Right now I’m fighting the temptation for a second small piece of cheesecake. It’s 15 feet from me in the refrigerator and I’m hungry. That doesn’t make good math.
But then my mind interrupts my brain and I’m back to focusing on work.
Life is a continual struggle between the brain and mind. The brain is focused on the short term and seeks pleasure while the mind has the end in mind. If you just obey your brain, you’ll quickly be fat, jobless, and out of luck.
Being successful in any activity requires empowering the mind over the brain. The brain gets distracted, tired, lazy, craves safety, and always has a reason to delay doing something.
The mind focuses on what you really want.
The brain wants cheesecake. The mind wants to lose 5lbs.
The brain wants to put off publishing a blog post because it might not be ready. The mind publishes because ideas need air.
If you want to accomplish any of your goals it requires giving your mind priority over your brain.
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I believe you’re confusing the “brain” with the “mind”.
I will say that Intellect(brain) provides rationalization. Mind has feelings and cravings and like and dislikes. It is for the Intellect to assert over the “mind” on a course of action.
those people who have stronger intellects are usually more successful and happier.
there is a saying in the Bhagavad Gita http://www.asitis.com/6/6.html
“For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the
best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will
be the greatest enemy”
I think he is referring to the brain as the mass of gray matter stuffed between your ears. This is the organ with natural tendencies that seeks the easiest of paths–it is the way it is. The mind is an intangible; it is the sum of your self-control, ideals, it is your unconquerable spirit.
Mind over matter. Mind over brain matter. I think he is talking about the fight between the way you want things to be and the way they are. I would say he has not confused brain with mind.
Brain/mind potato/potatoe.
Clear.
mmmm. cheesecake.
the brain is an embodied physical structure that supports the mind and relationships. it includes the entire nervous system not just the part in the skull. the mind is a process that regulates energy and information flow. adding in relationships to others you have the whole of human experience. they all influence each other. I think what you are describing is your awareness. the pre-frontal cortex of the brain supports this self awareness process that you can control by being aware of what your are sensing (you can sense what’s going on in your mind, “my mind wants cheesecake”). “you” can change your response but not your sensations. as one practices awareness of the mind, one can see what’s going on within and strengthen that pre-frontal cortex area of the brain. likewise, using this awareness we can tune into other parts of the mind and change the underlying structure of the brain just by practicing mentally.
but don’t take my word for it…
http://drdansiegel.com/home/
Seth Godin agrees with you! Good post, and very true.
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/01/quieting-the-lizard-brain.html
And what is this agent that prioritizes the brain over the mind?
would suggest you look into the glycemic index, that way you can cover the brains need for food and minds want to lose 5lbs.
There is “brain versus the mind” dynamic here. There’s simply the comparison between 2 reward delays :
1) cheesecake will solve a problem (your stomach sending distracting pulses, to be exact) and will do so until satisfied. Your brain knows from past experience cheesecake will silence it.
2) losing weight is a long-term very indirect “problem” with almost exclusively social rewards (which are notoriously indirect)
Here’s what I think you should do. Believe it or not, but your brain controls your weight, by directing the action of your liver. So play both sides : eat the cheesecake, wait 15 minutes, then sprint around your building to remind your brain why it doesn’t want to store additional fat. This will work. You can even verify if it worked : if it worked your urine should turn bright yellow in a few hours.
Interesting. I might end up trying that.
It’s a fascinating post. I thought I knew this already but apparently you still reminded me of my poor self-discipline…
hey Ben…I feel it is the other way round buddy…mind wants to do everything that you can do…while brain being the logic factory, stops you on what you should or shouldn’t do…