What is the neural function of being closed-minded?
In a post from a few yrs ago, Open, I explained the application of being open minded. The contrary to that, would be closed minded. The application, would be generally a lack of consideration of alternate potentials through life. The neural function of being closed minded, seems it could be fairly linked with repeated use of memories. In a recent post, Memory Priority, I explained how memories can be prioritized subconsciously or consciously, through reinforcement triggers, or through repetition of memories. These 2 methods of memories being prioritized, seem relevant to the function of being closed minded.
The more times a memory is used, of experience or of information, the more likely it is to be used in the future. This happens through neural pathways being more receptive, the more times they are used, and seems to coincide with common memory use in everyday life. If subconscious is allowed to be in use, then within everyday interactions, simply the most commonly used memory, which resembles the present factors, will generally be triggered by any given stimulus from those factors. Emotional reinforcement can over power these commonly used pathways, if a new experience occurs with significant positive or negative feedback. But after that point, that same new neural pathway connected with the strong reinforcement, will become the new commonly used pathway, if the reinforcement is profound enough. Without new strong reinforcement, the default would likely be, the most commonly used neural pathway to memories/ thoughts.
Allowing these common functions would basically be the process of being closed minded. This causes a lack of considering alternate possibilities to situations that an individual comes across. Someone using these default methods of subconscious memory access, would simply react the same way , within many scenarios involving similar factors. There could be minor variances in factors involved, which could change the outcome to the scenario. But the commonly used neural pathways would still be used, based on the closest inaccurate memory to the sensory input stimulus of the factors at hand, which would not consider the minor variances. New information or new variances, are less likely to trigger any difference of reaction of the individual, which causes a less accurate prediction and reaction to the situation, and therein less beneficial to the individual.
Allowing these common functions would basically be the process of being closed minded. This causes a lack of considering alternate possibilities to situations that an individual comes across. Someone using these default methods of subconscious memory access, would simply react the same way , within many scenarios involving similar factors. There could be minor variances in factors involved, which could change the outcome to the scenario. But the commonly used neural pathways would still be used, based on the closest inaccurate memory to the sensory input stimulus of the factors at hand, which would not consider the minor variances. New information or new variances, are less likely to trigger any difference of reaction of the individual, which causes a less accurate prediction and reaction to the situation, and therein less beneficial to the individual.
Alternatively, the method of conscious active memory access, in reaction to any given scenario, would allow more memories to be accessed, of relevant cause and effect, for even minor variances of factors within the scenario. With less weight on reusing the same simple (in context) neural pathways, more deviances are enabled within the neural pathways, to allow access to alternate memories of information or experiences, which are relevant to the scenario. With unlocked access to alternate details of memories, the individual can access more accurate information about the cause and effect of any specific factors involved. With more accurate information, the individual can make a more accurate prediction, and adjust their reaction, beneficially. This can allow more effective problem solving, through ability to “think outside the box”, and consider alternate options or possibilities throughout someone's life.
Being closed minded is virtually the opposite of having an “imagination”, as I touched on, in another post, Imaginate. Being imaginative is creating new connections of neural pathways, to various memories, and making new combinations. However, some degree of closed mindedness is useful for quick subconscious access to memories in simple situations. Without the repetition of commonly used neural pathways, thoughts would be ambiguous, as random and irrelevant memories could be accessed to easily. But too much repetition seems to be a more common problem.
Too much repetition of commonly used neural pathways, seems to cause a lack of conscious thought. This reduction of conscious memory access of more detailed memories of information, through lack of varying connections between neural pathways, seems to cause less effective and less beneficial reactions to scenarios involving variances in factors. Being too closed minded, leaves the door for potential improvements, closed.
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