The brain is a very mysterious thing
My boss C said I "overanalyze things." It's been a while since I've heard that, but I've been told that before. When I took the GRE (Graduate Record Examination -- the equivalent of SAT for graduate school), I scored 92 percentile in the analytical section. Meaning, I'm in the top 8% among all the candidates who took the examination. I'm not bragging, I think the overanalyze part is the "side-effect" of my ability. :( Just like the bug in Bug's Life (duh!) who'd uncontrollably fly towards the light source -- "IIII CAAAAAAN'T HEEEEEEELLPP IIIIIIITTT!" I don't make a conscious decision to anaylze everything that I come across.
Hubby is a self-proclaimed math-wizard (although he might have more training in physics in me, I'm definitely better than him in math. I'm Asian. And all Asians are good in math. My genes are just better. :D). Once upon a time, him and a few colleagues were so bored they decided to sit down and calculate the optimal shape for a coke can in order to hold the max amount of content with the least amount of aluminum.
THAT, my dear, was a conscious decision to be analytical. Mine was entirely involuntary. Much like a machine that is set to perform a certain task via a series of event. Once it's started, it'll follow through regardless. And it really was a decision on my part to start analyzing. It's like my brain has a mind of its own, if that makes any sense. XD
Long time ago when I expressed my occasional inability to sleep, my best friend H suggested for me to just "lay there and clear my mind of all thoughts." Little does she know that to be able to "rid one's mind of all thoughts" is really a blessing. To me, if I am awake, I am thinking about something. And most of the time, analyzing some of the most bizarre/tedious things.
Every once in a great while my mind will clear itself briefly, maybe about 3 minutes a month. That's when trouble occurs -- I have no recollection of what I had done/said within those said 3 minutes. Many a times I've came to and asked my husband, "What did I just say?"
They (scientists) have done this experience. They put these mice in a maze. They've discovered that the mice will find the quickest path back home and the path will became hot-wired in their brain. When danger occur, instinct will kick in and the mice will follow the pre-determined path home. In the process, no brain used was involved. They found this out by inserting an obstacle in their path. The mice started to bump into the obstacle everytime as if they couldn't see it. Then they finally learned to jump over the obstacle in order to return home. When the mouse has acquired this ability, the obstacle was removed, but it was discovered that the mice will jump at the exact same spot as if the obstacle was still there.
So mice can hardwire the way home in their brain (or their central nervous system, or their instinct, however you want to call it). Once I spaced out when I was driving (on my way home no less), when I came to, I was sitting in Taco Bell's parking lot. Apparently my homing device will automatically take me to the nearest Taco Bell.
Well, before I noticed my interestly abnormal brain function, I didn't understand why people sometimes look at me like I'm a goof (now being a "goof" is actually a complement to me). Now I do, I think of bizarre things that won't occur to most normal people. The shitty part is, after the overanalyzing has taken place, I am unable to disinguish what I should or should not ask. Even now that I am consciously aware of how others perceive me, I still can't analyzing and asking questions. At least my husband has already gotten used to all my bizarre questions out of the blue. :D
Hubby is a self-proclaimed math-wizard (although he might have more training in physics in me, I'm definitely better than him in math. I'm Asian. And all Asians are good in math. My genes are just better. :D). Once upon a time, him and a few colleagues were so bored they decided to sit down and calculate the optimal shape for a coke can in order to hold the max amount of content with the least amount of aluminum.
THAT, my dear, was a conscious decision to be analytical. Mine was entirely involuntary. Much like a machine that is set to perform a certain task via a series of event. Once it's started, it'll follow through regardless. And it really was a decision on my part to start analyzing. It's like my brain has a mind of its own, if that makes any sense. XD
Long time ago when I expressed my occasional inability to sleep, my best friend H suggested for me to just "lay there and clear my mind of all thoughts." Little does she know that to be able to "rid one's mind of all thoughts" is really a blessing. To me, if I am awake, I am thinking about something. And most of the time, analyzing some of the most bizarre/tedious things.
Every once in a great while my mind will clear itself briefly, maybe about 3 minutes a month. That's when trouble occurs -- I have no recollection of what I had done/said within those said 3 minutes. Many a times I've came to and asked my husband, "What did I just say?"
They (scientists) have done this experience. They put these mice in a maze. They've discovered that the mice will find the quickest path back home and the path will became hot-wired in their brain. When danger occur, instinct will kick in and the mice will follow the pre-determined path home. In the process, no brain used was involved. They found this out by inserting an obstacle in their path. The mice started to bump into the obstacle everytime as if they couldn't see it. Then they finally learned to jump over the obstacle in order to return home. When the mouse has acquired this ability, the obstacle was removed, but it was discovered that the mice will jump at the exact same spot as if the obstacle was still there.
So mice can hardwire the way home in their brain (or their central nervous system, or their instinct, however you want to call it). Once I spaced out when I was driving (on my way home no less), when I came to, I was sitting in Taco Bell's parking lot. Apparently my homing device will automatically take me to the nearest Taco Bell.
Well, before I noticed my interestly abnormal brain function, I didn't understand why people sometimes look at me like I'm a goof (now being a "goof" is actually a complement to me). Now I do, I think of bizarre things that won't occur to most normal people. The shitty part is, after the overanalyzing has taken place, I am unable to disinguish what I should or should not ask. Even now that I am consciously aware of how others perceive me, I still can't analyzing and asking questions. At least my husband has already gotten used to all my bizarre questions out of the blue. :D
posted by cahalan @ 02:44
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