Behavior and Psychological Man: Essays in Motivation and Learning

I thought I needed to cultivate my understanding of classical behavioral psychology, so I picked up this book. I admire the wisdom the contents written in this book, but classical behavioral psychology relies too much on the assumption that brain functions of human beings are equal to those of other animals, especially rats…

Where were and are my passions?

I just came up with the idea where my passion were in the past and are now. Maybe the following chart represents my academic interests.

Age	Passions (Interests)
7-11	Entomology, Paleontology (I bought all books about the fields in a near bookstore, saving my monthly small allowance)
12-13	Brain Science (not phenomenological mind but physical brain)
14-18	N/A I can’t remember…
19-23	Business Strategy, Accounting, Economics
24-25	Integral Theory, Psychology, Organizational Behavior
25~	Integral Theory, Developmental Psychology, Consciousness Studies, Cognitive Psychology, Humanistic Psychology, Behavioral Psychology, Neuropsychology, Neurophilosophy, Pedagogy, Transpersonal Psychology, Psychoanalysis, Psychosynthesis, Linguistics, Hermeneutics, Anthropology, System Theory,…the list goes on.

 At first glance, my current interests seem chaotic…but they are a part of our reality or the universe.  In that sense, my interests don’t reside in one academic area any more but I may be interested in this reality itself.

Simulations Make You Suffer: From Buddha's Brain

This chapter (Simulations Make You Suffer) was really insightful for me. That is because I’m likely to simulate my future too much (This is my most distinctive characteristic from childhood. In terms of the Enneagram, this is one of type seven’s characteristics.) So much so, I can’t sometimes feel happy in the present moment. Of course, I don’t want to choose the extreme idea to stop simulations completely, but I need to recognize the author’s beautiful words: “it’s only in the present moment that we find real happiness, love, or wisdom” (Hanson, 2009, p. 44).

Reference:

Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom

Change and Equilibrium in Our Brain and Mind

When I read the chapter “The Challenges of Maintaining an Equilibrium” in Buddha’s Brain, I came up with one thing about an interesting characteristic of human mind and brain. I think that human beings are very mysterious and enigmatic creatures. Because we have inconsistent tendencies to maintain equilibrium and to change. Regarding our mind, we sometimes have desire to change in our mind. However, in such a situation, we often suffer from a psychological resistance to avoid change. In addition, in terms of neuroscience, our brain changes continuously, which is to say, the cells in our brain always continues the process of creation and annihilation. Thus, our brain goes on with changing and trying to keep balance. In a certain sense, we, human beings may be always caught in a dilemma between change and equipoise mentally and physically.

Reference: 

Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom