But How Do We Know What’s Good? [Or Best?],. .... You Just See It.

Enthusiasts Of Book “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” (ZMM), Will Find Solid Support For What Pirsig Says, In Henry Gurr’s Explanation (Theory) Of How Our Mind Works.

Henry Gurr’s Theory Explanation Is Based On, => A General Problem Solving Brain’s, Automatically & Spontaneously Finding => Optimal, Best Or Near Best, Solutions To Life’s On Coming Problems.

************************************************************************

To ZMM Enthusiasts

… Pirsig’s ZMM has the beginnings of an “Explanation (Theory) Of How Our Mind Works”: FOR EXAMPLE => “But that which causes us to invent the analogues is Quality. Quality is the continuing stimulus which our environment puts upon us to create the world in which we live. All of it. Every last bit of it.”.

Above it said "But how do we know what’s good?" [or Best?]
…To See More Examples Of Pirsig’s Beginnings Of A Theory Of Mind =>
1) Click on the blue link below, and after it comes up.
2) Scroll down to and start reading at … Throughout ZMM, Robert Pirsig Provides ….
3) And stop reading at … your Problem Solving Brain, has connected with what is Really There !! ….
…Click Here For A Full Listing Of Pirsig ZMM Examples. AFTER This Page Comes Up. Scroll Down To (and start reading) After => … Throughout ZMM, Robert Pirsig Provides …..

…And although Pirsig’s statements, which are effectively how best to use our mind are correct, it is valuable to be able to go deeper and at a more basic level, to understand just why Pirsig is correct,
….AND, this is exactly what my Theory provides.

…Thus I urge you to read further, and as you do so, I certainly hope that my Theory will make sense, and be illuminating in its own right.
....But beyond this, it ultimately should help an individual person =>
...... To use their own mind more effectively,
And this alone should make my theory worth your time to learn about it !!
'''******** o0OOO0o ********

Based On Direct Observation Of Our Mind At Work =>
… A General Theory of How Our Mind Works, In Which =>
...1) Our Brain, and those of animals, Automatically & Spontaneously seeks and finds optimal solutions, which are best or near best ways, to respond to life’s oncoming problems. (This fits Pirsig’s Quality, which is an automatic & spontaneous operation of our mind. See examples below.)
....2) These optimal solutions automatically & spontaneously appear as Mental Arrivals into our Conscious Mind, And then these solutions then guide our successful conscious behavior. (Similarly for animal behavior.) And thus a Proper Understanding of Human Mind, should ALSO have interesting and illuminating parallels with the other animal creatures of this world.)
....3) Is specifically consistent with. Evolutionary Biology, both => a) Darwinian evolutionary development of any species AND b) Development of mental abilities, in an individual person, from birth on.
…4) Builds upon the clear implications of The Neural Network Model .of Princeton Theoretical Physicist J. J. Hopfield.
***************

In My General Theory of How Our Mind Works, Eventually You Will Understand These Components =>
…1.) These above-mentioned Creative Solutions, from UN-Conscious brain processes (as can be directly observed, automatically & spontaneously, come into our Conscious Mind: And, to do this, our “Problem Solving Brain” =>

….2) Thus the Problem Solving Brain Will Typically And Creatively, Go Beyond Where It Is! And, thus, our brain’s observed ability to find Optimum Solutions (from where it is), means it will AUTOMATICALLY find BETTER from where it is, and hence move to NOVEL .. DE-NOVO .. Answers!!
…3) AND These new Creative Solutions *Answers”, are then Automatically Stored Back Into Memory, but at an advanced level, ready for the next oncoming problems of living.
…4) Building on above 3), this is An Upward Spiral, wherein => a) A Brain’s Newly Created Problem Solution is then > b) Stored As New Memory > c) Which means that => These advanced Problem Solutions, newly stored into Memory, are in effect New Learning & Added Knowledge. (See NOTE2).
…5) This “Explanation (Theory) Of How Our Mind Works”, will help persons be more effective In Their Daily Lives: And thus is effectively A Brain- Owner’s Manual!
...6) Several times above you see the words “Create” or “Creative” Problem Solving. Thus This Is A Theory that at heart, shows => Our “Problem Solving Brain”, Is exactly the Source, The Well Spring, of ALL Hunan Creativity
…7) AND once you know what to watch for: These Sudden Automatic & Spontaneous New Creative Mental Arrivals (into your Conscious Mind), are FUN TO WATCH, as they happen! This may be called “Watching your mind at work!)
…8) These Sudden New Mental Arrivals, as they Pop Into One’s Mind, are especially to be noticed in the process of writing composition.
…9) Be sure to notice & remember => The above statements can be directly observed, moment by moment, in daily life, and thus experimentally establish their truth.
***********************
NOTE1: I’ve used “ALL”, without qualification, because I believe this is the fact of the matter, as may be directly observed.
….In fact I believe all the above “CLUES” 1) thru 10) will stand true to direct observation.
NOTE2: Continued from 3 thru 7) above. This “Problem Solution > Memory > Learning, forms a cycle, a regenerative upward spiral of compounded, ever-improved memory => Original Memory > Guides > Perception > Plans > Action > Success > Refine & Improve Memory. This is an optimizing, creative cycle, which achieves learning, refinement of skills, better habits, improved, solidified, updated knowledge, and many more examples.
***********************

