August 27th, 2009
Can conceptualizing the brain in high-tech terms help relate self-understanding to social issues? Like computers, our brains have “hardware,” in the form of intricately connected organic structures. Neural “software” includes inborn programs and learned programs (e.g. which fork to use at a fine restaurant). However, the essence of who we are may exist in something akin to a neural cyberspace. Let’s call this our cyber-self. Like the Internet, this inner world cannot be touched or observed directly but nevertheless exists. Religious perspectives aside, how this cyber-self originates and the exact nature of its connection to the physical brain are unclear. … READ MORE ›
July 31st, 2009
Has doubt been maligned? Doubt is typically associated with problems like indecisiveness and procrastination. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is known as “The Doubting Illness.” Politicians who show doubt are said to be “Waffling or Flip- Flopping.” Would you hire a CEO or draft an athlete that is riddled with “doubts”? A “Doubting Thomas” is someone lacking faith. Shakespeare’s Prince Hamlet doubts the value of life-“To be, or not to be.” These are not exactly words that connote positive leadership qualities. If there are so many clinical, professional, and literary examples of how doubt is considered undesirable, then what could possibly be praiseworthy… READ MORE ›
