Appetites

“The lives of many humans are governed by nothing more than the pleasure and pain that comes from the satisfaction and frustration of appetites. Appetites and reason are part of every human, but his or her character is revealed by which of the two dominates”
Aristotle


~Why do I continue to spend more than I make?

~Why do most of my relationships fail?

~Why do I continually sabotage all of my efforts in becoming a healthier person?

I want happiness; why do I continue to do things that increase my anger, anxiety, and frustration?

Shantideva… an 8th-century Indian Buddhist scholar stated it best…“ I yearn to be free of pain but rush straight into it; I long for happiness, but foolishly crush it like an enemy”.

To understand this human conundrum requires a basic understanding of neural anatomy. The human brain is the most complex organism in the human body. There are over one hundred billion nerve cells that work together creating consciousness. Add to this the shocking complexity of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of neural functions occurring at the same time. Making a rational decision can sometimes be a daunting task.

Within the brain lies the executive coordinator...the Frontal Lobe. The Frontal lobe (FL) is the most evolved part of the brain, and is responsible for executive functions such as watching, supervising, filtering, guiding, and directing your behavior. It is the executor of our logical, rational decisions.

The (FL) is the chariot driver in Plato's allegory of the charioteer. Plato imaged the mind as a chariot being pulled by two horses. The rational brain, (FL) he said, is the charioteer: it holds the reins and decides where the horses run. If the horses get out of control, the charioteer (FL) just needs to take out his whip and reassert authority. The horses represent an area of the brain known as the Limbic system. The limbic system (LS) is a term for a set of brain structures that functions include the regulation of blood pressure, heart rate, hunger, thirst, sexual arousal, memory, and associations of reward, pleasure, and addiction. The job of the charioteer (FL) is to keep the horses (LS) from running wild and moving forward.

With that single metaphor, Plato divided the mind into two separate spheres. The soul (mind) was seen as conflicted... torn between reason and emotion. When the driver and horses wanted different things, Plato said, it was essential to listen to the driver (FL). "If the elements of the mind which lead to order and philosophy prevail," he wrote, "then we can lead a life here in happiness and harmony, masters of ourselves." The alternative he warned was a life governed by impulsive emotions. If we follow the horses (LS), we will be led like “a fool into the world below.”

All sorts of neural battles often lie behind our obsession with food. We make promises to start tomorrow, only to find ourselves falling back into the same behavioral patterns of our past.

Most of our behaviors are conditioned responses. Classical conditioning (also Pavlovian or respondent conditioning) is a form of associative learning that was first demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov. The typical procedure for inducing classical conditioning involves presentations of a neutral stimulus along with a stimulus of some significance. Pavlov referred to this as a conditioned stimulus (CS). (Wiki.Classical conditioning)

It is very important that we first understand the learning patterns of behavior before we can direct them. The human mind works a lot like a computer. Computers and the human brain are machines of memory and application. When it comes to computers, specific commands can be given which can provide specific information… A lot like our brain.

The big difference between computers and our brain lies in the programming.
The memory stored in our computers is void of any subjective interpretation…meaning memory is stored without any emotional attachment (except the attachments of the programmer). Let’s suppose for our purpose that the programmer (charioteer) is entering information based on science that is void of any vested interest. Any time a program is call upon, the best factual information will be presented. This is the big difference when compared with the brain.

All human memories are stored in an area of our brain (amygdala) that is paired with emotions. Unfortunately this can lead to beliefs that are not factual and actually takes us further away from our goals. This dilemma is exemplified in Fad diets…fad diets create flawed neurological patterns of beliefs.
(i.e., Adkins...The Zone...Sugar Busters...HCG)

Once an incorrect belief pattern becomes established within the memory cortexes of your brain, it becomes difficult to change. The more often you receive a pairing of a specific stimulus (i.e. emotions and food) the more established the nerve pattern becomes and the more conditioned response is established.

This condition is often referred to as… “The Life-process Model of Addiction” This view is that addiction is not a disease but rather a habitual response (conditioning) and a source of gratification and security that can be understood only in the context of social relationships and experiences.

As we evolve in our personal understanding of ourselves, be constantly aware of your emotions and the behaviors that follow. All behaviors have consequences.

Strive to become the Charioteer in your life or the wild horse will do as wild horses do…run wild.