Everything that is expressed and recorded externally, such as cell phones, computers, memos, books, and drawings, is an extension of the brain. Our brains aren’t just inside our bodies. This concept is important because extending the ego greatly influences how we see the world. We pay close attention to topics that involve us personally. Self-relevance is a key factor that drives our lives. Personal relationships and possessions get a lot of focus, while other areas seem less important. This is due to a feature of the human brain called ‘selective cognition.’ As civilization advanced, humans delegated parts of the brain’s functions to machines. It was inevitable to make good use of these tools. We should take an interest in the Homo Faber. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Adam Smith , the author of The Wealth of Nations , believed that “ empathy is an intellectual activity that takes into account circumstances, motives, luck, social status , and human character of the person.” The moment we blame another person’s actions, we examine the appropriateness of those actions. Adequacy is a state of neither excess nor understatement. If everyone else thinks a person is bad but I advocate for that person by saying, “I can understand,” then I approve of their actions. This situation is called “ mutual sympathy .” In our lives, we can be egocentric in some cases and relation-centric in others. The more mutual sympathy exists, the more relationship-oriented our thinking becomes. Both too much and too little can lead to tiredness or dissatisfaction. Pursuing happiness means finding this adequacy . - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”