Archive for the ‘Neuro’ Category
Discomfort
Among many of those who understand that they themselves are responsible for their mental states, there seems to be a dogma that pain is bad and pleasure is good. I’ve never subscribed to that idea. Consider the facts that we evolved with pain (you have to be at least a bony fish in order to feel anxious) and that those who are incapable of feeling pain (such as those afflicted with leprosy) tend to live shorter and unhappier lives.
In a Thanksgiving post from Seth Godin’s blog, he talks a bit about the “Black Friday” ritual:
Why? In an always-on internet world, why force people to do something they would ordinarily avoid?
Because they like it. It feels special. They are somehow earning the discount. The store creates discomfort and then profits from it. And the customers save money…
It’s an interesting idea, and I think it might be a useful one when working with clients (or with oneself). Make them work for it, even hurt for it, and it’ll matter more to them.
Thoughts?
New Book by Steven Pinker
Scientist and Harvard lecturer Steven Pinker recently gave an exclusive interview for Powell’s Books to promote his new book, The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature…
…which Wired calls “a fascinating look at how language provides a window into the deepest functioning of the human brain.” One rainy afternoon, Dr. Pinker stopped by to discuss causality, the concept of concepts, how to swear in several languages, and the way irregular verbs can lead to romance.
I haven’t yet read all of Pinker’s books, but I’ve been highly appreciative of the ones I have read. Looking forward to this one.
You’ve Been Punked… By Your Brain!
I may seem to be leaning a lot on Lifehack.org lately. I don’t mean to. It’s just that there’s a really good reason why they’re one of the top blogs on Internet. Anyway…
In Your Brain is Not Your Friend and its followup, Three More Reasons Why Your Brain is Not Your Friend, Lifehack.org author Dustin Wax describes how easily fooled our brains are, and how seemingly determined they are to stay that way:
Whether because of the brain’s internal structure or the way social and cultural pressures cause our minds to develop and function, in the end the result is the same: minds that are not only easily deceived and frequently deceptive in their own right, but when caught out, refuse to accept and address their errors. If you have a mind — or even half a mind — you might be best off losing it entirely.
It’s long been my opinion that the greatest driving force of a human being is not the desire for survival, but the desire to be right. (People will die for their beliefs, but they rarely believe they are going to die. Or something like that.) Mr. Wax’s articles reinforce my opinion, so I’ll agree with him… thus perpetuating the cycle.