On … Sarcasm
People with damage to the prefrontal cortex cannot understand sarcasm.
Aha! 50% of the people I’ve ever talked to have brain damage! They’re “humor-blind”!
Evidence seems overwhelming that there are different basic brain types. Many of us live in a world of black and white and two dimensions. Others see multiple dimensions, multiple shades of gray. These worlds intersect in precious few areas, and only hard work on both sides can keep the inter-dimensional rift open.
Some seem born to be decisive, take-charge leaders; others, who perceive the subtleties that may need to mollify such decisiveness, are important too.
Until we accept inherent differences–that no amount of argument, bribery, or physical violence will alter–we’re doomed to the sorts of conflicts that have plagued homo sapiens since day one. That’s not to say we all can’t try harder to work on stuff we don’t “get”–a mind is a terrible thing to waste, after all, and it’s just sitting there (getting into trouble, left to its own devices).