Don't just live the length of your life - live the width of it as well.
Diane AckermanRead
Shaped a little like a loaf of French country bread, our brain is a crowded chemistry lab, bustling with nonstop neural conversations.Imagine the brain, that shiny mound of being, that mouse-gray parliament of cells, that dream factory, that petit tyrant inside a ball of bone, that huddle of neurons calling all the plays, that little everywhere, that fickle pleasuredome, that wrinkled wardrobe of selves stuffed into the skull like too many clothes into a gym bag.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the complexity and activity of the human brain, likening it to various vivid imagery.
Diane Ackerman's quote poetically describes the human brain as a bustling, intricate entity, full of neural activity and dynamic conversations. By using metaphors such as a chemistry lab and a dream factory, she emphasizes the brain's multifaceted nature, its ability to create thoughts and emotions, and the complexity of our identities that it harbors. The vibrant imagery captures both the physical and imaginative aspects of the brain, inviting us to appreciate its remarkable capabilities.
Themes
BrainNeuroscienceImaginationIdentityComplexity
In practice
Example use cases
In a neuroscience seminar discussing the fascinating nature of the human brain.
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Because IQ tests favor memory skills and logic, overlooking artistic creativity, insight, resiliency, emotional reserves, sensory gifts, and life experience, they can't really predict success, let alone satisfaction.
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American writer_x000D_ _x000D_ 1803-1882_x000D_ _x000D_ Play is our brain's favorite way of learning.
Diane AckermanRead
In rare moments of deep play, we can lay aside our sense of self, shed time's continuum, ignore pain, and sit quietly in the absolute present, watching the world's ordinary miracles. No mind or heart hobbles. No analyzing or explaining. No questing for logic. No promises. No goals. No relationships. No worry. One is completely open to whatever drama may unfold.
Diane AckermanRead
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