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Reading Wil's essay reminded me of an article by the science fiction writer and physicist, David Brin (http://www.davidbrin.com/addiction.html). In this article, Brin discusses current research on addictive behavior that looks at which pleasure centers in the brain get stimulated when subjects engage in various activities. Such research has shown that the same pleasure centers that light up when someone takes cocaine also become active when a gambler at the slots gets a payout. Other research has shown that compulsive rage will activate these same neural pathways. Brin's essay then goes on to speculate about the addictive nature of self-righteousness and suggests a program of research that could investigate the neural hard wiring and activation of pleasure centers that accompany strongly held beliefs. I highly recommend this essay.
For my own part, I have found humor a reliable antidote to these sorts of family political moments. I have often congratulated my dad for raising a fine set of liberals, and the attending coginitve dissonance seems to move us to a more amicable place. But it works if I am willing not to cling to my own sense of self-righteousness.
