Our brains are very, very good at self-delusion. What happens is, it releases the stress hormone cortisol in the brain, which leads to foggy thinking, so you're not even able to judge well whether you're working well or not.
Interpretation
Our minds can deceive us, causing confusion and stress that impair our judgment and performance.
In this quote, Daniel Levitin highlights the human tendency for self-delusion, which can cloud our thinking and decision-making abilities. He points out that the brain's release of cortisol in response to stress can exacerbate this delusion, leading us to be unable to accurately assess our own performance, ultimately impacting our productivity and clarity of thought.
In practice
In a discussion about mental health and productivity, this quote can emphasize the importance of self-awareness.
As soon as you hear a proposition, the creative brain in humans assumes for the moment that it's true, and starts trying to find evidence. It's what computer scientists in the old days used to call 'Fifo:' first in, first out. The first piece of information that gets in has a privileged position, even if it's misinformation.
What music is better able to do than language is to represent the complexity of human emotional states.
Information overload refers to the notion that we're trying to take in more than the brain can handle.
That walk around the block, that fresh air, is going to help you work more quickly and effectively when you get back.
There are a lot of books about how to get organized and a lot of books about how to be better and more productive at business, but I don't know of one that grounds any of these in the science.
There's an ancient connection between movement and music. Most languages don't make a distinction between the words 'music' and 'dance.' And we can see that in the brain. When people are lying perfectly still but listening to music, the neurons in the motor cortex are firing.
For to be possessed of a vigorous mind is not enough; the prime requisite is rightly to apply it.
People make a lot of effort not to remember, not to accept their immense magical potential.
The most valuable things in life are priceless. They are courage, compassion, wisdom, respect for ourselves and others, and a host of characteristics that we call the beauty of the human spirit.
All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.
We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.
My mission, should I choose to accept it, is to find peace with exactly who and what I am. To take pride in my thoughts, my appearance, my talents, my flaws and to stop this incessant worrying that I can’t be loved as I am.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.