The human mind is the most complex structure in the universe, about which modern science hardly knows anything. But what is consciousness? How can the infinite connection point of neuronal pathways, the random activations of biochemical and electrical transactions, create an unparalleled organ like the human brain and its end product, the human consciousness and the incredible complexity of the mind? How long can consciousness be expanded at all and where are its limits?
I am not a scientist, but I have always been interested in the complexity of the human mind and what motivates this organ. If living for hundred thousand years would be given, for example, could our minds keep up with that incomprehensible time? Would this be able to process hundreds of thousands of years of memory, information, apply it to new challenges, and could it even grasp time on such a large scale whatsoever? Or is the capacity of the human mind limited, and it’s limited to just as much time as is given to us? Since 99.9% of the species that once lived on earth already went extinct, the average lifespan of a species is no more than two million years (beyond a particular time frame can no longer live because it is unable to adapt to the changed circumstances for some reason). What if, no matter how special, but the human race is no exception? What if the time frame given is limited by the capacity of the human mind itself? Modern man itself, that is, homo sapiens, no matter how successful, but it did not even stand the test of time and evolution with its two hundred thousand years, regardless of the fact that the lifespan of a human individual can be extended virtually any length. In the previous essay, I sought an explanation for the brain’s desire for perfection, and capability of abstract thought, now I wonder why it needs constant stimulation. And it also concerns why getting rid of boredom, through it’s a human need, can lead to both destruction and construction. Where do we have the ability to never be satisfied? What is the source of this?
Is human the mind itself, and the mind is human himself?
Our whole lives are about nothing but constant brain stimulation, which can have a huge variety depending on personality and personal interest. They can be divided into two groups, constructive or destructive, or noble, or self-serving. But more on that later. We feel constant instinctive and insatiable compulsion to stimulate our brains. This is a common feature of every single person on earth. If we don’t alleviate this compulsion, our brains will start to get bored. And when boredom becomes regular, the brain degrades, as does the body, which leads to illness and ultimately death. Then the question arises: Is human the mind itself, and the mind is human himself? But why is that so? Perhaps during the evolution, the constant stimulation of the mind helped the species to survive, adapt, and develop, and the compulsion to do so was built into the genes. The more advanced and complex the mind, the broader, more sophisticated, different, and greater the ability and need of stimulating the brain. This is why the smarter the mind, the more work is needed to achieve biochemical equilibrium. This created a different interest and personality characteristic of human individuals, and this led to a division of labor and specialization, ultimately human civilization.
Brain stimulation, then, is nothing more than the survival instinct implanted in us by evolution. It encourages us to do something, to change and to adapt. This is why sticking with meaningless job is damn dangerous. Boredom is a control that occurs due to a lack of proper brain stimulation. Boredom is as much control as the pain through which the brain lets us know that what we are doing or not doing is not good for us, and if we do not do something to put an end to it, we must bear the consequences. Overcoming boredom is therefore a critical point for an individual’s survival.
The tragic fate of an American little girl came to light in the 1970s, whom his own father condemned to boredom by depriving every possible brain stimulating of her. The girl had been abandoned in windowless room. From birth, she spent her time during the day sitting strapped to a chair. The little girl was not in any official records, she never learned to walk and talk. When it turned out it was too late for her. The first six years of life are the most critical to a person’s development, which has completely dropped out of the life of the girl. If the brain doesn’t develop properly in the first six years, it never will after that. This chance for development is only one-time and unrepeatable. This damage is irreparable.
Our minds take revenge for everything we did not do to improve it. Unfortunately, this is true even if we are not responsible, only victims of maltreatment. Depriving the brain of stimulation is tantamount to starving a person to death. Stimulation for the brain is like training for the muscles or food for the stomach. Brain stimulation by dopamine processors is the fuel for the brain. Caffeine, sugar, and nicotine stimulate the brain slightly, but when they reach a certain level, they no longer work. The same rules apply to mental activity. We are not satisfied with reaching one level, we desire to reach another level, and after another, and then another, and so on. It encourages us to discover new things, expand our knowledge, and push our horizons forward. This causes curiosity. We always yearn something new for. That’s why people’s needs are infinite. And that’s why the work that can be done in the world is not a static quantity. Human history gains new meaning by learning about the human mind.
But there is also a dark side of this. The compulsion of brain stimulation can also lead to destruction, addiction, the desire to rule over others, sadism. An imbalance in biochemistry can cause addiction. And the lack of a purpose in life can also be the cause of permanent compensation that leads nowhere. Unlike the achieve micro-activities for actualizing and fulfilling purpose of life, harmful passions or compensations are just symptomatic treatments, which solve nothing for a long term. However, as I mentioned earlier, the brains of psychopaths are different from normal. In their case, the methods and needs of stimulating the brain are also different. Chasing dopamine is never satisfied, empires will never be large enough, politicians will never have sufficient power that would be enough for them. There will never be enough law, our lives will never be over-regulated enough. Crime will never end, wars will last forever. And the reason for this is that it is not people with constructive intentions who rule. Smart people don’t need power. They achieve everything without ruling over others. That is why the nature of politics and power cannot be reformed. The purpose of power, then, can in no way be other than itself, and satisfying the unsatisfactory, the desire for power, but by no means the general welfare of the people. If this happens, it is only a secondary benefit.
Thanks for reading!