What happens in your brain when you make a decision? How can you make better ones from choosing a cereal to finding a flight path for safety? Science writer Jonah Lehrer tackles decision making small and large in his book How We Decide.
The Human Brain – How we decide
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how we decide, hmmm, its crazy – you think we’re always making decisions, consiously and subconciously, regardless of who they hurt.
well, the human brain is a wunnerful organ–it starts working the minnit ya wake up, & never stops until you are called upon in class.
I suppose it stands to reason that all decisions differ in intensity with some having more far-reaching consequences than others, hence different parts of the brain being used. I quite like the reference that our brain is like a Swiss army knife.
LC x
Do we really control our decisions? Or does our brain make them for us? Who knows if we even get to choose ourselves or if it just feels that because of what our brain tells us?
For example, you go to choose a cereal you’ve never had before. What makes you like it? Something about the packing/the description of that cereal? You like something for some reason so you choose it. That ‘some reason’ is decided by your brain, but feels like it is decided by you. Make sense?
@Tash actually we the whole “subconscious” is highly debated. I am one who doesn’t believe in this “subconsious” that works on it’s own. What we call subconscious are (what scientists now think) instinctive reactions and entrenched patterns which we can carry out without “conscious” awareness.
It is amazing though how quickly we can react and compare several solutions without using “conscious” logic but basically matching and comparing experiences.
To actually succumb powerful emotions (and their chemical reactions) is intriguing to say the least. When you have had a situation that fear kicked in and you are consciously fighting against it and suggestion: Just think, just think what if I….. The fear instantly is not as noticeable anymore. Plus you come up with the most amazing solutions in a high stress situation.