bit of random musing

[amredthelector]

I find it fascinating how once a person is exposed to a new idea or thing, they start seeing it everywhere. Y'know, those weird coincidences, where you've just learned about something, and it seems like you did just in time for it to be important? (Example: I read a 2003 report about the war crimes that happened in Sierra Leone yesterday, and today, BBC online posts a story about how three Sierra Leone rebel leaders have been sentenced for a combined prison term of 120 years for crimes against humanity.) Or, like, you get some material object, and suddenly you notice how many other people have the same thing. (Example: my parents bought a new car a few months ago. Now, I see that particular brand everywhere.)

It's just... interesting. Like, before you learn about this thing, you never see or hear about it, but once you do, it's everywhere. I wonder why our brains do that?

Comments

[funkicarus.livejournal.com]

hahahaha hexas song

i think this happens cause of the way we catagorise unknowns, as humans. we sort of...well we catagorise, i already said it. the older we get the mroe specific a catagory. that's why a little kid might not distinguish between a kitten and a dog and a rabbit, and call all of them 'bunny' or something. to them they all fit into the same catagory.

but once our brains construct that catagory, we have a frame of reference for whatever it is that we can always return back to. i mean thinka bout how many times in your life you'd learn a new word, and then suddenly that new word was everywhere. it's because before, since you could already read, you sort of read 'around' that word in sentances and grasped the context and thus the meaning. but once you got the meaning, suddenly...there the word was.

we filter that which lacks any meaning at all, because filtering is sort of the brain's natural defense against overload. it's why when you hear a family speaking a language you don't understand, you won't remember the way it sounded. your brain just filtered. but once you start learning the langauge, you build yourself a catagory for it, and slowly stop filtering...

aaaaaand there was more i was going to say but i gotta jet cause i gotta get ready for student teaching stuff BUT I HOPE THIS CLEARS IT UP SOME

[amredthelector.livejournal.com]

I watched Ferngully for the first time in ten years over the weekend. I found myself rooting for the side of pollution and destruction because the fairies where so annoying. That, and Hexxus was Tim Curry and... y'know. Tim Curry.

That's sort of what I thought goes on with the brain. But it's still just really interesting to me. We humans are such quirky creatures, with such complicated brains, and it's just sorta neat.

And hey good luck with student teaching.