Learning
👉 The more closely your brain is able to model reality, the more effective you can be in it.
We talked yesterday about how our senses open up a portal to the outside world.
Suddenly we are flooded with information!
This information itself isn’t that useful – how do we tell what’s important, what is signal and what is noise?
Our brains use information from our senses as evidence. Like a good detective building a case, the brain puts the pieces together to tell a story that makes sense given what we know and believe about the world.
🧠 The brain’s current working hypothesis or belief about something is called a model. Models are simplified representations of reality.
A model works by taking inputs, applying some operation to them, and calculating an output.
2+ 2 = 4 is a simple model.
The inputs are “2” & “2”
The operation is “addition”
The output is “4”
Adding 2 and 2 causes 4.
This model allows us to predict the future. If we have 2 apples, and we need 4 apples, we can safely predict that if we find 2 more apples, we will have what we need.
Our brains are building models of the world all the time, but unlike in math class, the inputs, operations and outputs are much less obvious.
We have to use information from our senses to fill in the blanks for each part of the equation.
For example, if I’m trying to figure out how to make a baby, I might observe the circumstances under which babies have previously arrived:
Fish (+) Woman = No Child?
Man (+) Woman = Child?Stork (+) Woman = Child!
What if the output I want is love? Anyone got an equation for that?
Me (snuggling) Dog = Love
Me (sharing worries) Friend = Love?
Me (texting for the 3rd time) Guy from Last Friday Night = Love?
Me (letting fail) child = Love?
Our brains are constantly working to model the underlying causal structures of our experiences. When we feel like we’ve met our needs, what were the inputs? What were the operations? This is critical to ensure that anytime we need water, love or anything else, we know how to get it.
Getting these models right allows us to operate effectively in the world.
Getting these models wrong can have dire consequences for our survival.
🤔 Reflection of the Day:
What is your model for love? What are the inputs and operations love requires? What evidence is this model built on? Do you have evidence against it?