Persistence...overcomes resistance...that is how I see you Dr. Lee. I’m heartbroken that you and your sister’s lives have been dedicated to uncovering such evil. I’m sorry that your niece and nephew have had to endure such pain.
Q: What do the data from the field of psychology’s most important and most misunderstood experiment teach us about cruelty?
A: The oscilloscope readout from Benjamin Libet’s famous experiment shows a cognitive process between a stimulus and a voluntary behavioral response. The process lasts roughly 500 ms (one half second) and is comprised of two phases. Unconscious intent is formed in the initial 300 ms phase, and the conscious mind becomes aware of the impending response in the final 200 ms phase. When the response is a physical act, the conscious mind is a passive observer. When the conscious mind is an active participant, the response is conscious deliberation.
You can treat the symptoms of a disease until it becomes resistant to treatment, and then the disease must be cured, and a disease is not cured by treating its symptoms. Instead, a cure begins with understanding the disease’s root cause. Then, and only then, does an effective way to eradicate the disease from the body become obvious. The principle applies to an individual’s body and to the body politic.
Cruelty is a voluntary act by humans causing unnecessary suffering experienced by other humans, and it is the product of immoral intent. So, we need to understand the root cause of immoral intent, and that involves understanding Libet’s experiment.
Q: Is intent synonymous with unconscious intent?
A: Yes.
Q: Does that mean unconscious intent is moral or immoral?
A: Yes.
Q: How is unconscious intent moral or immoral?
A: In a word, maturity. Maturity is the intent to create something of lasting value without causing unnecessary harm, and immaturity is the intent to create something of limited value without concern for unnecessary harm.
Q: How does the conscious mind function?
A: If unconscious intent informs and triggers a physical act, then the conscious mind is a passive observer. Otherwise, unconscious intent is informing and triggering conscious deliberation, and then the conscious mind is an active participant.
Q: Why are so many people immature?
A: Because the misdiagnosed disease is evolving to the point that treatments that are effective in limited contexts are largely ineffective in a broader context.
It is not surprising when a potentially effective response to a crisis is unorthodox. “Due process” is how that potential is realized, but it is not surprising when the response is initially ignored.
Q: Why do people ignore due process?
A: Because of the 300 ms cognitive process that forms unconscious intent.
Q: What now?
A: Apply due process to the field of psychology’s current understanding of its most important experiment. That will reveal a correct understanding. It is then, and only then, that an effective way to eradicate the disease from the body politic becomes obvious.
I have to go away for the day. I will read this comment and re-read your essay. Admittedly, the latter was quite challenging for me. Perhaps we can speak on the phone on Saturday, especially if you are bed-bound. Prayer on the way via FedEx, good man. 🤞🏼😳🙏🏾😇✌🏼
I was talking to an old friend about my essay the other day. I was sure he'd read it and understand right away, but he instead told me it was too complicated for him to understand. My intent with the above comment was simplify the message as much as possible. In the words of Albert Einstein, "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." Hopefully, I'm closer to that Goldilocks zone.
Trust me, I'm no Einstein. My model is actually quite simple. So, it's not the learning that's hard and it is instead the unlearning of our culture's mistaken implicit (unstated) assumptions.
Take care of your personal priorities first and then let me know when you have time to continue our dialogue. Time is on our side.
I endured a divorce in the mid 1990s. My experience was filled with frustration. My daughter suffered and so did I. This was in AZ. Likely corruption by a major denomination buying off one of the judges.
Having been mostly focused on our Seventh-day Adventist quinquennial General Conference Business Session in St. Louis, Missouri, I finally have some space to return to Dr. Lee's informative newsletter. The current General Conference Business Session commenced on 3 July 2025 and will conclude tomorrow, 12 July 2025. Personnel have been elected, returning and incoming, so what remains is to observe and experience the impact on the world Seventh-day Adventist Church, which currently numbers some 23 million members worldwide. Of interest this time is the breaking of an almost uniform precedent of election of North American General Conference presidents through the election of a South American General Conference president this time, a Brazilian, who is a fellow student with me at Andrews University on a higher level. In regard to family courts and all courts dealing with family matters, I would reiterate my previously articulated perspective. Because of the delicate and intricate complexities of family and parenting matters, striving to maintain a legal practice of parental joint custody of children up to the legal age of majority or adulthood, wherever possible, regardless of the children's usual domicile, will generally facilitate full parental contribution to the children's safety and development as they grow toward adulthood G-d bless!
My daughter is being perpetually abused by her ex husband through the California Family Court System. Her ex, who is friendly with law enforcement, uses both the Sheriff’s Department and the Police Department to harass her. He and his family members are constantly concocting law suits to terrorize her.
