Daniel Dennett: An Introduction to Intuition Pumps | Big Think

Daniel Dennett: An Introduction to Intuition Pumps

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The human brain works in a pretty specific way, and a lot of those ways haven’t changed over the years. Specifically, in the way humanity loves. While this may not the most romantic era of human history, the endorphin rush is the same as it was when Shakespeare was ushering in the most epic love story of all time. Biological anthropologist and author of The Anatomy of Love Helen Fisher assures us that nothing about the feelings or practices of love has been changed by online dating. People still flirt as they used to. Heart rates still pound when they meet. The biology is the same.

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HELEN FISHER:

Helen E. Fisher, Ph.D. biological anthropologist, is a Senior Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, and a Member of the Center For Human Evolutionary Studies in the Department of Anthropology at Rutgers University. She has written six books on the evolution, biology, and psychology of human sexuality, monogamy, adultery and divorce, gender differences in the brain, the neural chemistry of romantic love and attachment, human biologically-based personality styles, why we fall in love with one person rather than another, hooking up, friends with benefits, living together and other current trends, and the future of relationships — what she calls: slow love.

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TRANSCRIPT:

Helen Fisher:  People think that modern technology is somehow changing love. It’s not changing love. The basic brain system for romantic love evolved millions of years ago. It’s not going to change whether you meet somebody on Tinder, on Match.com or in the library or on the skating rink or in church. The brain doesn’t change. And the moment that you meet somebody in a coffeehouse, in a bar, on a park bench, wherever it is they ancient human brain clicks into action and we court the way we always have. We smile the way we always have. We flirt the way we always have. We listen the way we always have. We try to size up the person the way the brain has always been sizing people up. But modern technology is changing how we court. In fact, you know, I work with Match.com, the Internet dating site and I’m their chief scientific advisor. And they have an algorithm. There’s all kinds of algorithms out there. But these are not dating sites. These are introducing sites. Once you go out with the person and meet them wherever you’re going to meet them the ancient human brain clicks into action and you court the way we always have. But they are introducing sites and they’re algorithms are very useful.

I mean, you know, most of us have this love map of what we’re looking for and you’ve got to pair up somebody. You have to offer dates of the right age, the right proximity whether they’re five miles away or 50 miles away. The right background, the right educational level, some of the right interests. So dating sites can go so far, only so far, with their algorithms to give you the broad basics of what you’re looking for. That we can provide for you so that you spend less time, you know, kissing frogs.