Emotions and Thinking — A New Model?

A quote from Sharpbrains.com: one of ten quotes about neuroplasticity.

“Emo­tion is the sys­tem that tells us how impor­tant some­thing is. Atten­tion focuses us on the impor­tant and away from the unim­por­tant things. Cog­ni­tion tells us what to do about it. Cog­ni­tive skills are what­ever it takes to do those things.”

I'm not sure I totally get the quote or know the difference between cognition and cognitive skills, but I still liked it.

When I saw this quote, it reminded me that I've neglected the topic of emotion while focusing primarily on thinking. Yes, feeling and thinking do go together, maybe more connected for women and more detached for men. But maybe not? So I'm going to check into what's new in neuroscience about emotion/attention/cognition. Does brain imagery detail emotional pathways?

The original psychological theory of rational thinking says thinking precedes emotion which comes before behavior. H-m-m-m, maybe there's a whole different model that neuroscience can demonstrate. Any readers have knowledge or thoughts about the quote or neuroscientific info re neural connections between emotions and thinking?

I'll be back with more on the topic, but not right away!

Loneliness Ameliorated Through Writing?

This quote from William Kenower in The Author, an online newsletter from Pacific Northwest Writers Association, hit me at the holidays. I was feeling lonely although not alone, and sometimes in a crowd; a not uncommon experience for me during times of expected celebration, such as  birthdays.

"Writing answered loneliness, and perhaps precisely because I had to do it alone. Not only did I require physical isolation, but mental as well. One thought of another person and the spell of writing was ruined. But within that spell I felt the very opposite of loneliness. Within that spell, life seemed as interesting and available as the perfect lover, and loneliness seemed like nothing but a restless lie in search of an empty night to ruin."

I had inadvertently stumbled on the outcome Kenower expressed, although with less insight and fewer inner words to express the experience. It's the kind of detachment from one's inner self that meditation provides, while also an intensity of absorption that I rarely find in other activities of my life. Comforting.

 What do you find about writing and loneliness?

Goal for January? Get Rid of NST — Start Now, End February 1.

The Writer magazine, January 2012, provides a brief  article about combating negative self-talk — for writers. I've long believed that NST causes most symptoms of writers' block or even acetia, a topic I posted about last week. It's just the content of the internal monologue that differs slightly between people. E.g. "No one wants to read your writing," hangs in with "Your opinions are disrespected," or  further along the continuum, "You're an idiot."

Stefanik's article suggests recognizing NST and the negative emotions as the first step, followed by asking yourself why you feel this way. I'm all for acknowledging that you have the habit, but don't bother asking why.  Insight doesn't produce change is one of my strongest basic beliefs. The process of elimination is similar for writers and pilots, women and men, intuitive and rational thinkers.  Here are links to previous posts on starting out, problem-solving thinking, cognitive restructuring and detachement/distraction, to help with the do it now approach I'm pushing.

http://intelligentwomenonly.blogspot.com/2010/11/three-step-program-to-stop-negative.html

http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5630711609871539058&postID=4340954675235385083

http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5630711609871539058&postID=1064059510841304585

http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5630711609871539058&postID=6942182614122872416


I do agree however with the final sentiment expressed in the article, quoting psychologist Arlene M. Cooke. "We have the choice to believe in the good or the bad about ourselves. It's never too late to change the directions of your thinking and start the journey to a more optimistic, happier and healthier version of you."