Mlodinow quotes a "well-known neuro-scientist" who claims that when it comes to his true feelings and motivations "[t]he real truth lies in structures like my thalamus and hypothalamus, and my amygdala, and I have no conscious access to those not matter how much I introspect" (178). |
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If Mlodinow is right that our unconscious mind rules our behavior in ways that we will never able to fully comprehend, does this knowledge free us from the burden of having to inspect our motives?
Or does it suggest that we will always be slaves of forces that we do not comprehend?
Compared to what I’ve grown up with, I would say it means we will never be able to fully comprehend our choices. “Slaves of forces that we (cannot) comprehend” just sounds scary, but it’s also the truth. We don’t know why we do what we do, but that doesn’t mean we are “off the hook’ and don’t have to worry about it. Humans need to have some sort of reasoning to what they do, or things just become to complicated. Whether the purpose we come up with is the truth or not, coming up with any kind of motive is enough to keep us in check. Many of my friends and family focus a lot on introspection, and though sometimes I think they might go to far into it, it's interesting to see the reasons they come up with for their actions.
ReplyDeleteEven though Mlodinow refers to the idea that the physicality and actual formation of feelings are the “real truth” found in the structures of the brain, emphasis on our feelings as we perceive them is still a vital part of our livelihood as humans. We feel a need to understand our feelings, our motivations, and, through them, the world around us. The “real truth” Mlodinow refers to can be puzzled out mathematically or analyzed scientifically, but to the everyday person trying to meet and cope with life’s struggles, this specialized form of “truth” is not palpable. In today’s society, my friends included, everyone ponders their feelings, though perhaps not their motivations. Dwelling on our feelings seems to have become a social requirement. Think of how much we use the phrases, “if you want to talk about it,” or, “are you okay?” Over speculation of our feelings can be found in the large percentage of depressed individuals today. While it is good to reflect on ones feelings and understand them rather than neglect them, brooding over them too much can be harmful to ones psyche and disposition. On the other hand, our motivations may be under-speculated. Acting on impulse to the signals around them, individuals do not think about their action, which demonstrates the influence of the subliminal mind. However, there are other ways that society does not analyze their motivations. For instance, how many times when filling out a questionnaire do we simply put what we think everyone expects? Do we truly contemplate what our motivations are, or do we simply comply with the norm of society?
ReplyDeleteKnowledge of the unconscious mind and how it affects our behavior does not free us from understanding our motives. It is not an excuse for our behavior. Would a parent look at a child who has misbehaved and say, “oh, it’s alright, it’s just your subliminal mind,” rather than disciplining the child and teaching them manners? There are consequences for our actions, and often the first question asked is, “why did you do it?” Also, understanding our past actions and motivators, as well as our feelings, we can discover things such as what we desire our career to be, what we place our beliefs and values in, and who we have as friends verses colleagues. Having a cognitive brain that functions alongside our subliminal mind, we hold the ability to analyze our actions, motivations, and feelings. Why should we bypass the feature that sets us apart from the rest of creation? Perhaps we may never be able to fully comprehend how our subliminal mind affects our conscious, everyday decision making. However, that does not provide an excuse, nor does it enslave us to simply accepting and abandoning our quest for understanding. Even Mlodinow mentions ways to become aware of and overcome our subliminal minds. We have the ability to try, and even a small attempt is better than no attempt at all.
I agree with Miranda. We, as Mlodinow suggests, will never be able to fully comprehend everything we do. We won't be able to provide a detailed reason for some of our successes or failures. While the whole "slaves of forces" thing sounds like we are nothing more than pawns on a table, it should free us from the exorbitant amount of worrying we sometimes go through when it comes to making a decision. While we should try to reason out our feelings and decisions, especially those of high importance,sometimes it is okay to go with your gut.
ReplyDeleteIt would be awesome if this knowledge freed us of having to worry about our motives, and we could just live our lives free of worry about why we make the decisions we make. But I'm more inclined to go with the second option. "Slaves of forces that we do not comprehend" sounds super sketchy, but it does make sense.
ReplyDeleteI didn't have much knowledge about how the human mind works before I read this book, and after reading I would say I'm more confused/curious than confident in my understanding of the subject.
Matthew Parham