Sometimes I wish I could read minds, Know what is going on inside of peoples minds when I am not sure. The idea has fascinated me for years. I have even wondered that even if I could read someone's mind what guarantee would I have I could even understand it? How can we know if we think the same way? What if my brother thinks completely in morse code? (-.. .- -- -. / - .... .- - / .-- --- ..- .-.. -.. / -... . / .- / -... .. - -.-. ....) Or in only references to a movie you have never seen? In their own mental language?
For the most part I do not have any problems reading people but lately it seems like my knack is off. The last two - four weeks especially. I have just been having too many moments where I hear the words, recognize their meaning by definition, but know or feel like there is some deeper meaning to them that I am not picking up on.
On the other hand if I could read minds I would be tempted to use it entirely too much. It would take away any surprise or dynamic of a person. Knowing everyones motives, wants, feelings, and intentions all the time, although useful in someways, would take away the spice of life. Even though to have such an ability would allow for massive movements towards any goal (world peace, end of hunger, cure for diseases...) However the trade-off would be a life that is much to 3 dimensional.
I guess there is a certain beauty in not knowing whats going on in someones head. A true freedom that as of yet no one can take away. A certain excitement in having to guess, not knowing for sure, but sometimes, sometimes, I would rather just know.
I wonder what would happen if we could hear all our own thoughts? If conflicting parts of our minds wouldn't drown each other out, but were allowed to voice each consideration. I, for one, imagine I'd be shocked, embarrassed as hell, but perhaps more motivated than ever.
ReplyDeleteWhat if there were parts of our brain that we COULDN'T ignore? I suppose people with less of a filter are working from this perspective a bit more than the rest.
I think you are wise to note that having access to someone else's thoughts would in fact detract from relating to another person. (Um, social networking sites and blogs actually come to mind here...) What really stands out to me is that I am changing every day; responding to challenges, molding my mental state as I interact with others, and hopefully letting go of outmoded ways of thinking. That being the case, if I'm changing daily, how can anyone else be expected to keep up with my current state of mind?
We may know the framework of a person, this can give us insight, but we should never be over-confident in knowing another, mind reading or no.
"Always there remains portions of our heart into which no one is able to enter, invite them as we may." - Mary Dixon Thayer
Awesome points! I think that if I could hear all my thoughts at once it would be highly overwhelming! Each neuron of the brain has the potential to fire 1000 times a second although in most cases 200-400 times a second is more typical. 100 billion neurons in a healthy brain... even with the idea of only using 10% of the brain at any given time, that is still 2000 billion firings a second. That is a enormous amount of thoughts and calculations. Thankfully we have a subconscious to work through all that jazz and sort out what is "important" or not.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wonder if it is even possible to really completely know someone, like you said everyone has their framework (i just fixed there to their be proud =P) but unless someone is really honest, completely honest, the stuff that goes on inside cannot be grasped. Even if they are honest, without sharing similar life experiences you still might not know what someone is about. Then even with the experiences our own individual subjectivity and opinions can keep people from seeing eye to eye, so to speak. With an open mind and the ability to really listen some people can break through these barriers and have greater understanding of others. But I do not know if it is possible to completely know someone without actually being them. Even then some people have issue finding themselves. Although I know right where I am! hahahahahaha
Yay a glorified finding yourself joke.