Ambiguity is the Source Of Unhappiness
Samuel Brandt
Jared Weigley
9/26/13
Expository Writing
Section JG
Ambiguity is the Source of Unhappiness The human brain is a vastly unknown and unexplored area of the body. Daniel Gilbert, author of "Immune to Reality" and Nicholas Carr, author of "Is Google Making Us Stupid", both write about the ways that the human brain works. Gilbert discusses how the brain attempts to protect itself from the unpleasant things in life. He calls this the psychological immune system because, just like the human body 's immune system, thit removes all negatives from the brain and leaves only that which will keep the brain happy. Meanwhile, Carr discusses how the brain changes to fit with the times and molds itself to the new technology. He mentions that the human brain has changed and adapted with technological progress, but just as technology has evolved to be more like the brain, the brain has evolved to be more like technology. As a result, the human brain is a malleable structure that molds itself to positive perspectives, while avoiding the negative points of life. The psychological immune system is a theory which states that the human brain has a natural defense mechanism against ambiguous situations. It also protects the brain against unpleasant realities. In this way, Google is trying to mimic the way that the human brain works in its search engine. Google attempts to rid its search engine of ambiguity in order to more conveniently process information, as well as to make it easier for the user to comprehend. Daniel Gilbert, author of "Immune to Reality", states that "when experiences make us feel sufficiently unhappy, the psychological immune system cooks facts and shifts blame in order to offer us a more positive view" (Gilbert 139). Gilbert believes ambiguity to be one cause of humanity 's unhappiness. Ambiguity is distrusted by both Google and the human brain. Carr writes that "ambiguity is not an opening for insight but a bug to be fixed"
Jared Weigley
9/26/13
Expository Writing
Section JG
Ambiguity is the Source of Unhappiness The human brain is a vastly unknown and unexplored area of the body. Daniel Gilbert, author of "Immune to Reality" and Nicholas Carr, author of "Is Google Making Us Stupid", both write about the ways that the human brain works. Gilbert discusses how the brain attempts to protect itself from the unpleasant things in life. He calls this the psychological immune system because, just like the human body 's immune system, thit removes all negatives from the brain and leaves only that which will keep the brain happy. Meanwhile, Carr discusses how the brain changes to fit with the times and molds itself to the new technology. He mentions that the human brain has changed and adapted with technological progress, but just as technology has evolved to be more like the brain, the brain has evolved to be more like technology. As a result, the human brain is a malleable structure that molds itself to positive perspectives, while avoiding the negative points of life. The psychological immune system is a theory which states that the human brain has a natural defense mechanism against ambiguous situations. It also protects the brain against unpleasant realities. In this way, Google is trying to mimic the way that the human brain works in its search engine. Google attempts to rid its search engine of ambiguity in order to more conveniently process information, as well as to make it easier for the user to comprehend. Daniel Gilbert, author of "Immune to Reality", states that "when experiences make us feel sufficiently unhappy, the psychological immune system cooks facts and shifts blame in order to offer us a more positive view" (Gilbert 139). Gilbert believes ambiguity to be one cause of humanity 's unhappiness. Ambiguity is distrusted by both Google and the human brain. Carr writes that "ambiguity is not an opening for insight but a bug to be fixed"
Cited: Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid." 2008. The New Humanities Reader. Comp. Richard E. Miller and Kurt Spellmeyer. 4th ed. Boston: Wadsworth Cenage Learning, 2012. 66-76. Print. Gilbert, Daniel. "Immune to Reality." 2008. The New Humanities Reader. Comp. Richard E. Miller and Kurt Spellmeyer. 4th ed. Boston: Wadsworth Cenage Learning, 2012. 66-76. Print.