Comments on: Lizards Don’t Laugh.

By: MoA – L’homme qui arme et perd tout – DE LA GRANDE VADROUILLE A LA LONGUE MARGE

Fri, 16 Aug 2019 21:38:05 +0000

[…] https://blog.bennettandbennett.com/2009/11/lizards-dont-laugh/ […]

By: Taming the Reptile: A Defendant’s Response to the Plaintiff’s Revolution

Tue, 05 Nov 2013 20:31:15 +0000

[…] have taken note. Attorney Mark Bennett, for example, wrote in a blog post entitled “Lizards Don’t Laugh,” that civil defendants “can try to a) make a stronger appeal to the reptile brain, or b) […]

By: Mark Bennett

Mark Bennett — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 03:25:42 +0000

In reply to David Ball. Thanks for your comments. Whatever happened to your reptile-for-criminal-defense project?

By: David Ball

David Ball — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 03:12:44 +0000

Three things: First, there are Reptilian methods for criminal defense that are effective enough to change the face of criminal defense practice as effectively as they have changed plaintiff’s civil practice.
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Second: The notion that the Reptilian brain deals only with immediate threats is dead wrong — ask Karl Rove, who along with insurance companies and corporations used Reptilian methods to effectively poison more than a third of the population with respect to civil trials (not to mention getting Bush re-elected) mainly by means of mid-term and long-term Reptilian-level threats. Hitler used the same Reptilian methods — with mid-term threats. It is true that the Reptilian part of the brain does not deal with mid and long-term threats on its own, but it is running the show during any threat (or any potential survival advantage) be it short, medium, or long term. If this were not true, birds would not fly south in winter because the threat of no food and freezing is — for a bird — long term.

Third: Laughter does not get anyone out of a Reptilian mode; instead, laughter can be a result something that “pleases” the Reptilian brain by diminishing a threat or increasing a survival advantage. In other words, laughter is a result, not a cause. As for incongruity: Incongruity is in itself a basic Reptilian threat and thus increases the activity of the Reptile.

I’m sorry there is so much misunderstanding of how Reptilian advocacy works, because a proper understanding is of inestimable value. In any event, at least don’t start laughing in trial unless your liability insurance is paid up! At most, a very few lawyers might be able to pull it off. Don’t gamble on it unless you are somehow certain you are one of them.

By: The Best Criminal Defense Blog Posts For December

The Best Criminal Defense Blog Posts For December — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:34:48 +0000

[…] Lizards Don’t Laugh – O.K. it was written on November 30, not in December. However, I just started this best of the month list and his post is really good. […]

By: Jim Jenkins

Jim Jenkins — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:27:04 +0000

Dear Mark,
I really enjoyed and benefitted from your post. As we discussed on the internet a couple months ago, I went to a lecture by one of the researchers of the reptiallian brain book for lawyers. I practice primarily criminal defense but I wanted to know what all this “hoopla” was about this book. Jim Fitzgerald, a great personal injury lawyer, was the speaker. He basically said the book boils down to three reptillian concepts when we interact with our world: can we eat it? can it eat us? and can we mate with it? I have only taken a cursory look through the book at this point in time and would like to add more to this discussion when I am more versed in the concept. Based upon what little I know now I think somome of the concepts can be used: we, as a society, need protection from the police who will eat us (eat our client) to meet their own perspective of what the ends should be if we don’t stop them; we need protection against prosecutors who are more concerned about winning that about justice (eat our client). I agree that most prosecutors don’t know (or care much) about how to most effectively appeal to the jurors true selves and perhaps their reptillian brain. I will report back after I have read more of the book. Great Post. It’s motiviating me to read the book over Christmas holidays.

By: Uncommon Descent Contest Question 18: Can the ancient reptile brain help explain human psychology? If so, how? If not, why not? | Medical News

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 05:29:05 +0000

[…] the airport paperback kiosk to the bored passenger. But I would be glad to know more. Here is a popularrendition of “reptile brain” theory, as employed by some lawyers in law […]

By: Uncommon Descent Contest Question 18: Can the ancient reptile brain help explain human psychology? If so, how? If not, why not? | Uncommon Descent

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 23:53:56 +0000

[…] the airport paperback kiosk to the bored passenger. But I would be glad to know more. Here is a popularrendition of “reptile brain” theory, as employed by some lawyers in law […]

By: Mark's Dad

Mark's Dad — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:33:11 +0000

From my dog brain: Eat, mate, fleas.

By: “Kill, eat, mate, flee”

“Kill, eat, mate, flee” — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:23:36 +0000

[…] lawyers trying cases make an appeal to jurors’ “reptile brains”? [Defending People] P.S. He has further […]