I kinda feel it does make sense, though perhaps not so strongly as the parent indicated.
Young brains are more malleable - that’s pretty much a known thing - and learning at a young age sets in high knowledge and patterns of learning that follow us through adulthood.
If one learns a certain thing from a young age and it’s pretty much been driven in multiple ways - indoctrination whether intentional or otherwise - that’s a lot of stuff that’s been set pretty hard. Even it somebody is actively aware it’s bad it can be hard to adjust one’s inclination towards a certain way of thinking.
I’m not trying to make excuses for racism - because frankly a lot of those people don’t even try to adjust their thinking - but breaking free from one’s upbringing is not a small hurdle and I’d put it in similar terms to breaking a bad addiction.
You’re right, sorry for not providing citations in my original comment. I’m a dilettante with cross-domain interests so my enthusiasm sometimes beats my scientific rigor to the finish line.
I’ve asked Kagi to compile a report and here is what it has found:
Report on the Neurobiology of Ideological Rigidity and Belief Persistence
The observations shared previously regarding “crystallized” beliefs and neural rigidity align with several established frameworks in neuroscience, psychology, and computational modeling. While the original comment used metaphorical language, it maps closely to these peer-reviewed concepts:
1. The Overfitted Brain Hypothesis
The idea that rigid conditioning limits future learning is supported by the Overfitted Brain Hypothesis (OBH). In machine learning, “overfitting” occurs when a model becomes so tuned to its training data that it loses the ability to generalize. Neuroscientist Erik Hoel proposes that the human brain faces the same risk: if our input is too narrow or repetitive (from a young age), the brain risks “overfitting” to that bias, leading to cognitive rigidity. Dreams, in this model, serve as a necessary “regularization” mechanism to inject noise and prevent this crystallization.
2. Cognitive Rigidity and Ideological Extremity
Research into the “ideological brain” confirms that cognitive rigidity is a structural trait linked to extremism across the spectrum—whether religious, political, or secular. Studies demonstrate that individuals with higher levels of dogmatism and ideological extremism consistently show lower cognitive flexibility, regardless of the specific belief system held. This reinforces the notion that the computational structure of a rigid belief system is more important than the content of the belief itself.
3. Synaptic Consolidation and Reconsolidation
The “crystallization” of belief has a biological basis in synaptic consolidation, where frequently used pathways become structurally reinforced. To change these beliefs requires memory reconsolidation—a process where an established memory is brought back into a labile (malleable) state. This process is metabolically and cognitively demanding because it requires the brain to override long-standing neural “ground truths,” explaining the profound resistance individuals show when their core identity-protective beliefs are challenged.
4. Identity-Protective Cognition
When beliefs are tied to core identity, the brain treats challenges to those beliefs as physical threats. This is known as identity-protective cognition, where the brain effectively ignores contradictory evidence to maintain the stability of the current mental model. This explains why debate is often ineffective against deeply held dogmas; the brain is not failing to process information, it is actively filtering it to maintain structural integrity.
Summary: While the original post employed lay-terms (e.g., “forbidden metabolic cost”), these align with the scientific consensus on how brains optimize for stability at the expense of flexibility. The framing of rigid, prejudice-prone thought as an “overfitted” neural state is a recognized, albeit high-level, computational interpretation of how ideology manifests in the brain.
You’ll find that most people on Lemmy are not super keen on AI, and using an AI summary to back up your points will pretty much universally be met with ridicule.
I personally think it’s dangerous to use AI as a fact checker. It might be great a lot of the time, but you’re basically deciding that you’re fine with the random data and facts that it completely fabricates. To that end, “asking an AI if you’re right” is NOT functionally equivalent to “making sure you’re right.”
Oh. I think there’s a misunderstanding here. I don’t ask for a single instance’s opinion on the epistemic correctness of my ideas.
Depending on the problem, I ask for one of the following:
computational proof if applicable (the skill in question triggers its own audit/code review)
evidence backed by citations and a rational synthesis session (meta-cognitive skill)
an adversarial design session (meta-cognitive skill that teaches instances to argue for and against their own beliefs)
a full triggering of a (possibly distributed) schemata session (another meta-cognitive skill that orchestrates multiple smaller ones, expensive on the token budget and I can’t currently afford it)
Neckbearding (ditto, but with a Cartesian product matrix of questions vs answers, ultrarationalist style)
Here are the sources. I do not post AI answers, just a translation from my content-addressed brain to label-addressed academic nomenclature. Consider my use of LLMs a prosthetic or translator because that’s what it functionally is in this scenario.
