Hicup
DP Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2009
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- Rochester, NY
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- Political Leaning
- Very Conservative
Hi, Tim.
Is it possible that someone could be a man, but identify as a woman lesbian? Sure...why not? Does the existence of such a person speak to mind and matter, vs. mind over matter? Well, let's cross back over the line and discuss mental illness for a sec.
It's known that mental illness can be attributed to genetic factors:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968
Mental illness can be attributed to genetic hereditary traits, I don't think anyone argues in opposition to that.
This would indicate that an identifiable trait of the mind, specifically how the mind thinks, can be identified in genetic code, demonstrating that thought pattern can be determined by physical factors.
Another example I would point to is this:
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2943-brain-tumour-causes-uncontrollable-paedophilia/
This is an example in opposition to your argument, such that it is. It suggests very strongly with statistically significant reliability that mind and matter plays the significant role. I'd take issue with your statement that "how the mind thinks" is attributable or identified in genetic code. No such study, at least as far as I know, exists that supports this conclusion. In fact, I think it's well-settled science that the prefrontal cortex seems deliberately (deliberately not to suggest intelligent design in any way just for lack of a better terms) ambiguous when wiring the human brain. In most cases the PFC doesn't seem to hard wire until late teens, early 20's.
Once again, we have a physical variable directly impacting mental patterns and sense of self, in a pretty awful and significant way. (Sorry, I know the article is from 2002, but figured since it was a specific case study, it's shelf life was still ok... )
Yes, I agree in the example you provided, but lets not confuse the two arguments. Developing tumors in the brain can lead to all sorts of documented behaviors, not limited to even genius, or savants type symptoms.
(At this point I'd like to apologize for falling back on such horrible examples, when discussing the entirely different proposition of transgenderism, which I wouldn't, based on the information provided, comfortably call a mental illness, and doesn't imply harm to anyone. Sadly we study most the things we are afraid of, these were the examples that I could bring to mind that had the best analysis done on them. There are also links to be found with exercise and yoga and adequate amounts of sleep having positive impacts on mental health, for example, one more link towards physical state impacting thought patterns, but these are often too taken for granted or considered wishy washy to drive the point.)
I don't necessarily think people are afraid of trans people; I think, personally that they are concerned with misidentifying something for the sake of political correctness, born out of an emotional (maybe even justified) sense to comfort. Participation trophies, and the like.
Therefore, this indicates to me, some dumb Canuck without any letters behind his name, that the mind and matter scenario you are suggesting is at least plausible.
I don't find anything wrong with transsexuals, or GID, they exist, that's the reality. Why, who knows, and ultimately, it might not matter over time. One thing I have come to learn over the years of following this science is that, homosexuality, transsexuality, and any other sexuality, seems more fluid in the macro of human existence. Does creating a welcoming habitat for fluid sexual behavior increase sexual behavior? I tend to think that ultimately it does, or will. This lends support for mind over matter. Does a straight male who has an urge one night to engage in same sex behavior make that person a homosexual? Maybe, maybe not. I don't think I've ever had such an urge, but I have looked at good looking men and said to myself I can see why the babes love that guy..
That's my best crack at answering your question.
I agree, they're not hurting anyone. I myself have evolved on this topic over the years, I used to be very against homosexuality, transsexuality at the like, but have since calmed myself into respecting other points of view, mainly because my political arguments for why I felt the way I did, simply did not stand up to logic. I tended to align my political views with the science that supported my views, and ignored science that did not. I have come to appreciate both sides of the discussion as having valid opinions, and interesting science to back it up.
Cheers!
Tim-