YOUR BRAIN IS A DOUBLE-EDGED Sword
Your brain has two sharp edges— one that can help you and one that can harm you.
Understanding how your brain works, will allow you to gain a greater understanding not only of your own thoughts, but of the thoughts of others. It will allow you to see the world more clearly, think critically, guard against misinformation and assist you in your search for the truth.
Our brains experience the world and collect information through our five senses—our senses of sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. This sensory information is what creates our thoughts, emotions, perspectives and personalities. Our brains also process information and sensations at different levels of consciousness.
Our conscious mind plays a critical role in shaping how we experience and respond to the world, but our unconscious mind also exerts a huge influence on our lives.
Our brains receive approximately eleven million bits of information per second. Yet our conscious brain can only process fifteen to fifty bits of information per second. The vast majority of sensory information enters through our unconscious brain outside of our conscious awareness.
We believe that when we make decisions, we understand the principal factors that influenced those decisions. Very often, nothing could be further from the truth. Our most basic assumptions about ourselves and society are often based on information that we may not even be aware of consciously.
Our brains do not simply experience the taste of wine or food—they create it. And that creation of taste is influenced by a multitude of factors including the product’s marketing, price, label, bottle or brand, our surroundings, music and the people we’re with.
Memories are not only the sum of what we have done but also the sum of what we have thought, what we have been told and what we believe.
Researchers have shown that it is possible to implant false memories through conscious and unconscious suggestion. These false memories feel no different from memories that are based on reality.
Often our memories are incomplete. We can’t remember every detail. In these instances, our unconscious brains may fill in the missing pieces. Our memories then become a combination of what we actually remember and what our brains create to fill in the missing gaps.
The unconscious brain makes the brain extremely susceptible to suggestion—a double-edged sword.
Labeling children as gifted has been proven to be a powerful self-fulfilling prophecy. And branding a child as a poor learner has been shown to have the same self-fulfilling effect.
Music, colors and textures have been shown to influence purchasing decisions in a manner that is outside of our conscious awareness.
Even chemicals can influence our thoughts and actions. Oxytocin, which is released during sexual intimacy, hugs and casual touching, can lead to feelings of emotional closeness even in the absence of a conscious intellectual connection between the parties. It also promotes trust. In one study, in which subjects played an investment game, investors who inhaled an oxytocin nasal spray were much more likely to show trust in their partners by investing more money with them.
Social media and “fake news” provide opportunities for manipulation on a scale never before possible. We have yet to fully understand or appreciate the true nature of this risk.
The very nature of our brain means that we are highly susceptible to manipulation, misdirection and control.
Advertisers, corporations, politicians and governments all know this and you need to know it as well. This point cannot be overstated. You need to recognize and guard against your inherent, physiological vulnerability to misinformation and manipulation. You do this through increased awareness, inquiry and attention.
You need to be aware of both your brain’s immense power and significant vulnerability. You need to see your brain as a double-edged sword, both to maximize your potential and avoid harm.
