We say things we didn’t mean to. Do things that we know we’d regret. Make stupid purchases. Act aggressively in the heat of the moment. Eat mindlessly.
Almost as if we lose control of our own minds. Why?
Our brain has gone through millions of years of evolution.
Although we have evolved into brilliant conscious, creative beings… there are parts of our brain that are very primitive and animalistic in nature.
And in some situations, these instincts overpower our rational mind, causing us to act irrationally.
Corporations and politicians take advantage of these same primal instincts to manipulate you.
Cultural evolution happens much more rapidly than genetic evolution. As a consequence, our instinctive social behaviors are not fully adapted to the modern way of life.
We are fighting millions of years of evolution. Which is why we all have the tendency to act stupidly at times
I go deeper into this topic to discuss:
- What triggers your reptilian brain
- How you are being manipulated
- How your reptilian brain is holding you back
- How do we win that fight? And how do we stop being slaves to our primal instincts?
Dr. Vervaeke offers an existential interpretation of Metta.
He says love is not an emotion or feeling, it's an existential mode. It's a way of being. It's a way of knowing and being known. It's a commitment to a way of life with someone.
Anger is a misunderstood emotion. Society often paints it in a negative light. And there's a sense of shame attached to feeling angry.
But there are no wrong emotions. Every emotion provides us valuable information and guidance. [1/13]
Anger is our body's adaptive mechanism to make us aware and respond to an unmet need.
The need could be concrete — like a promotion, a relationship, or more money. Or it could be abstract — like the need to be understood, or the need to be respected.
An unmet need could also reflect a sense of injustice. Something is wrong, according to your values, and you need to make it right.
Anger acts as a stimulant. It causes a rise in dopamine levels, flushes the skin, and increases the heart rate.
Here's how meditation changes the brain — structurally and functionally
For a long time, I dismissed meditation as spiritual woo-woo.
How could closing your eyes and focusing on your breathe or thoughts or whatever make any difference?
To my "rational" (and ignorant) mind, it made no sense.
Sometime last year, I read up on the science of meditation. And it made me feel stupid for ignoring it all these years.
So for over a year, I've meditated almost daily. I'm not going to talk about the (life-changing) benefits I've experienced. Because your mileage may vary.