Edge.org
To arrive at the edge of the world's knowledge, seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds, put them in a room together, and have them ask each other the questions they are asking themselves.
Published on Edge.org (http://www.edge.org)

Home >

2004 : WHAT'S YOUR LAW? [1]

In the News [ 4 ] [2]
  |  
Contributors [ 163 ] [3]   |   View All Responses [ 163 ] [4]

[ print ] [5]

[6]
Steven R. Quartz [6]
Neuroscientist; Associate Professor of Philosophy, Caltech; Coauthor, Liars, Lovers, and Heroes: What the New Brain Science Reveals About How We Become Who We Are
Quartz's Law

Quartz's Law of The Primacy of Feeling

In everyday life, one's anticipated emotions regarding a decision is a better guide than rational deliberation. Brain science is increasingly appreciating the centrality of emotions as guides to life, and emotions are typically more in line with one's wishes than rational deliberation, which can be easily disconnected from one's desires and goals. The upshot: deliberation is cheap, emotions are honest.

Quartz's Law of Latent Plasticity

Failure to alter thought, mood, personality, or other facets of ourselves through environmental means is not a demonstration that these are hard-wired. Rather, such failure should be taken merely as an indication that we have not yet discovered the appropriate regime of experience. New experience-based approaches to brain change are rapidly emerging, and overturn the dogma of the inflexible brain. We can now utilize the brain's latent capacity for change to treat mood disorders through experience-based brain change. Learning how to utilize the brain's latent plasticity, or capacity for change, will produce revolutions in physical, cognitive, and mental health remediation.

  • John Brockman, Editor and Publisher
  • Russell Weinberger, Associate Publisher
  • Karina Knoll, Editorial Assistant
 
  • Contact Info:editor@edge.org
  • In the News
  • Manage Email Subscription
  • Get Edge.org by email
 
Edge.org is a nonprofit private operating foundation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Copyright © 2012 By Edge Foundation, Inc All Rights Reserved.

 


Links:
[1] http://www.edge.org/annual-question/whats-your-law
[2] http://www.edge.org/inthenews/whats-your-law
[3] http://www.edge.org/contributors/whats-your-law
[4] http://www.edge.org/responses/whats-your-law
[5] http://www.edge.org/print/response-detail/10865
[6] http://www.edge.org/memberbio/steven_r_quartz