being in the the brain
Self-Reflection: In Other words, Learning
Self-Reflection? The term “self-reflection” does not refer to our appearance in a mirror. It refers to focusing our attention inwardly, into ourselves. It’s about learning into who we are, how we are, and how we became and are continuing to become ourselves. In other words, self-reflection is a kind of learning in which we are … Read more
Choosing to Learn – Learning to Choose
Can you remember being born? No? That’s because beings like us (persons – consciousnesses – selves) aren’t born fully developed. We are cumulatively learned. The differences between ourselves as infants and our current selves, including everything we know and think, everything we believe, and everything we are able to do – all those vast differences … Read more
Other Words for Learning: Neuroplasticity?
Neuroplasticity describes the changeability of the brain’s neuro-cellular materiality. It asserts that neural connections, like plastic, are not immutable; under the right conditions, they can be reformed and repurposed. But, this is where the term can mislead us. Plastic has no agency. It’s inert. Change happens to it. There is no being. No participation. Unlike … Read more
Re: What Is It About the Human Brain That Makes Us Smarter Than Other Animals?
I share this article from “Neuroscience News” because it’s a good summary of interesting neuroscience, and because, like my prior post: “Sound In the Womb Provides Sound Learning Benefits“, it’s another example of how even neuroscience obscures the role of learning in our lives. First a bit of history. In early 2014, I encountered a … Read more
Sound In the Womb Provides Sound Learning Benefits
This fascinating post outlines the temporal dynamics and training wheels’-like benefit-effects of initially learning the gross and fuzzies before learning to differentiate the more extensive, intense, subtle, and nuanced. However, I share this because it is yet another example of how our common language obfuscates the role of learning in our lives. “Early Sound Exposure … Read more
Learning: Character
“The content of your character is your choice. Day by day, what you do is who you become” – Heraclitus “It is your character, and your character alone, that will make your life happy or unhappy. That is all that really passes for destiny. And you choose it. No one else can give it to … Read more
Our Future Depends on How Well We Learn Together
#MeToo #BlackLivesMatter #AllLivesMatter #HumanRights #MedicareForAll #ClimateChange #PlanetaryPeace #GenderEquality … Given a multigenerational perspective (which we better have) and the unprecedented complexity, uncertainty, and speed of impending challenges (which we better realize), nothing is more important to humanity’s future than how well we LEARN TOGETHER. Every issue we care about can only be resolved by learning … Read more
Re: WSJ: The Ultimate Learning Machines
Alison Gopnik has an important new article in the Wall Street Journal called “The Ultimate Learning Machines“. I recommend it, and I would add… The Ultimate Learning Machines Beings Human babies are the most powerful learners in the universe. So much so that state of the art machine learning is now learning from them. What … Read more
POLL: Who are you OTHER than who you have learned to be?
What can you say about yourself that is completely unaffected by learning? Please share your thoughts!