Can a hardware and software metaphor explain it?
What is physically happening in our brain and body?
In: 21
Best ELI5 I can think:
Instincts are _suggestions_ for behaviors, that trigger
automatically when specific conditions are met.
They are evolved to suggest courses of action that tend to make sense whenever these conditions arises, but no guarantee. So you are able to disregard the suggestion if you think it shouldn’t apply (within limits).
A common example: in presence of high energetic food (fatty and sugary), the automatic suggestion is to stuff it in your mouth. That used to be a valid suggestion, for millions of years when any such food was rare and starvation a concrete risk. So, the suggestion, ingrained in us, is: don’t pass on it. That’s the instinct (as you can see, it’s not always to be trusted).
It’s basically what triggers your fight or flight response to a certain potential unfavourable situation.
For example someone being aggressive and a noxious, you’re instincts triggered a thought to leave that place. Later you read in the newspaper that the said place was shot up by that same individual. That’s just an example, may or may not have happened to someone I know.
Best ELI5 I can think:
Instincts are _suggestions_ for behaviors, that trigger
automatically when specific conditions are met.
They are evolved to suggest courses of action that tend to make sense whenever these conditions arises, but no guarantee. So you are able to disregard the suggestion if you think it shouldn’t apply (within limits).
A common example: in presence of high energetic food (fatty and sugary), the automatic suggestion is to stuff it in your mouth. That used to be a valid suggestion, for millions of years when any such food was rare and starvation a concrete risk. So, the suggestion, ingrained in us, is: don’t pass on it. That’s the instinct (as you can see, it’s not always to be trusted).
It’s basically what triggers your fight or flight response to a certain potential unfavourable situation.
For example someone being aggressive and a noxious, you’re instincts triggered a thought to leave that place. Later you read in the newspaper that the said place was shot up by that same individual. That’s just an example, may or may not have happened to someone I know.
An instinct is an action done as a response to some stimulation, unconsciously (i.e. you do not think of it). An example may be jumping when scared or moving your hand when touching something extremely hot. These actions are usually not learned in some way – the body already knows what to do, even if it is not the best thing to do in the situation.
As a computer metaphor – I don’t think hardware/software would be the best comparison, but maybe operating system vs user: Everything you do consciously (i.e. intentionally) is everything the user does. Anything that happens in the background that you are not aware of is the doing of the operating system. An instinct would then be a response of the operating system for a “stimulation” (key press, connecting a cable, etc.). Or, delving deeper into computer terminology, an instinct might be the operating system’s response to an interrupt, as these usually come from the hardware (which may represent the nerves of the body) and the response happens immediately without asking the user.
An instinct is an action done as a response to some stimulation, unconsciously (i.e. you do not think of it). An example may be jumping when scared or moving your hand when touching something extremely hot. These actions are usually not learned in some way – the body already knows what to do, even if it is not the best thing to do in the situation.
As a computer metaphor – I don’t think hardware/software would be the best comparison, but maybe operating system vs user: Everything you do consciously (i.e. intentionally) is everything the user does. Anything that happens in the background that you are not aware of is the doing of the operating system. An instinct would then be a response of the operating system for a “stimulation” (key press, connecting a cable, etc.). Or, delving deeper into computer terminology, an instinct might be the operating system’s response to an interrupt, as these usually come from the hardware (which may represent the nerves of the body) and the response happens immediately without asking the user.
When you learn a new skill, your brain makes a new pattern of connections between neurons. The more you practice that skill, the stronger that pattern of connections becomes set in your brain.
Instinct is when, due to genetics, you’re born with a pattern already set in your brain.
Instinct is hardcoded response of hardware, so it can react faster without control softwar needing to analyze and issue command
Like pain receptors in hand the muscles react without command to take away hand from source of pain
Or you can think of it as localised control, same exqmple with pain a muscles
It is an evolved response
Instinct is hardcoded response of hardware, so it can react faster without control softwar needing to analyze and issue command
Like pain receptors in hand the muscles react without command to take away hand from source of pain
Or you can think of it as localised control, same exqmple with pain a muscles
It is an evolved response
When you learn a new skill, your brain makes a new pattern of connections between neurons. The more you practice that skill, the stronger that pattern of connections becomes set in your brain.
Instinct is when, due to genetics, you’re born with a pattern already set in your brain.
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