Beyond Emotional Intelligence

7What Are You Building Evidence For?

People put a lot less effort into picking apart evidence that confirms what they already believe.

—Peter Watts

It's our brain's job to make sense of itself as a physical being moving through space and time. It must interface with everything it comes into contact with, both inside and outside of itself. If someone gave us the job of building a human, it would be really tough. Rarely do we stop to ponder how incredible the human body, brain, and mind are. We just inhabit our bodies and go through life as if everything is normal, boring even, a hassle at times, drudgery at others. In order to make this thing we call a body work, the brain has to do some pretty sophisticated maneuvering. It uses what it has at its disposal to navigate what's needed both physically and psychologically, tapping into an elaborate system of feedback loops and signals to process and act upon the internal and external information it needs to navigate the situations it encounters. Imagine being the one left in charge of this ongoing operation and communication that allows our brains and bodies to function 24/7. Wait a minute, you are the one who has been left in charge. Imagine if your brain and body merely reacted. They wouldn't have enough notice to do all they would need to do effectively and efficiently. So instead, your brain anticipates and simulates what it thinks is going to happen next. Upon what does your brain make these conjectures? Its prior experiences. ...