38 A Programmer’s Guide to the Mind
human personality behaves in similar ways. Once it begins to explain my
personal world, then it also follows me around wherever I go.
Analyzing the mind requires a combination of head and heart.
The method of study involves the head and rational thinking.
The object of study includes the heart and personal feelings.It probably sounds strange to compare a theory of the mind with
„falling in love.‟ The scientist may well look at this statement and conclude
that a discussion about „love‟ must of necessity abandon logic and head
down the garden path of mystical musings. On the other hand, the
individual who is searching for love is equally positive that he will not find
the answer to his quest within the sterile hallways of rational research.
However, this is precisely what we will attempt to do—combine the
emotions of the heart with the rational thinking of the head.
I suggest that music provides a good example of subjective feeling
combined with objective analysis. On the one hand, this topic can be
studied from a physics textbook where mathematical formulae are used to
describe resonant frequencies, string tensions, and harmonic ratios. On the
other hand, the musician may learn about the topic by „feeling‟ the chords
and allowing his gut instincts to guide his fingers. Put the two together and
you come to the conclusion that the musician is really „feeling‟ a set of
mathematical equations and that the physicist is actually analyzing an
aspect of subjective emotion.A
This concept is so important that I will say it one more time: Why do I
compare studying a theory of the mind with forming a friendship? Because,
when it comes to emotional topics such as „falling in love,‟ our natural
tendency is to throw logic out of the window and to follow the dictates of
our heart. Similarly, I have found that the biggest obstacle to understanding
the mind is subjective feelings. Therefore, one of the recurring themes in
this book is that of cooperation between head and heart.
A Word from your Tour Guide
Suppose that I decide to visit a foreign land. I can prepare for my trip
by purchasing a map and a tour guide. By looking at the map I can see
what is where, and how to travel from here to there. While the map shows
me the various cities, towns, and roads, it does not tell me which places are
worth visiting. This is where the tour guide becomes useful. By combining
advice from the tour guide with information on the map, I can figure out
what I want to see and where these various sites are located.
A It is amazing how often you find people with mathematical ability who
also play a musical instrument. This suggests that there really is a
fundamental relationship between the two.