The fundamentals of being human

In this inaugural episode, Mireille and Adam explore what it means to be human at the most basic level. Our goal is to explore the inner-workings of the human brain to better understand our humanity. What are we capable of? What are the common experiences of life we all share? We start by asking the question, “what are the fundamentals of being human?”

Join the discussion

Changelog++ members support our work, get closer to the metal, and make the ads disappear. Join today!

Featuring:

• Mireille Reece, PsyD – LinkedIn
• Adam Stacoviak – Website, GitHub, LinkedIn, Mastodon, X

Show Notes:

Designed to feel

As humans, we are fundamentally designed to feel. Feelings aren’t facts but they are feedback. When we can consider our feelings in conjunction with other data, we’re apt to make wiser decisions. Whether our feelings or they don’t, they’re still feedback.

1. We have a complex brain, a mind, and relationships (brainstem: the Reptile brain + limbic system: the mammalian brain and the neocortex: the Human brain.
2. We have emotions.
3. We are energy-based beings (electrical current makes us tick). Neurons that fire together, wire together.
   a. Where attention, energy flows—we feed whatever it is we focus on. Happiness/changes in how feel can be modified in part by what we choose to focus on. Example - getting a job.
   b. Dan Siegel says it like this “Where attention goes, neuro firing flows, and neuro connections grow.”

Designed to connect

As humans, we are fundamentally designed to connect and be connected with others. When we don’t have a community wherein we can be our authentic selves, we’re apt to struggle more than we would without them.

1. Is connection or touch with other humans required?
2. Attachment is 100% learned - it is not genetically determined. That brings hope because we can modify our relationship as we, too, change.

We all struggle

As humans, we do not get the option to opt out the struggle. We may not be able to pick our struggles, but, nonetheless we all struggle.

Adam says “Admit the struggle. Identify the lie. Seek the truth.”

As it relates to coping, the value of naming our struggles is so important. It involves more aspects of the brain when we put words to our struggles so that we’re better able to cope.

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!