PSYC 211 Lecture Notes - Lecture 24: Hot Sauce, Terror Management Theory, Mortality Salience
Document Summary
Why are we so influenced by our culture: e. g. Consider evaluation of others and of self, and self-regulation, according to social standards and norms. Powerful and sometimes destructive influences: why do we have such a highly elaborated symbolic world? (culture, what goes on in it, elaborates ideas/behaviour, why so much effort on this symbolic world ?) Just need for structure? (need to know what to do, how to spend our time) need to belong? (human= social animals, like to be connected to the social world, social need, so why attached to our culture) Sense : how enormous the universe is, in comparison how tiny you are, insignificance, losing comforting view of life. Come to mind at certain time: major decision to take, empty moment in our day. Because aware of our own existence and can sit and think about it for hours, capable of thinking symbolically and using our imagination , can imagine our death.
