Nature of Thought

The Nature of Thought
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February 3, 2014

The Nature of Thought
The ability to make a decision and ponder great mysteries is a trait humans’ possess. The complexity of the human brain makes it possible for humans to make rational decisions and analyze the consequences of situations. This trait has enabled humans to build great innovations to provider elaborate structures for shelter, make life easier, and understand the world around them. This paper examines the brain’s role in thinking, the nature of thought, an example of misthinking, and perceptional blocks that hinder possible situational outcomes.
The Brain Role in Thinking
The human brain’s structure allows humans to think critically. This action occurs in the cortex of the human brain (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). The cortex of the brain is the wrinkled-layer on the outer part of the brain (Kirby and Goodpaster, 2007). The cortex contains ten billion neurons and many more nerve cell connections (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). A new connection is created any time a new memory is formed (Cherry, 2014).
Thought
The process of thought and thinking has been an important topic for debate and research for many generations from ancient scholars to modern scientists. According to Merriam-Webster Incorporated (2014), thinking is “the action of using your mind to produce ideas, decisions, memories, etc.” (para. 1). Although how thought is processed is the same in all humans, humans are unique have different connections and barriers due to the individual’s cultural experiences (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). An individual’s culture can include his or her religion, country of origin, family, and social group (Steg, 2013).
There are three components to the thought process: senses, memory, and medium (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). An individual’s senses are very important to the thought process (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). An individual’s senses include hearing, seeing, touching, tasting, and smelling (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). The experiences associated with senses are stored in an individual’s memory and assist him or her in making decisions in different situations (Kirby, Goodpaster, 2007). Unfortunately, a person’s senses are based on the individual’s perception and are fallible (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). These flaws result in misthinking (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007).
The memory is a very important factor in the process of thought. The individual’s memory stores, organizes, and uses the information gathered from experiences to make decisions (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). This means the individual’s memory needs to stay active (Monash Health, n.d.). Studies show humans lose connections as they grow older; however, humans can combat the natural loss of connections and create other connections by learning new things, making memories, physical exercise, and mental exercise (Monash Health, n.d.).
The medium is the action or output behind the thought, such as speaking, acting, or writing (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). For example, spoken and written language is important mediums that humans use to express their thoughts.
Personal Experience of Misthinking No one is immune from misthinking because an individual’s senses are infallible (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). I have had many experiences in my life where my personal perception was far from reality. One occasion occurred when I was in my early thirties. I started going to a church with my children. The pastor and the pastor’s wife were around my age. I quickly became friends with the pastor; however, I just could not manage to become friends with his wife. I tried, but she just seemed to push me away. She dressed and acted like a very proper lady. I thought she did not think highly of me because I was not in the same social class as she was and that I did not portray the “typical Christian image.” I was wrong. She was insecure in her relationship with her husband, and she was very jealous of the friendship her husband and I had. The wife formed a secret petition of elders from other sister churches to get me kicked out of the church. An unspoken guideline in this church’s culture is married men and women should not form close friendships because it could lead to immoral actions. The elders at my church tried to fight the petition, but the size of the church was not big enough to overturn the ruling.
There was a big difference between the truth and my perception because I had not experienced a life where friendships between males and females were not the norm. Growing up, I was always “one of the guys.” I have always found it easier to be friends with men because I was raised with six brothers and felt comfortable around them. The lack of language in this situation limited the outcome by leaving no time for thought and reflection. This situation could have been solved through communication or language before it exploded. This situation taught me that I needed to be more open-minded of all possibilities of a situation regardless how far-fetched I may think they are.
Perceptual Blocks Perceptual blocks hinder an individual’s ability to view and think of a situation critically. There different types of perceptual blocks, such as enculturation, self-concept, ego defenses, self-serving bias, role of expectation, and emotional influences (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). Perceptual blocks I struggle with include enculturation and self-concept. Enculturation barriers are the societal norms the individual encounters that restrict critical thinking (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). This is seen in my personal example. I was raised in a home where befriending someone of the opposite sex was perfectly acceptable.
Another one of my barriers is self-concept. Self-concept describes the way one views his or her self (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). This barrier can have a negative impact the person’s view of who he or she is and what he or she can accomplish (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007). This barrier was also present in the personal experience. I did not think of myself as being as equal as the pastor’s wife. This limited my thought to see the truth behind the issue.
Conclusion
According to Kirby and Goodpaster (2007), “your thoughts become your words, become your actions, become your habits, become your character become you (p. 4). This means thoughts transform an individual and his or her actions. Scholars and scientists studied human thought and the brain for generations. Individual’s thoughts stem from his or her memories created by input from senses and the presence of perceptual barriers.

References
Cherry, K. (2014). New brain connections are created every time you form a memory. Retrieved February 2, 2014, from http://psychology.about.com/od/memory/ss/ten-facts-about-memory_9.htm
Steg, L. (2013). Environmental psychology: An introduction. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.
Kirby, G. R., & Goodpaster, J. R. (2007). Thinking: An interdisciplinary approach to critical thinking(4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Merriam-Webster Incorporated (2014). Thought. Retrieved February 2, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thought
Monash Health (n.d.). Normal ageing: what happens to your thinking and memory. Retrieved February 2, 2014, from http://www.monashhealth.org/icms_docs/13069_Normal_ageing_what_happens_to_your_thinking_and_memory.pdf

References: Cherry, K. (2014). New brain connections are created every time you form a memory. Retrieved February 2, 2014, from http://psychology.about.com/od/memory/ss/ten-facts-about-memory_9.htm Steg, L. (2013). Environmental psychology: An introduction. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell. Kirby, G. R., & Goodpaster, J. R. (2007). Thinking: An interdisciplinary approach to critical thinking(4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Merriam-Webster Incorporated (2014). Thought. Retrieved February 2, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thought Monash Health (n.d.). Normal ageing: what happens to your thinking and memory. Retrieved February 2, 2014, from http://www.monashhealth.org/icms_docs/13069_Normal_ageing_what_happens_to_your_thinking_and_memory.pdf