Persistence...overcomes resistance...that is how I see you Dr. Lee. I’m heartbroken that you and your sister’s lives have been dedicated to uncovering such evil. I’m sorry that your niece and nephew have had to endure such pain.
Q: What do the data from the field of psychology’s most important and most misunderstood experiment teach us about cruelty?
A: The oscilloscope readout from Benjamin Libet’s famous experiment shows a cognitive process between a stimulus and a voluntary behavioral response. The process lasts roughly 500 ms (one half second) and is comprised of two phases. Unconscious intent is formed in the initial 300 ms phase, and the conscious mind becomes aware of the impending response in the final 200 ms phase. When the response is a physical act, the conscious mind is a passive observer. When the conscious mind is an active participant, the response is conscious deliberation.
You can treat the symptoms of a disease until it becomes resistant to treatment, and then the disease must be cured, and a disease is not cured by treating its symptoms. Instead, a cure begins with understanding the disease’s root cause. Then, and only then, does an effective way to eradicate the disease from the body become obvious. The principle applies to an individual’s body and to the body politic.
Cruelty is a voluntary act by humans causing unnecessary suffering experienced by other humans, and it is the product of immoral intent. So, we need to understand the root cause of immoral intent, and that involves understanding Libet’s experiment.
Q: Is intent synonymous with unconscious intent?
A: Yes.
Q: Does that mean unconscious intent is moral or immoral?
A: Yes.
Q: How is unconscious intent moral or immoral?
A: In a word, maturity. Maturity is the intent to create something of lasting value without causing unnecessary harm, and immaturity is the intent to create something of limited value without concern for unnecessary harm.
Q: How does the conscious mind function?
A: If unconscious intent informs and triggers a physical act, then the conscious mind is a passive observer. Otherwise, unconscious intent is informing and triggering conscious deliberation, and then the conscious mind is an active participant.
Q: Why are so many people immature?
A: Because the misdiagnosed disease is evolving to the point that treatments that are effective in limited contexts are largely ineffective in a broader context.
It is not surprising when a potentially effective response to a crisis is unorthodox. “Due process” is how that potential is realized, but it is not surprising when the response is initially ignored.
Q: Why do people ignore due process?
A: Because of the 300 ms cognitive process that forms unconscious intent.
Q: What now?
A: Apply due process to the field of psychology’s current understanding of its most important experiment. That will reveal a correct understanding. It is then, and only then, that an effective way to eradicate the disease from the body politic becomes obvious.
I have to go away for the day. I will read this comment and re-read your essay. Admittedly, the latter was quite challenging for me. Perhaps we can speak on the phone on Saturday, especially if you are bed-bound. Prayer on the way via FedEx, good man. 🤞🏼😳🙏🏾😇✌🏼
I was talking to an old friend about my essay the other day. I was sure he'd read it and understand right away, but he instead told me it was too complicated for him to understand. My intent with the above comment was simplify the message as much as possible. In the words of Albert Einstein, "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." Hopefully, I'm closer to that Goldilocks zone.
Trust me, I'm no Einstein. My model is actually quite simple. So, it's not the learning that's hard and it is instead the unlearning of our culture's mistaken implicit (unstated) assumptions.
Take care of your personal priorities first and then let me know when you have time to continue our dialogue. Time is on our side.
I endured a divorce in the mid 1990s. My experience was filled with frustration. My daughter suffered and so did I. This was in AZ. Likely corruption by a major denomination buying off one of the judges.
Thank you, Dr. Lee and best wishes.
💙💙💙
Having been mostly focused on our Seventh-day Adventist quinquennial General Conference Business Session in St. Louis, Missouri, I finally have some space to return to Dr. Lee's informative newsletter. The current General Conference Business Session commenced on 3 July 2025 and will conclude tomorrow, 12 July 2025. Personnel have been elected, returning and incoming, so what remains is to observe and experience the impact on the world Seventh-day Adventist Church, which currently numbers some 23 million members worldwide. Of interest this time is the breaking of an almost uniform precedent of election of North American General Conference presidents through the election of a South American General Conference president this time, a Brazilian, who is a fellow student with me at Andrews University on a higher level. In regard to family courts and all courts dealing with family matters, I would reiterate my previously articulated perspective. Because of the delicate and intricate complexities of family and parenting matters, striving to maintain a legal practice of parental joint custody of children up to the legal age of majority or adulthood, wherever possible, regardless of the children's usual domicile, will generally facilitate full parental contribution to the children's safety and development as they grow toward adulthood G-d bless!
Terrifying how evil people in positions of authority and power are. Can’t imagine what your sister is going through.
My daughter is being perpetually abused by her ex husband through the California Family Court System. Her ex, who is friendly with law enforcement, uses both the Sheriff’s Department and the Police Department to harass her. He and his family members are constantly concocting law suits to terrorize her.