Multiplicity
Man, I need a pensieve sometimes. To separate each thought from the few million clouding my brain. To flip them, play with them and look at them from every possible perspective. Pull out some naughty gossip from one corner and mull over the latest scandals, analyse every snippet of advice i've received and delete the cartloads of garbage I'm bombarded with every day. I'd actually be able to focus on my college assignments without any silly distractions. Wouldn't decision making becoming simpler?
We've got an astounding repertoire of information stored in that small grey brain.Human intelligence has so many dimensions, many of which have yet to be explored. We've got emotional intelligence, computing abilities, logic and reasoning, instincts, impulses and reflexes. Add to that the subtle manifestions of ESP that we all have. How do the systems perform all these mind-boggling functions. Its amazing how the chemical cocktails in the body, the senses all team up to help us perceive potential danger, sniff out a partner, elevate our moods, etc.
And the brain loves complicating everything. All the time. It's so easy being a dog(or any other animal excluding the human). They don't have complex emotions like depression, inspiration, desperation, etc. Or even if they do, they aren't amplified like they are in humans. And they're never pressurised. We think before we speak(atleast for a nanosecond), think a hundred times before making a decision,so basically we have the unique flair to think too much, to calculate, to equate. To complicate things further, we've hormonal surges, PMS, pheromones etc. Tangled in emotions, an information overload and our chemistry, it's no wonder we're confused about so many things. There are a zillions of questions, and a gazillion sources to get answers. In this age where the world shrinks on a daily basis, we've got easy answers to plenty of queries at the click of a mouse. The once solid border between right and wrong, black and white is blurring into several tones of grey. So wouldn't it really be easy to be some totally spoiled pooch?
But I know that if reincarnation is a possibility I'd always want to be born as a human. We're just so fascinating! And I'd like to be reborn as me. But that pensieve would sure be handy.
We've got an astounding repertoire of information stored in that small grey brain.Human intelligence has so many dimensions, many of which have yet to be explored. We've got emotional intelligence, computing abilities, logic and reasoning, instincts, impulses and reflexes. Add to that the subtle manifestions of ESP that we all have. How do the systems perform all these mind-boggling functions. Its amazing how the chemical cocktails in the body, the senses all team up to help us perceive potential danger, sniff out a partner, elevate our moods, etc.
And the brain loves complicating everything. All the time. It's so easy being a dog(or any other animal excluding the human). They don't have complex emotions like depression, inspiration, desperation, etc. Or even if they do, they aren't amplified like they are in humans. And they're never pressurised. We think before we speak(atleast for a nanosecond), think a hundred times before making a decision,so basically we have the unique flair to think too much, to calculate, to equate. To complicate things further, we've hormonal surges, PMS, pheromones etc. Tangled in emotions, an information overload and our chemistry, it's no wonder we're confused about so many things. There are a zillions of questions, and a gazillion sources to get answers. In this age where the world shrinks on a daily basis, we've got easy answers to plenty of queries at the click of a mouse. The once solid border between right and wrong, black and white is blurring into several tones of grey. So wouldn't it really be easy to be some totally spoiled pooch?
But I know that if reincarnation is a possibility I'd always want to be born as a human. We're just so fascinating! And I'd like to be reborn as me. But that pensieve would sure be handy.
posted by FateGlimpse | 5:00 AM
9 Comments:
Don't we all?? to marshall our thougths as the the heart would have them, and not how the brain would want to complicate them. study them, analyze them, ideas and feelings, retrospect in the true sense. Though, we all do have the option to simplify things...and blame the brain for it. It's all a choice, what you want to be... you think?? btw, is Atticus your role model?
yes, i will always maintain that everything one does in one's life is a matter of choice, right from typing out this msg, to myriad activities. i wrote this post basically to compare human intelligence and the brain with animal intelligence. our brain is far superior, no doubt but megacomplex too. and i haven't even touched the subconcious mind or things like multiple personality disorder, esp, sadism.
no atticus is not my role model, though i do admire him. howard roark is one of my role models(though i still feel he is too idealistic to be real). btw ur name sounds familiar, r u one of vardhini's pals?
Okay.. reality check... animals DO feel, analyze and think... Extremely homo-centric view to presume that they dont or that human intellectual capacities are of a superior quality than that of any other member of the biological world... Please: Re: Discovery for Kids if u like but atleast from an intelligent, thinking creature like you, one does NOT expect such utter shortsightednesss...Sorry for the animus though, have had a crappy day!
And Howard Roark is not too idealistic, he's there in every one in case we just have the courage to accept the truth for what it is. And Multiple Personality Disorder and the subconscious are human recognitions of cognitive powers which are a part of a larger band of sensory percetions of most non-human creatures .. Look into the eyes of an elephant, the pain and desolation in them is so sharp... Human inacceptance of animal intelligence comes form a deep insecurity where the underlying truth is being deliberately supressed...We are all jackasses who have messed up Mother Earth like no one's business and God! Are we in for a hellish time!
hey i never said that animals don't feel or think. they've got plenty of complex emotions(i've seen greed, guilt, sorrow, joy fleet across my dog's face), but there is no question that human intelligence and the multiple functions that the human brain performs are superior compared to the rest of the animal world. Don't even try refuting that. and on this blog i was basically talking abt a few dimensions of human intelligence, and how it's evolved and continues to evolve over the years. For neanderthals(most men still are),survival was paramount(i'm not saying there weren't other probs but survival was the key). So intelligence was limited, and creative and cognitive skills were still developing. for the 21st century man, survival is not the only thing to worry about-there's the laundry,the cosmetic treatment, problem children, career plans, social pressures etc. yes, we humans have complicated and screwed the earth. science has created half the probs that it is trying to solve, but then again science is a catalyst in evolution. i don't know if the world is progressing, i guess it's simply passing through different ages. but looking at the rate at which we're exploiting the earth, i'm sure its going to expire way before its estimated lifespan.
K.. like I said sorry for the animus but stick to me position and as this is a never-ending thing, lets chuck it. Long and short of it is dat u think n I do n the world still exists!
LOL!
roark is way too idealistic to ever be real, and somehow i dont know if i aspire to such a personality. well. i'll discuss the whole issue with you in person sometime... (i admire ayn rand, but dont espouse her cause, you see).
how are you girl? i owe you big thanks for sitting by me that night and putting me to sleep (it's one of the few things i remember). what a way to bring in the new year. sigh.
There never was a solid border between right and wrong...
Well written though...
Have you read 'The Ascent of Man' by J. Bronowski? If you haven't, do.
-Srijan
PS: Did you coin 'pensieve'?
yes, anyway our multi-hued world is a lot more entertaining as compared to a stark black and white one. i have the book but i'm yet to read it, my father keeps insisting on it. it will happen in the near future..
pensieve is from harry potter, but i believe it is used as a noun in the book.
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