Fish Out of Order, Daily Edition

I have some problems with this article. Saying that we "don't need to remember as much as a Neanderthal because [we] have a computer" is a flawed argument. Neanderthals were not carrying the equivalent of Wikipedia around in their heads. We have larger social circles than the Neanderthal had. We have highly specific skill-sets and bodies of knowledge.

Yes, humanity has specialised and within each of us is not the sum of all human knowledge - but I would say the size of a skull alone (Taylor mentions it has been decreasing over the last 30K years) does not indicate the complexity of the brain. Consider the use of tools and tactics some birds adapt, with their far smaller brains. 

I would be very surprised if, on average, humans possess less stored knowledge and memory than Neanderthals. Taylor's work is interesting, and I'm always fascinated by discussions of how humans and technology influence each other. Still, he needs to address the flaws in his logic.

Also, he says here:

"There is no way to draw a definite philosophical boundary and say, here are the characteristics that are both necessary and sufficient to define a chair. The chair's meaning is linguistic and symbolic - a chair is a chair because we intend for it to be a chair and we use it in a particular way."

I would have thought that second sentence was the philosophical boundary for what "chair-ness" is. I think one fundamental problem I have with this article is I clearly have different understandings/definitions of some words and concepts compared to the researcher in question. Perhaps I am mistaking what he is implying with the quotes in this article.

However, I do love his closing paragraph;

"Now, you might think [the death of our sun is] a ridiculously long time away, but that's the kind of ridiculous timescale palaeoanthropologists think about. I look back 4 million years and see our emergence and our evolution and then I look forward 4 million years because those are the timescales I'm used to. And in the long run, humans will go extinct if we can't get off this planet. The only way out, ultimately, is up. The Tasmanians didn't have the kind of technology that would lead them there, but we do."

Something we can agree on!

I joined a Toastmasters group a few weeks ago, and now I'm meant to present my first speech.

It has to be 4-6 minutes long, and reveal an aspect of your personality in the process. Listeners are meant to feel like they have gotten to know you, a little, by the end.

I have written my speech about how often my head impacted with the ground as a kid, and how fascinated I am by the brain.

I've just recorded myself reading my speech through entirely for the first time, in order to practise. You can listen to it here:

Click here to download:

CC1_-_A_Head_Start.mp3 (5719 KB)

I've also provided a transcript in case my accent or enunciation leaves something to be desired;

Click here to download:

CC1_-_Icebreaker_-_A_Head_Start.docx (14 KB)

I perform it tomorrow night! Time for the training montage.

I like putting things into categories. I get the impression most people do. I also love psychology. So when someone sends me a link to a free psychological profiler, I find it difficult to ignore. Most of these tests go on to recommend career paths based on your personality type, which ideally would help me narrow down what areas I might like to do post-graduate/misc study in once my partner finishes his degree.

I’ve done the Myers-Briggs personality test three or four times in my life. When I was a teen, I came out as an INTP – a quiet thinker whose perspective leans towards the holistic, and likes to work with facts and logic. These days my score comes out as INFP and INFJ. I usually score right down the middle when it comes to Judging versus Perceiving, which seems pretty accurate to me. Both INFP and INFJ are described as being the “Idealist” personality type in the Keirsey Temperament sorter.

Recommended careers? Psychologist, nurse, writer, counsellor, nutritionist, systems analyst, missionary, vet… amongst many others. Well, that narrows it down!

“These people are idealistic, self-sacrificing, and somewhat cool or reserved. They are very family and home oriented, but don't relax well. High capacity for caring. High sense of honour derived from internal values.” <- I generally avoid excessive displays of emotion unless I’m utterly overwhelmed, but when I talk to someone I’m genuinely interested in learning about them (I find small talk a waste of time, though I understand its purpose).

“Occurring in only about one percent of the population, [INFP] can easily feel isolated. They value harmony and integrity in human relationships, but often find these values to be out of step with the more concrete pursuits of the rest of the world. Feeling "different," they may wonder whether something is wrong with them.” <-Hello, teenage years!

Apparently INFP/INFJ types represent 1% of the population each. So 2% of the world is on the same wavelength as me. I’M SO ALONE.

Any other people out there reading this who get the INFP/J result? I’m curious. AND ALONE.