A Big Brain: What a Burden!

The biggest drawback to having such big, clunky brains in all of our human skulls is that they simply will not stop thinking. Don't get me wrong: I'm glad we all can communicate and plan ahead, but usually, I think our massive brains act more like handicaps, contributing eccentrically and without solicitation like smoke alarms low on batteries.

Both a human and a squirrel can dream up a way to cross a narrow timber spanning a deep precipice. But while the squirrel plans a route out and darts ahead on it, the human, instead, gets these ideas in its big, old, workaholic brain that his palms should start sweating, his knees should start shaking, and his vision should become cloudy while takes his first steps on the rickety board. Now guess who doesn't make it across the timber?

When sleeping, our brains give us nightmares. When eating, our brains tell us the spaghetti looks like worms. When dexterity is needed, these brains will make our hands convulse like we're epileptics. So it is no surprise that during a job interview, our brains, CEO's of our bodies, will recall all of the ways in which our preparation is lacking.

There is no off switch for our mighty 3 lb. nerve center, either. Alcohol & drugs only distort the malevolent music of our brains like a fist in a sinister French horn.

So what do we do? We have to learn to function in spite of our brainpower. We must fight to ignore our brain - or at least, the images that our thought-center consciously presents. Only this way can a surgeon operate incisively, can a driver follow a straight line in reverse, or can a tightrope walker avoid a fall.

In short, it seems we all need to imitate squirrels to accomplish anything at all.