Stupid Mind machine, process of learning and behavior change.
Mind is a stupid machine.
Trust me, earlier I thought mind is a brilliant machine. That can identify everything, even engage in abstract thinking like mathematics, and quantum physics, until I saw some scientists teach a group of pigeons how to diagnose breast cancer, in the accuracy of a qualified pathologist. Mind seems to be a stupid machine with a pigeon brain. The average random access memory capacity to remember something is about seven seconds. But I agree it is remarkable in some ways, as human brain is capable of making connections with those seven second memory locations than any other animal. As long as there are enough things previously memorized this process of pegging new information to older ones will happen throughout anyone's life.
new information -> pegged to old information
What is seen, read, and heard, is what is pegged.
At the front end of this stupid machine, we have sensory doors to acquire new information. These seven-second-long bits of information is compared against the old information, if it makes sense, it will be pegged immediately, if not discarded immediately. In this regard we can say mind is efficient. Creating enough base knowledge is difficult (we call this schema). Especially when it is abstract. This is why children take ages to understand some information, which takes few hours for an adult to master. So, if you want to remember something, a piece of information, you have to make it relevant by thinking about its importance. This little step of trying to make connection is the actual learning.
What is processed is what is pegged and mapped in the brain
What is thinking? Thinking is nothing but processing previously pegged items in your brain. When nothing new comes into the front end of the stupid machine, it takes one item from the previous basket of items and jiggle around it with few more items. Once it makes connection it registers this back in memory locations. You can enhance this process by putting things on paper and drawing connections manually, as mind is not a big canvass to do it all by itself, a little bit of visualization would help. This process is called mind mapping. Exactly mimic what happens inside our brains. Fundamentally mind mapping is not about information, it is about connections and their relative importance. These are higher order thinking abilities everyone should have if they wish to get good output after thinking. (blooms taxonomy)
Process of pegging -> making connections / mapping.
What is processed is what manifested as identity and behavior change
Something remarkable happens at the end of this process. Once you have gained enough information and juggled with it enough times the process of retrieval becomes very easy. After some time when new information is met at the front end of the machine, the mind will easily make connections, and it becomes a positive feedback loop. Whenever there is a similar problem which needs similar answer, mind will pick up clues, and your problem-solving ability will efficient and faster. These happen automatically, but you have the ability to choose what information goes in (by making sure to engage in new and relevant subjects) and also by improving the process of thinking by helping mind to map. Slowly the information will start to change your behavior and make your life, measurably better each year, making your new year resolutions a reality.
mapped relevant information -> gets retrieved at correct times -> changes behavior
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