"Our insistence on cognitive knowing may already have robbed us of some of our capacity for being human." -The Creative Impulse
I believe that this quotation means to say that the dominance of the left brain (in part by the introduction of the alphabet) has dwarfed the emotional connection to the world that we once had with our right brain. These emotions may seem to be an essential part in the definition of what it means to be human, but I, being a very left-brained person, do not believe this. As for the quote above, I would disagree that the focus on cognitive knowing makes us less human. I believe that rational and logical thought is one of the biggest pieces that make up the puzzle of a human. Any animal can have emotions such as fear, sadness, and anxiety, but they cannot do anything to overcome them. Humans have been able to use this logical thought to carve the world into pieces; pieces small enough for the population to chew. For example, the invention of mathematics has allowed humans to predict and interpret many natural phenomena with a great degree of certainty.
Cognitive knowing has not lowered our capacity for being human, it has done quite the opposite. To me, logical thought is similar to a religious belief. Both provide an individual with a way of interpreting the world and making sense of what has not yet been explained. Unlike a religion, logical thought may not carry certain connotations or emotions with it, but instead, a cool wave of objectivity. I believe this contrasts the idea that emotions are a large part of what it means to be human. Logical thought has allowed humans to be able to control their environments. When I think about what it means to be human, I think, "This world may be vast and confusing, but look at this! I can predict and control multiple parts of my environment! No longer will I spin in fear of the unknown, but now, I can conquer it with my thoughts. My thoughts serve as my own personal religion and allow me to rationalize and cope with what cannot be seen."
I'm actually really glad you made this point because I was having this very same conversation with one of my friends. What does make us human? As animals, we feel emotions. What truly makes us human is the front part of our brain, the part that does happen to deal with logical thinking. However, this very same part is what allows us to feel such strong emotions that humans are capable of. Like any animal, we can feel lonely. But as humans, we feel it at a different level than other animals. We can feel deeper which coincides with our ability to over think, instead if act on instinct. We use our logical thinking to think long and hard about what we are feeling, which causes us to feel it deeper. So in short, I agree with you. But I do believe that our capability for strong emotion is also a part of what makes us human.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that cognitive or left brained thought is essential to every day life in this society, but I do not believe there is any shame in sharing the same emotions as animals in society. Human beings are the most destructive animals on the planet with all the knowledge that we possess. It's one of our human tendancies to believe that because of our cognitive knowledge, we are more intelligent than the other animals in the world. This attitude just blinds us in the fact that we become to proud to dwell in the lesser knowledge, or affective knowledge. Cognitive knowledge in science is a great example of human success, but if scientists had used more of an emotional perspective of looking at their work, maybe they would have thought differently about intoducing the atomic bomb. In order to be human we must embrace both the right brained and left brained way of thinking.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you posted something positive. All the others have been like "This and that are ruining us!" I like the point you made andi think that it is valid. I also like you choice of topic. You backed up you argument well and I am proud of you!
ReplyDeleteHmm, I probably should have read more of this before I posted. :) I, like Gabe (I mean, Babajide), feel that most people were saying that logic is the downfall of human emotion. I disagree, and I appreciate that you do too, though we both have a little different take on it.
ReplyDeleteYou, however, seem to have the viewpoint that emotion is something to be conquered, and that logic is the control we must exert over our environment. Am I right, and is this the view you hold true with all things?