Key Academic References for Further Reading
If you would like to explore the foundational research behind these ideas, the following papers and books provide the technical context and nuance:
1. On the “Overfitted” Brain and Cognitive Rigidity
Hoel, E. (2021). “The overfitted brain: Dreams evolved to assist generalization.” Patterns, 2(5). [1]
Note: This is the primary source for the “overfitting” framework as applied to biological brains. It argues that limited, repetitive environmental input (like early-life conditioning) leads to a loss of generalizability.
2. On Ideological Rigidity and Cognitive Flexibility
Zmigrod, L. (2020). “A Psychology of Ideology: Unpacking the Psychological Structure of Ideological Thinking.” Perspectives on Psychological Science. [2]
Note: This work moves away from the content of beliefs and toward the psychological structure of ideological thinking, providing the empirical basis for why rigidity manifests consistently across political, religious, and dogmatic spectrums.
3. On Memory Reconsolidation and Identity Protection
Nader, K., & Hardt, O. (2009). “The effects of consolidation and reconsolidation on memory.” Trends in Neurosciences.
Note: This is a foundational paper on how established memories (like core values/identity) are not static but can be rendered labile (malleable) and then updated—or “torn down and rebuilt”—during the reconsolidation window.
Kahan, D. M. (2013). “Ideology, Motivated Reasoning, and Cognitive Reflection.” Judgment and Decision Making.
Note: This research details how “identity-protective cognition” causes the brain to filter or dismiss conflicting evidence, acting as a defense mechanism for core beliefs.
Providing these sources allows for a much more grounded discussion than a general synthesis. The core of the argument—that cognitive rigidity functions similarly to an overfitted computational model and requires significant “re-training” to alter—is a testable and discussed hypothesis in current neuroscientific and psychological literature.
What kind of prosthetic would you even need to compile a list of sources? And why there are only 2 references listed as 100% total? Not to mention the wording of the “human” part (“content-addressed”, “label-addressed” etc.)
This is either an AI bot or a person who lost any ability to proofread, even. Either way, this is 100% AI answer that didn’t cross a human head.
I would suggest instance admins to ban this account.
A neurodivergent with RSI that doesn’t give a shit about your opinion of how they should live their life, nor care about justifying themselves to you since we’ve reached this point.
This kinda has bro science vibes. We don’t have nearly enough of an understanding of the brain to make statements like this.
I kinda feel it does make sense, though perhaps not so strongly as the parent indicated. Young brains are more malleable - that’s pretty much a known thing - and learning at a young age sets in high knowledge and patterns of learning that follow us through adulthood.
If one learns a certain thing from a young age and it’s pretty much been driven in multiple ways - indoctrination whether intentional or otherwise - that’s a lot of stuff that’s been set pretty hard. Even it somebody is actively aware it’s bad it can be hard to adjust one’s inclination towards a certain way of thinking.
I’m not trying to make excuses for racism - because frankly a lot of those people don’t even try to adjust their thinking - but breaking free from one’s upbringing is not a small hurdle and I’d put it in similar terms to breaking a bad addiction.
Its chill, I’ve asked God what he thinks about Kagi’s report and he said it’s correct.
You’re right, sorry for not providing citations in my original comment. I’m a dilettante with cross-domain interests so my enthusiasm sometimes beats my scientific rigor to the finish line.
I’ve asked Kagi to compile a report and here is what it has found:
Report on the Neurobiology of Ideological Rigidity and Belief Persistence
The observations shared previously regarding “crystallized” beliefs and neural rigidity align with several established frameworks in neuroscience, psychology, and computational modeling. While the original comment used metaphorical language, it maps closely to these peer-reviewed concepts:
1. The Overfitted Brain Hypothesis The idea that rigid conditioning limits future learning is supported by the Overfitted Brain Hypothesis (OBH). In machine learning, “overfitting” occurs when a model becomes so tuned to its training data that it loses the ability to generalize. Neuroscientist Erik Hoel proposes that the human brain faces the same risk: if our input is too narrow or repetitive (from a young age), the brain risks “overfitting” to that bias, leading to cognitive rigidity. Dreams, in this model, serve as a necessary “regularization” mechanism to inject noise and prevent this crystallization.
2. Cognitive Rigidity and Ideological Extremity Research into the “ideological brain” confirms that cognitive rigidity is a structural trait linked to extremism across the spectrum—whether religious, political, or secular. Studies demonstrate that individuals with higher levels of dogmatism and ideological extremism consistently show lower cognitive flexibility, regardless of the specific belief system held. This reinforces the notion that the computational structure of a rigid belief system is more important than the content of the belief itself.
