Why different or opposing ideas anger us

I am always interested when people get excited or angry when opposing ideas are presented to them. Ideas, which are mental representational images; i.e.,  images of some perceived objects in the mind (probably something that exists only in the mind), which won't do any physical harm, are often the cause of our society's anger nowadays. For instance, the current brouhaha involving the name of God in Malaysia just shows that people are very sensitive when opposing ideas are present in their surroundings. In the movie Inception, it was said that "Once an idea has taken hold of the brain, it's almost impossible to eradicate".

As survival becomes almost a taken-for-granted norm nowadays as society have higher ideals to chase for, the current most prestigious asset that is being chased by political parties, conglomerates, religions, non-profit organisations is, the mind. Everyday, millions of messages are being sent back and forth through computers, televisions and conversations in the hope that these messages will grow into an idea that will benefit the message-giver. Propaganda, some say.

But why people get so incensed when ideas which are different from their own is presented to them? The idea need not be argued yet, it is simply presented and another person/party may get so riled up that he/she/them may resort to physical harms up to the scale of death.

Now, before I go further, let's try to read up on how the brain works. The brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system, close to the primary sensory organs for such senses as vision, hearing, balance, taste, and smell. The brain is the most complex organ, containing 15–33 billion neurons, each connected by synapses to several thousand other neurons.  Neurons process and transmit information through electrical and chemical signals between them. When we experience something, we are creating new pathways for the neurons. Certain connections become stronger as it becomes repeated more often. The brain is constantly changing, as is in the concept of neuroplasticity.

Thus why, you can train yourself to be good at anything. If you want to be a painter, you paint many, many times. Everytime you paint, the neurons in your brain builds better, stronger connections in the region that stores memory for painting. Rationality and emotional resilience work the same way. These are neural connections that can be strengthened. Whatever you are doing, you are physically making your brain better at it.

Specific neurons and neurotransmitters trigger a defensive state when we feel that our thoughts must be protected from the influence of others. If we are then faced with differences in opinion, the chemicals released in the brain are the same ones that try to ensure our survival - when we are faced with dangerous situations.  In this defensive state, when more primitive part of the brain interferes with our rational thinking and the lymbic system knocks out most of our working memory - physically causing "Narrow-Mindedness".

Adrenaline is released into the blood stream, our heart rate increases, blood is pumped more quickly into our muscles and limbs. Our awareness, sight and impulses all intensify and quicken. You can thank our caveman ancestors for this one. Early man faced a lot of dangers, and the fight-or-flight response evolved to help them evade or battle those dangers in order to survive.

Fight or Flight

No matter how valuable an idea is, the brain has trouble processing it in such a state. On a neural level, the mind reacts as if it was threatened, even if this threat comes from harmless opinions or facts, which might be helpful, if valued rationally and with an open mind.

Conversely, when we express ourselves and our views are appreciated, these 'defend chemicals' decrease in the brain and dopamine neurotransmitters activates the reward neurons, making us feel empowered and increasing our self esteem. Our beliefs have a profound impact on our body's chemistry, this is why placebos can be so effective.

Self esteem or self belief is closely linked to the neurotransmitters serotonin. When the lack of it takes on severe proportions, it often leads to depression, self-destructive behaviour or even suicide. Social validation increases the levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain and allows us to let go of emotional fixations and become self-aware more easily.

You don’t have to look very far for examples of people holding on to their beliefs in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Thousands still hold to the idea that vaccines cause autism, that all life was created a few thousand years ago, and even that drinking industrial bleach is a good idea. Look at comment threads across the internet and you’ll inevitably find legions of people who boldly support for these ideas in the face of any rational argument.

So, for humans, in our minds, ideas are as dangerous as weapons. That's why we argue upon ideas. Just like why we like sugary stuff , many genetic traits that are not fully functional in our current environment are generally leftovers when humans lived in more dangerous terrains, thousands of years ago. However, with more mindfulness and self awareness, we might be able to defeat cognitive dissonance around us and inside us and be more receptive of ideas. It's all in the mind, really.