Author’s note: In addition to publishing new posts weekly, I periodically republish “evergreen content”—articles that focus not on current events but on why we think the way we do, as well as on how we can think more and better than is presently the case.
Great read! I find myself wondering what if the neurons were shielded like those transistors. Would we be emotionless machines? Or would things just take longer.
Would we evolve to be unshielded over thousands of years as our emotion is a basis of our collaborative survival? Or would we survive differently.
Fascinating piece. I remember tragic and challenging moments I’ve lived through and the best way to survive was often rooted in focusing on the physical, eat enough, sleep enough. Being physically healthy can produce positive mental health benefits no matter how much it feels like we are a mind adrift near a flesh machine. To your point, the flesh machine runs the mind.
“Being human isn’t easy”? You’ve used ‘evolutionary process’ to explain something that is not only ‘not easy,’ it is beyond a reasonable likelihood without a God who has created us. To assume I MUST believe evolution so that I can know and explain how I got here as a human makes about as much sense as saying you MUST believe that this response created itself. I find your conclusions medically accurate, but you’re thinking about how things ‘evolved’ to be intellectually dishonest. I don’t have enough faith to embrace evolution.
Maybe the problem is not that the rational and irrational parts of us exist together.
The problem begins when they stop cooperating and start fighting for control.
Ideally, reason should give emotions structure, and emotions should give reason life.
Great read! I find myself wondering what if the neurons were shielded like those transistors. Would we be emotionless machines? Or would things just take longer.
Would we evolve to be unshielded over thousands of years as our emotion is a basis of our collaborative survival? Or would we survive differently.
Some interesting things to think about!
Fascinating piece. I remember tragic and challenging moments I’ve lived through and the best way to survive was often rooted in focusing on the physical, eat enough, sleep enough. Being physically healthy can produce positive mental health benefits no matter how much it feels like we are a mind adrift near a flesh machine. To your point, the flesh machine runs the mind.
Thank you I enjoyed your article. Do you think there are any neurological wizards out there, besides chemicals?
“Being human isn’t easy”? You’ve used ‘evolutionary process’ to explain something that is not only ‘not easy,’ it is beyond a reasonable likelihood without a God who has created us. To assume I MUST believe evolution so that I can know and explain how I got here as a human makes about as much sense as saying you MUST believe that this response created itself. I find your conclusions medically accurate, but you’re thinking about how things ‘evolved’ to be intellectually dishonest. I don’t have enough faith to embrace evolution.