Everybody has a brain, and nobody knows how it works, although neuroscience researchers are finding some surprising aspects about how we think.
Our brain thinks it knows what it is doing, but it just does what it taught itself to do. It is often fooled or fools itself by making bad decisions.
For thousands of years, philosophers have cogitated about how the brain works. Yet it’s not clear that the increase in logical self- consciousness that began with Aristotle nearly 2,500 years ago has improved the competence and efficiency of reasoning processes for humankind.
Traditional psychology tries to understand the brain from the inside through emotions, perceptions, thought patterns and influences. Modern neuroscience goes beyond the traditional approaches to understand it physically from the outside.
Previously, people supposed that information was stored in certain compartments within the brain. Although certain regions do have specific functions, the brain is much more than the sum of its parts; rather, it is an interconnected web of information.
Imaging studies suggest that brain structure as well as metabolic efficiency might influence individual differences in intelligence via different neurological architectures that might underlie specific cognitive strengths and weaknesses.
Neuroscientist Richard Haier of the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine wrote, “Two people with the same IQ may solve a problem with equal speed and accuracy, each using a very different network of brain areas.”
This could partly explain why IQ does not always correlate with problem-solving. Sometimes smart people do dumb things, and IQ tests miss many aspects of this nonrational, real-world intelligence.
Our brains solve thousands of problems every day, most of them subconsciously. Some are insignificant in the long run, such as which way to turn when getting off the elevator, but others are more serious or significant problems that require critical thought.
Our brains do not automatically know how to think critically, which according to the Foundation for Critical Thinking, is “that mode of thinking … in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it.”
To be in control of our thoughts and beliefs, we must know what good reasoning is, be aware of how reasoning can go astray and discern when reasoning is not the best course.
Language and culture are the source of our beliefs. Culture is learned subconsciously from parents, pals, preachers, pundits, politicians and others who don’t all give us the same message.
The brain wants to do the right thing, but it can only function in the way it has become accustomed and acculturated. Without training, it is like a muscle that will not strengthen if no effort is exerted.
Of all the remarkable things on our planet, the human brain that not only conceives of itself, but also attempts to understand itself ranks No. 1.
Imagine a world where every person knows when and how to think critically and does so to reduce our collective cognitive miserliness and bridge our collective cognitive gaps.
Richard Brill is a retired professor of science at Honolulu Community College. His column runs on the first and third Fridays of the month. Email questions and comments to brill@hawaii.edu.
