Prepared Brain

I thought there were some fascinating parts to this article, especially the discussion of the visceral under "The Prepared Brain" section. Norman has a list of things that on the visceral level that produce a positive or a negative effect in us. I was struck by "heights" in particular. I've always had a fear of heights. I suspected it was genetic as many of my relatives on my mother's side are also afraid of heights, but I never really thought about being programmed that way.

Norman also discusses how it is more difficult to learn a 2nd language past the teen years and even when you do learn it, it is hard to adopt the right accent. I've heard this before and so I guess it's true. Kind of sad though. So much for mastering the language of my grandparents.

I really respected how Norman discussed the importance of emotions. Usually "emotions" are dismissed or we're supposed to suppress them. It's refreshing to hear someone actually speak about them and the impact they have.