The Tricky Brain and Everyone’s Enjoyment

Peaceful Autumn Days uploaded by lionheart

Humans have big brains. That’s what we’re told. For years scientists have argued, “our brains have more neurons and expend more energy than would be expected for our size, and our cerebral cortex, which is responsible for higher cognition, is disproportionately large” (source: Scientific American).

If humans have big brains (note: Dolphins’ brains are bigger and their intelligence is so different we can barely comprehend it), one would assume humans are smart, but if you look around, you see absolute stupidity! You see millions of people damaging themselves through violence, crime and substance abuse, damaging other creatures and people through cruelty, deviancy, murder and war, and damaging the natural environment through overpopulation, pollution, burning fossil fuels, and deforestation.

Bizarro

If humans are so intelligent, why are they repeatedly conned and abused? People think they’re intelligent but let themselves be bamboozled by fears and self-interests peddled by dictators and or criminals such as, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-Un, Bashar al-Assad and Donald Trump—just to name a few.

Despots, Criminals and Tyrants throughout history.

In Thinking to Some Purpose (1939) (available here for free), British philosopher “Lizzie” Susan Stebbing (1885-1943) wrote, “Some forms of ineffective thinking are due to our not unnatural desire to have confident beliefs about complicated matters with regard to which we must take some action or other….we easily fall into the habit of accepting compressed statements which save us from the trouble of thinking” (Wikipedia).

Susan Stebbing also wrote, “Our difficulties are due partly to our own stupidity, partly to the exploitation of that stupidity, and partly to our own prejudices and personal desires.” 

The problems we create individually and collectively have less to do with intelligence, as in, “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills” (Oxford) and more to do with wisdom. Like the writer Dostoevsky said, “It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently” (Crime and Punishment, 1886). That something “more” is wisdom and compassion, both of which are missing in the actions of the selfish and criminal.

The Boston Globe

The poet Christopher James Gilbert (aka Criss Jami) (1987-present) wrote, “Man is not, by nature, deserving of all that he wants. When we think that we are automatically entitled to something, that is when we start walking all over others to get it.”

Criss Jami also wrote, “It is easier for one to take risks and to chase his dreams with a mindset that he has nothing to lose. In this lies the immense passion, the great advantage of avoiding a materialistic, pleasure-filled way of life” (Killosophy, 2015).

Similarly, the novelist Marie Louise de la Ramée (aka Ouida) (1839-1908) observed, “Intensely selfish people are always very decided as to what they wish. They do not waste their energies in considering the good of others” (Wanda, 1883).

So, what’s the answer? We know selfishness is a problem, but knowing it’s a problem doesn’t seem to stop us! A lot of people have a philosophy like that of the Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) who wrote, “I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea” (Notes from Underground, 1864) or like the French philosopher Albert Camus (1913-1960) who wrote, “To be happy, we must not be too concerned with others” (The Fall, 1956).

Cue music:

But such a self-focus fails to recognize our dependence on others and the interconnectedness of things on Earth. As Stephen Kendrick said, “Almost every sinful action ever committed can be traced back to a selfish motive. It is a trait we hate in other people but justify in ourselves” (The Love Dare, 2008)

Source: Cartoons: Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

So, how do we overcome selfishness?

A Tibetan Buddhist lama named Khandro Rinpoche wrote, “A society based upon peace, harmony, wisdom and compassion is possible, but we must all begin with ourselves… As human beings, we all try our best to bring about a world based on kindness and compassion. What seems to go wrong, however, is that what I want, what I personally would like, becomes more important than the benefit of the whole community” (Compassion and Wisdom).

Because we want happiness and nobody wants to suffer, the actions we take (or don’t take) are motivated by thoughts like, “How can I be happy? How can I avoid pain?” but by so doing we develop a selfish attitude.

We get so focused on thoughts and emotions, we don’t see clearly. When we respond to a desire and say, “Yes! Yes! Do it! Do it!” or a fear and say, “No! No! Don’t do it!” we can get sucked in by our own thoughts so the trick is to first observe the thought or feeling and then to not act on it impulsively. With practice you may realize that acting on mental chatter narrowly focused on a fear or a now-reward is not a good plan.

We think our thoughts have our best interests, but that’s not correct (see: It’s not me. It’s my brain…).

Give yourself time to see the “big picture” or as what astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson would call a “cosmic perspective.” In Tyson’s book, Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization (2021), we are urged to base our actions on accurate observation and be willing to discard ideas that don’t work.

A cosmic perspective would see that our body is made of cells and these cells survive on food, air and water which comes from the earth. We are, in effect, the earth in the form of an organism and our entire life experience as a body is perceived through our mind and our mind is a stream of consciousness flowing. The trick is to become aware of how thoughts and feelings may deceive us, and, moreover, in mental self-absorption, make us oblivious to the world around us.

To derail selfish thoughts try going into nature wherever you can find it and maybe do something that you know needs doing. Transfer the focus from yourself to the beauty, wonder and good people all around.

Rather than a Freudian psychoanalytical approach where we dwell on ourselves and entertain thoughts and feelings to gain insight, for this we take a more Zen approach as exemplified in Morita therapy. The Japanese psychiatrist Shoma Morita (1874-1938) encouraged us to accept reality and to do what needs to be done however mundane that might be (i.e., make your bed, wash dishes). As Morita said, “Give up on yourself. Begin taking action now, while being neurotic or imperfect, or a procrastinator, or unhealthy, or lazy, or any other label by which you inaccurately describe yourself. Go ahead and be the best imperfect person you can be and get started on those things you want to accomplish before you die” (see: The Essence of This).

