| --- |
| title: "House Oversight: Estate Documents (Nov 12) (HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_021347)" |
| source: "House Oversight: Estate Documents (Nov 12)" |
| sourceUrl: "https://www.justice.gov/epstein" |
| date: "2026-01-01" |
| category: "House Oversight" |
| eftaNumber: "HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_021347" |
| ocrPages: 1 |
| ocrChars: 2082 |
| ocrElapsed: 0.0 |
| parseTier: "external-legacy" |
| engine: "engine undisclosed (ep-nov-12.greg.technology mirror)" |
| externalSource: "greg-ep-nov-12" |
| externalLicense: "not granted" |
| externalCredit: "ep-nov-12.greg.technology" |
| externalUrl: "https://ep-nov-12.greg.technology" |
| --- |
| |
| Inferring Minds Where None |
| Can Be Seen |
| The social brain seeks |
| connections with others. But what is the |
| foundation that we use to build such |
| connections? We experience empathy as |
| a form of emotional resonance and |
| understanding of other people. This |
| connection allows us to comfort and |
| support and celebrate with others. Being |
| in tune with emotional states of others |
| allows us to respond in ways that |
| strengthen a group. But how do we |
| understand the thoughts and goals of |
| others? How do we predict choices and |
| decisions to facilitate cooperation in |
| groups? Anthropomorphism is the basis |
| for predicting behavior and thoughts and |
| goals. Nick Epley discusses how |
| anthropomorphism is rooted in an |
| egocentric view of others. Moreover our |
| view of others is not confined to the |
| others that are people. It is perhaps |
| reflective of the deep and fundamental |
| nature of anthropomorphism in the |
| social brain that its anthropomorphic |
| inferences about agents can be derived |
| from observed behavior, allowing us to |
| understand "minds" where none may |
| exist, as in mechanical toys or alarm |
| clocks. Of course we tend to understand |
| those minds by thinking they are just |
| like us. |
| Even when there is no agent to |
| be seen, events in the world may be |
| understood by attributing them to unseen |
| agents. During World War II, the |
| bombing of London was demonstrably |
| random, but citizens of London could |
| not help but discern intentional patterns |
| in the attacks. As Epley points out, |
| hurricanes and floods are even today |
| attributed to the hand of God, perhaps an |
| angry God. Clark Gilpin discusses how |
| religions may use this aspect of the |
| Page | 101 |
| social brain to achieve an understanding |
| of God and what God wants. This kind |
| of anthropomorphism can be taken to |
| different metaphoric extremes in |
| personifying God as father or friend. |
| But an overly concrete personification |
| may have costs perhaps diminishing the |
| universality and pervasiveness of God in |
| other religions. Thus religions may |
| differ in theological perspective on the |
| value of the anthropomorphic impulse |
| inherent in the social brain. |
| HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_021347 |
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