Futurity.org – I’m so fantastic (if I ignore my frontal lobes). [...]

The orbitofrontal cortex is also where sexual pleasure is generated. Sexual pleasure and high level brain functions appear to be closely related. That’s something to think about.

It also makes me wonder about the sex life of these “rose colored” people. It might be worth a study.

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This post was mentioned on Twitter by anne246: http://twitthis.com/8a97hg…

Regarding this article, there is a line that refers to subjects who saw themselves accurately as having four times more frontal lobe activation- how was accuracy determined? Giving oneself a more negative rating is not necessarily more accurate- so how were the responses cross-checked?

You have to wonder how they even come up with the idea to investigate this stuff. I wouldn’t be surprised if they connected proper exposure to the sun as having an effect on your mental clarity in some way as well.

uhh, well maybe the difference is due to the subjects taking the question more seriously. Frontal lobe activity is traditionally associated with decision-making. Maybe those who thought about the questions answered more accurately and those ‘rose-coloured glasses wearers’ just gave flippant answers, not actually using their brain in order to answer.

Well that just lends to more questions now doesn’t it?
How serious were the participants?
Were they normal college students looking for an easy $50 for beer or did they completely remove their youthful pursuits for this study? I’m thinking not even kinda.
More specifically, naahhhh.

But what is the reality of a person? Is what most people think of them? How would most people know? How do you determine the accuracy of a response? I think a philosophy class or two is in order.

@John
“The orbitofrontal cortex is also where sexual pleasure is generated. Sexual pleasure and high level brain functions appear to be closely related.”

So do you think that people that use their orbitofrontal cortex more have Better sex than the people that don’t? At the same time I would argue that the people who view themselves in a better light (not using their frontal lobe) are probably the people who are having More sex, but since they already see themselves in such a good light they assume it’s good. So if asked about their sex life they would claim it to be good no matter what.

Going on my tweet deck!

http://futurity.org/top-stories/im-so-fantastic-if-i-ignore-my-frontal-lobes/

My boyfriend is a recovering drug addict who, up until recently, seemed to think that he was the most awesome person in the world. He is ALSO someone who, in my observations of him in day to day life, very obviously does not do things like “reasoning, planning, decision-making, and problem-solving” very well. So, this was actually really interesting to me. He is a person who doesn’t appear to utilize this section of his brain very often and he also views himself through those “rose colored glasses”. Not only that, but he was a drug addict who, in his journey to getting clean, often overestimated his ability to do so. How interesting.
I also wondered about the accuracy of this, though. What if you really are more mature or open-minded than your peers by far? What if a positive assessment is also an accurate assessment?

So smarter people are more depressed?

To Dave: Most religious people I know are extremely self-critical and, if anything, are lacking in self-confidence (i.e., they feel a desperate need for a higher power to help them navigate through life). This sounds more like the frontal lobe in overdrive.

C

[...] I’m so fantastic (if I ignore my frontal lobes) U. TEXAS-AUSTIN—The less you use your brain’s frontal lobes, the more you see yourself through rose-colored glasses, new research shows. [...]

This is VERY interesting! My first response, of course, is do I have an accurate view of who and what I am really like to others? Do I perceive myself to be just “good enough,” because my frontal lobes are far too active?

But enough about me! Far more interesting to me is how this study applies to experiences in my family. My mom had two severe frontal lobe injuries within two years of each other starting at the age of 69. As a result, she has gone through a multitude changes; but this study seems to fit with the changes we’ve noticed in her behavior and outlook.

She now claims that she is still as efficient and productive as she ever was, yet in actuality, it’s evident that she no longer can use any of the reasoning, planning, decision-making or problem-solving skills with which she was once endowed. She is aware that she’s had two traumatic brain injuries, and we explain to her often why she can’t drive and can’t be left alone. Yet her view of herself is so optimistic that if confounds us! She has practically no short-term memory, she can barely remember anything about her day, yet she still holds fast to that “rosy-colored” impression of herself. She feels that she is perfectly capable of doing anything, if she just decides to do so! Yes she can plant a new garden in a day. Yes she can drive herself to the mall to shop. Yes she can still manage an office full of employees. Yes she can throw a party for Superbowl Sunday…just give her the keys and some cash and she’s ready!

Perhaps this isn’t just the social judgment system looking for efficiency. Perhaps, it’s also a form of surviving the aging process. The more we aren’t rooted in reality, the more we need some other positive view to compensate with…so we don’t drown in self-loathing and depression.

Of course, this doesn’t explain the boastful behavior of those who didn’t have brain injuries, but it’s just a thought…

This definately explanins a lot . This certainly explains why mentally retarded people are often times of the some of the happiest people around. Think people with down’s sydrome. They are constantly smiling, laughing, and seemly appear to have not a care in the world.

@laura

i think what john was getting at is that people who view themselves through rose-colored glasses are highly satisfied with their sex lives… but the interesting information might be in the satisfaction of their partners.

awkward her name is “beer” i view myself more favorably after 10 beers…

I completed ignored the rest of the article once I noticed that the professor’s last name is Beer.

[...] Soy el más “guay”… (Siempre que no active mis lóbulos frontales) [ENG] futurity.org/top-stories/im-so-fantastic-if-i-ignore-my-fron…  por bsc hace 3 segundos [...]

One of the most stupid, unscientific study I have ever seen!

Apparently, ignorance is bliss.

[...] From Futurity.org – Futurity.org – I’m so fantastic (if I ignore my frontal lobes). [...]

So she’s saying that the more you activate your frontal lobes, the more accurately you view yourself… and the less you activate your frontal lobes, the more you view yourself as better than your peers. But these views are NOT at opposite ends of the spectrum; it is quite possible to view yourself as better than your peers and still be viewing yourself accurately, because you ARE better than your peers! Equally, it is possible to view yourself inaccurately and not view yourself as better than your peers, e.g. in the case of depression.

Depending on our thoughts and emotions different things will happen.
We have three distinct evolutionary features, reptilian, mammalian, and human; the human part is our frontal cortex.
So depending on how we are being will trigger different aspects of our brain, the human part is our most intriguing of all in my opinion due to it’s ability to lie and it’s creativity.
Our limbic system ( mammal ) enables us to be instinctual, and it cannot lie, EVER. So our frontal lobe is triggered when we lie and become creative. In other words let the mammal part decide what you prefer in aesthetics because our human will always prefer something more.
http://www.web-us.com/brain/aboutthebrain.htm
http://medinfo.ufl.edu/year2/neuro/review/cc.html
and many more opportunities to discover.