Our Human Ability To See And Know ”What Is Good” , [Or See And Know What Is Best?], Is A Natural & Important Consequence Of Our Problem Solving Brain’s Built-In Ability To =>
… Automatically & Spontaneously Finding => Optimal, Best Or Near Best, Solutions To Life’s On Coming Problems.
This “ability” is both 1) Very important for you to fully understand, 2) But quite hard to put into words.
…Hopefully, you will see & believe this “by Intuition”. Or perhaps, your Problem Solving Brain (with abilities as stated), will actually, in real-life experience, bring this enough times, into your conscious mind, so you will “See And Know ' examples of ”What Is Good” … enough times … that this truth will then be obvious, by your own repeated direct observation!!!
***********************

The Above Ideas May At First Seem Unreasonable, and Thus You Promptly Resist and Reject:
….And Such Is The Fate Of Most New Theories, Until Gradually Recognized As Valid .
(See Thomas Kuhn’s book => “The Structure Of Scientific Revolutions”. )

I’m an unknown worker to the study of mind, and of course no match to the range of knowledge or experience professional philosophers or workers in mind. … However, I hope you can accept these new theory ideas from a newcomer, since often a Beginner’s Mind is a VIRTUE, when it comes to new or/and breakthrough ideas.
***************

Since there is a whole lot more to be said, I will gladly send more information and answer your questions.

To read further, I suggest you investigate my compact explanation, of “A General Theory of How Our Mind Works”, Click Here.

Thanking you in advance for considering my ideas, and any reply you may care to make.

PS: 'Similar to the above Owen Barfield’s Evolution Of Consciousness is supported by Henry Gurr’s How Our Mind Works
…Eventually, this will be written up and posted hereby. Send an Email if you want me to hurry up on this.

Sincerely

Henry Gurr,

Professor of Physics Emeritus,
University of South Carolina Aiken,
471 University Parkway,
Aiken South Carolina 29801
HenryG@USCA.edu

POSTLOG:

Henry Gurr’s Good Friend French Professor Stanley Levine, After Reading The Above, Had These Observations =>

On the other hand, some anthropologists have argued that Boas, who lived among Baffin islanders and learned their language, did in fact take account of the polysynthetic nature of Inuit language and included "only words representing meaningful distinctions" in his account.[3] Igor Krupnik, an anthropologist at the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center in Washington, supports Boas's work but notes that Boas was careful to include only words representing meaningful distinctions. Krupnik and others charted the vocabulary of about 10 Inuit and Yupik dialects and concluded that they indeed have many more words for snow than English does. Central Siberian Yupik has 40 terms. In Nunavimmiutitut, the Inuktitut dialect spoken in Canada's Nunavik region has at least 53, including matsaaruti, for wet snow that can be used to ice a sleigh's runners, and pukak, for crystalline powder snow that looks like salt. Within these dialects, the vocabulary associated with sea ice is even richer. In the Iñupiaq language of Wales, Alaska, Krupnik documented 70 terms for ice including: utuqaq, ice that lasts year after year; siguliaksraq, a patchwork layer of crystals that form as the sea begins to freeze; and auniq, ice that is filled with holes. Similarly, the Sámi peoples, who live in the northern tips of Scandinavia and Russia, use at least 180 words related to snow and ice, according to Ole Henrik Magga, a linguist in Norway. Unlike Inuit dialects, Sámi languages are not polysynthetic, making it easier to distinguish words.[9]
Studies of the Sami languages of Norway, Sweden and Finland, conclude that the languages have anywhere from 180 snow- and ice-related words and as many as 300 different words for types of snow, tracks in snow, and conditions of the use of snow.

SUBCONSCIOUS:

Stores, and retrieves data, and manages automatic actions and reactions that occur without conscious thought. For example, breathing and habit formation are subconscious processes. The subconscious protects us from being overwhelmed by sensory input.

UNCONSCIOUS:

By Henry Gurr Email Dec 9 2024. Rev HSG pmWiki Dec 18-24 2024.
File = EmlDftMayt}Rev16..Searle.. AlvaNoeHlp8 NuEmlZmmEnthuHavePirsigForMotivStdy8+LevineSugg4.doc
PrefFile = EmlDftMayt}Rev16..Searle.. AlvaNoeHlp8 NuEmlZmmEnthuHavePirsigForMotivStdy1.doc