3. Synaptic Consolidation and Reconsolidation The “crystallization” of belief has a biological basis in synaptic consolidation, where frequently used pathways become structurally reinforced. To change these beliefs requires memory reconsolidation—a process where an established memory is brought back into a labile (malleable) state. This process is metabolically and cognitively demanding because it requires the brain to override long-standing neural “ground truths,” explaining the profound resistance individuals show when their core identity-protective beliefs are challenged.
4. Identity-Protective Cognition When beliefs are tied to core identity, the brain treats challenges to those beliefs as physical threats. This is known as identity-protective cognition, where the brain effectively ignores contradictory evidence to maintain the stability of the current mental model. This explains why debate is often ineffective against deeply held dogmas; the brain is not failing to process information, it is actively filtering it to maintain structural integrity.
Summary: While the original post employed lay-terms (e.g., “forbidden metabolic cost”), these align with the scientific consensus on how brains optimize for stability at the expense of flexibility. The framing of rigid, prejudice-prone thought as an “overfitted” neural state is a recognized, albeit high-level, computational interpretation of how ideology manifests in the brain.
you asked a fucking LLM to make sure you are right? lmao
What’s wrong with this? Making sure you’re right should obviously be a priority.
and asking ai is not something that you do in that situation.
You’ll find that most people on Lemmy are not super keen on AI, and using an AI summary to back up your points will pretty much universally be met with ridicule.
I personally think it’s dangerous to use AI as a fact checker. It might be great a lot of the time, but you’re basically deciding that you’re fine with the random data and facts that it completely fabricates. To that end, “asking an AI if you’re right” is NOT functionally equivalent to “making sure you’re right.”
Oh. I think there’s a misunderstanding here. I don’t ask for a single instance’s opinion on the epistemic correctness of my ideas.
Depending on the problem, I ask for one of the following:
AI answer is not and should not be taken as a proof.
Even when it’s right on the base thing (more rigid neuron connections), the rest is filled with mounts of nuances it fails to describe.
If you want to use AI for that, I’d suggest asking it for original sources and reading from there, at least.
I am not handing you AI answers, I’m having AI translate from what I know/intuit to what’s widely known
Here are the sources. I do not post AI answers, just a translation from my content-addressed brain to label-addressed academic nomenclature. Consider my use of LLMs a prosthetic or translator because that’s what it functionally is in this scenario.
Key Academic References for Further Reading
If you would like to explore the foundational research behind these ideas, the following papers and books provide the technical context and nuance:
1. On the “Overfitted” Brain and Cognitive Rigidity
2. On Ideological Rigidity and Cognitive Flexibility
3. On Memory Reconsolidation and Identity Protection
Providing these sources allows for a much more grounded discussion than a general synthesis. The core of the argument—that cognitive rigidity functions similarly to an overfitted computational model and requires significant “re-training” to alter—is a testable and discussed hypothesis in current neuroscientific and psychological literature.
References
The overfitted brain: Dreams evolved to assist generalization (40%) ↩︎
A Psychology of Ideology: Unpacking the Psychological Structure of… (60%) ↩︎
Your point would come across better without your “prosthetic”.
We’re humans, just write your thoughts and have faith in the reader
All you’ve done is obfuscate your point and encourage people to not bother reading
Do you even know what RSI means? I am personally experiencing pain as I type these characters.
I do know what it means. A lot of people who type for a living experience it to some degree at some point.
I’m really sorry it inhibits you this much. That must suck immensely
Repetitive strain injury. And yeah. It sucks being unable to type as a software dev
Obviously preaching to the choir here:
As one dev with prior RSI to another, have you tried an ergo keyboard? I find moving to a rented split was the only thing that helped me.
What kind of prosthetic would you even need to compile a list of sources? And why there are only 2 references listed as 100% total? Not to mention the wording of the “human” part (“content-addressed”, “label-addressed” etc.)
This is either an AI bot or a person who lost any ability to proofread, even. Either way, this is 100% AI answer that didn’t cross a human head.
I would suggest instance admins to ban this account.
How about a neurodivergent mind as the baseline? Did you consider the possibility?
So, RSI or neurodivergence? Or both + total inability to use voice input and formulate basic data lists while working as a programmer?
A neurodivergent with RSI that doesn’t give a shit about your opinion of how they should live their life, nor care about justifying themselves to you since we’ve reached this point.