And enjoy the enjoyment of others enjoying.

Enjoy the Art of Being In Touch With the World

Human organisms are motivated by psychological drives. A psychological drive is “an innate, biologically determined urge to attain a goal or satisfy a need” (Oxford). If you are hungry, for example, wanting to eliminate or reduce the unpleasant state of hunger is what drives you.

The psychiatrist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) theorized that we have two drives: a drive toward life—includes instinctual impulses to have sex, eat, drink and need for fun (see: Pleasure Principle)—and a drive toward death—includes anti-social behaviour, anger, aggression, hate and violence (good times).

From these drives Freud theorized that personality is a system of three interconnected parts: Id (instinctual part: “Give me now”), Ego (realistic part: “No, I don’t think so”) and Superego (moral conscience part: “You should be ashamed!”).

Id, Ego and Superego are a translation of Es (it), Ich (I) and Ueber-Ich (Over-I). Id is like a horse. Ego is the rider and Superego lambastes Ego for trespassing. As your “ideal” self, Superego conforms to society and prohibits unethical behaviour (Simply Psychology).

Freud saw ego as a good thing. Ego negotiates between human impulses and social standards. There are, however, other ways to look at it.

Cue music: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, “Man On Fire”.

As a ‘me’ ‘mine’ and ‘for myself,’ we consider ourselves distinct from the world, but if you look closely, you realize: it isn’t true.

If you want inner peace, break free of what Freud says.

Garry in high school. “It’s not the hair on your head that matters. It’s the kind of hair you have inside.”

Garry Shandling (1949-2016)—a comedian who made loneliness and self-hate funny before turning it into love for the world—said before he died (obviously):

“All my journey is to be authentically who I am. Not trying to be somebody else under all circumstances. The whole world is confused because they’re trying to be somebody else. To be your true self it takes enormous work…. Ego drives the world. Ego drives the problems. So you have to work in an ego-less way. Egolessness, which, is the key to being authentic, is a battle” (The Green Room).

In spiritual circles ego is seen as an enemy and a synonym for “selfishness.”

Psychological drives operate on a feedback control system similar to a thermostat. When a need is satisfied, the drive is reduced. We relax. Eliminate a drive completely and a state of mental balance or psychological equilibrium is obtained. 

When we’re calm and comfortable, that’s room temperature. When our emotional temperature changes, we feel tension and an instinctive response to potential conflict.

Some people perpetuate unpleasant states for purposes of enjoyment. They eat when not hungry, drink when not thirsty and enjoy death defying activities like skydiving and the thrill of almost dying (source).

Some people have a drive for money, power and or fame but such people experience an unpleasant state of dissatisfaction when they realize: externals don’t matter.

This is hungry ghost territory. This is, as Gabor Maté, M.D., said,

“where we seek something outside ourselves to curb an insatiable yearning for relief or fulfillment.

The aching emptiness is perpetual because the substances, objects or pursuits we hope will soothe it are not what we really need.

We don’t know what we need, and so long as we stay in the hungry ghost mode, we’ll never know. We haunt our lives without being fully present” (Hungry Ghosts).

But, don’t worry. It’s normal.

As one seeks to survive in a culture of consumption and comparison in the midst of mass advertising, it’s only natural to want more than is possible. If you get hungry ghost-like—take a deep breath and ask yourself: “Do I have what I need?”

The psychiatrist Shoma Morita (1874-1938) proposed two other drives: a drive to live fully and a drive for comfort and security. Sometimes these drives are at odds.

With eyes on a need yet achieved, there is anxiety and self-doubt. Such feelings cannot be avoided.  Emotions are messages.

Avoid or suppress feelings and you disrupt your ability to function. For example, if you are anxious in social situations, the inclination is to avoid them, but avoidance perpetuates a lack of confidence and the very anxiety one is trying to escape. Self-confidence comes with experience. Understand a feeling and take action if need be (source).

Some of us have drives that are difficult to satisfy. Sometimes a drive takes over and we are driven.

The question is: Where are we going?

Many humans—many, many humans probably (in fact)—experience a constant dissatisfaction with life. Their minds have made a judgment: Life is not the way it should be.

But why?

It could be that we experience dissatisfaction with life “as it is” because in comparison to life imagined, the life we live falls short of expectations. We try to make life match our ideal by noticing what’s wrong and making changes, but when we achieve what we want, we imagine how life could be even better. We think that once we fix what’s wrong, we’ll be satisfied, but when the “future” arrives, it’s just another dissatisfying moment.

It’s rare for people to feel a deep satisfaction with the way things are. We live as if the present moment is a barrier to the life we’d rather be living. The future we dream of never arrives and herein is the human conundrum.

Most of us live in a world of make-believe—even though we know life isn’t a fairy story. Most of us live a mundane existence in stark contrast to our make-believe world, but take heed: Reality does exist and it’s better than make-believe.

Reality is a world of opportunity, happiness and peace of mind. You might be content within a comfort zone of normal life—happy to take out the garbage, do laundry or whatever (all good stuff)—but there are degrees of happiness.

You could be only scratching the surface. Pay attention to what it feels like or sounds like to be here and now. Do this and you are taken from make-believe to a direct experience of reality. You start seeing, feeling, hearing, smelling and tasting the present in a way that you haven’t done since you were a kid.

Like Boston (the band, not the city) said, “People livin’ in competition. All I want is to have my peace of mind, yeah, whoa” (“Peace of Mind“).

Yeah. Whoa. That’s it precisely.