"In every moment, your brain consults its vast stores of knowledge and asks, 'The last time I was in a similar situation, what sensations did I encounter and how did I act?'"
— Barrett, Lisa Feldman (b. 1963)
Date
April 17, 2015
Metaphor
"In every moment, your brain consults its vast stores of knowledge and asks, 'The last time I was in a similar situation, what sensations did I encounter and how did I act?'"
Metaphor in Context
In every moment, your brain consults its vast stores of knowledge and asks, "The last time I was in a similar situation, what sensations did I encounter and how did I act?" If you're in a produce section, your brain is already predicting that an apple is nearby. If you are in a part of town with a high crime rate, your brain may well predict a weapon. Only after the fact does your brain check the world to see if its prediction was right.
Categories
Provenance
Reading
Citation
Lisa Feldman Barrett and Jolie Wormwood, "When a Gun Is Not a Gun," New York Times (April 17, 2015). <Link to NYTimes.com>
Date of Entry
04/22/2015
