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Posts Tagged ‘brain science’

The Brain Is Not Designed for Thinking

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , on October 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »

“As the cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham has written: ‘Contrary to popular belief, the brain is not designed for thinking. It’s designed to save you from having to think.’ Because the brain is naturally inclined to avoid effortful thinking and to rely instead on familiar patterns, complete freedom tends to lead to unoriginal ideas, simply repeating what is known. Constraints push the brain beyond its default tendencies, forcing it to engage in deeper problem-solving. Total freedom, then, is the enemy of creativity, and constraint its companion.” — David Epstein, Inside the Box

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Photo by Mago Brown on Unsplash

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Understanding Others, and Ourselves

Posted in Other, tagged , , , , , , , on January 26, 2025| Leave a Comment »

We had brunch today with good friends. They are smart and fun and interesting and love our cat (which, let’s face it, is about the best thing you can say about a person). 

We don’t all share the same politics. Why do I mention this? To point out that it doesn’t matter. 

We may not be on the same page in terms of voting and algorithms, but we like a lot of the same real-life things, we share a lot of the same fundamental values, and are always curious about the others’ experience and perspectives. 

It doesn’t hurt that they like my cooking;)

How to step out of your inner monologue and understand the world better – Big Think

The interesting thing about being a human is that we’re stuck inside our internal model—it’s all we ever see. But with the endeavors of science, literature, and philosophy, we’re able to step outside of ourselves and understand, “Hey, the way I see the world isn’t the only way to see the world. It’s not the only truth.” The more we get good at that, the more we can try to build a better society.

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Photo by Amir Geshani on Unsplash

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