A Mind of Its Own by Cornelia Fine

 

 

a mind of its own

 

Cordelia Fine is an Australian academic psychologist and also the author of this book. She wrote the first part of the book in nine months. The manuscript was due three days before she went into labor.

Cordelia has studied both Psychology and Criminology—two fields that I'm interested in.

 

A Mind of Its Own explains the complexities of the brain with scientific studies and backs it up with witty commentary and anecdotes. The book is divided into eight chapters and I have read the first four so far.

 

The book portrays your very own brain like a backstabbing best friend. She has eight entirely unflattering traits, yet you need her for everything. Without her, you literally could not live. Each of the chapters go in depth into the negative aspects of your brain, but also explains why these negative traits are necessary to your mental health.

 

It is very interesting to read since I have to think about why my brain thinks the way it does with my own brain. It could easily be rearranging the information as I read it to protect my mental health.

 



Chapter One: The Vain Brain
for a softer, kinder reality
The first chapter explains how much your brain lies to you. It convinces you that you are better than you really are. It "embellishes, enhances, and aggrandizes you," not to mention "excuses your faults anf failures," and "misguidedly thinks you invincible, invulnerable, and omnipotent." While this seems horrible, one goes on to read that this trait also keeps you alive. The vain brain gives you that little bit of deluded optimism so your immune system doesn't wonder whether "it's worth the effort of keeping you alive."

Chapter Two: The Emotional Brain
sweaty fingers in all the pies
This chapter talks about how we think that we control our emotions, but in actuality, our emotions control us. Moods influence our judgement on just about everything from relationship conflicts to racial minorities. It also talks about the Cotard delusion where patients are "so detached from their feelings, thoughts, body, and the world that nothing can persuade them that they are alive." It was really fascinating to read about.

Chapter Three: The Immoral Brain
the terrible toddler within
This chapter talks about how the brain forms morals. Often judgments stem from "instant gut feelings or moral intuitions." Your brain passes judgement on an entire situation in just a few seconds. It also puts ourselves in a more morally sound light, with benefit of the doubt, while passing harsher judgements on the moral faults of others.

Chapter Four: The Deluded Brain
a slapdash approach to the truth
This chapter questions the difference between the sane and the insane. It simplifies insanity down to having a delusion. Perfectly sane people have delusions too, though. We believe in ghosts and aliens and talking to the dead. It also showed some studies where both the sane and the insane performed about the same in cognitive tests, which was very trying to the vain brain.