Exploring Human Thought

My work is a new approach to understanding how we think and, therefore, how we behave. My analysis of the human thinking process starts with the earliest single-celled creatures, which have no equipment for thinking, and traces its evolution to modern people. Although the human brain is indeed a wondrous instrument, it evolved to serve the simpler needs of our ancestors in a much less complex world. As a result, humans have developed eight important types of errors in thinking because of shortcomings in our mental equipment to handle its new workload. An understanding of how the brain really works will help you reduce these errors and therefore, achieve greater success and happiness.

The Human Thinking Process - A Hypothesis in Evolutionary Neuropsychology

This material is a successor to Think Better, Feel Better, published in 1990 by Libra Publishers. That book started with my identification of eight common errors in the human thinking process. These observations led me to try to find a mechanism that could account for them. The objective of that book was to show the reader how to avoid these errors in thinking in order to feel better. The present effort concentrates instead on identifying the mechanisms underlying the thinking process. March, 2005 Click here to read this paper. (674 KB)

The Human Thinking Process

This is a relatively brief summary of the human thinking process intended for the layman. Revised, January, 2004. Click here to read this paper. (99 KB)

The Evolution of Human Behavior

This book describes the effect of the human thinking mechanism on the formation of cooperative groups, which was the beginning of human social behavior. We continue to behave in the same way our ancestors did in a much less complex world so that some of our behavior is no longer appropriate. Understanding this process will help you achieve greater social acceptance. This book also describes the mechanism for human communication to help improve both your transmission and reception. Click on any chapter heading below to read this book.

Identifying Your Present Behavior Pattern (98 KB)
Checklist of Your Present Behavior

Section 1 Why You Do What You Do (132 KB)
    1. The Memory Lingers On
    2. The Very Beginning of All Behavior
    3. The Brain Begins to Affect Behavior
    4. The Beginning of Cooperative Behavior

Section 2 The Formation of Cooperative Groups (183 KB)
    5. Joining a Group of Your Ancestors
    6. Helping the Group Survive
    7. Living in a Hierarchy
    8. Behaving for Survival
    9. What Will People Say?
   10. Evading the Membership Requirements
   11. Life-or-Death Comparisons
   12. Trading for Survival

Section 3 Communicating as a Form of Behavior (165 KB)
   13. The Strange Way We Communicate
   14. Communicating Without Words
   15. Communicating With Words
   16. Composite Messages
   17. You Are Part of Your Message
   18. Communicating in a Hierarchy

Section 4 Striving for Acceptance (130 KB)
   19. Seeing Modern Society With Fresh Eyes
   20. Self-Inflicted Wounds
   21. Pushing Others Down
   22. Diminishing Others Through Wit

Section 5 Defending Against Diminishment (135 KB)
   23. Hiding Out
   24. Defending Yourself
   25. Sorry, No Offense Meant
   26. Fools Rush In

Section 6 Modern Transactions (86 KB)
   27. All Kinds of Exchanges
   28. Tricky Transactions

Section 7 Key Factors Affecting Your Behavior (80 KB)
   29. How Your Ego Affects Your Behavior
   30. Expectations

Section 8 Developing Your Strategy for Behavior (127 KB)
   31. Improving Your Social Acceptance
   32. Transmitting Effectively
   33. Effective Reception

Checklist for Your New Behavior Pattern (124 KB)

A Proposed Mechanism for Associative Memory

This paper describes the role associations play in memory. Click here to read this paper. (116 KB)

The Eight Common Errors in the Human Thinking Process

These eight seemingly innocuous shortcomings of the thinking process affect every aspect of your personal life, your relationships with others, and your happiness. Click here to read this paper. (78 KB)

The Nature of Feelings

By understanding the nature of feelings, you can control them instead of having them control you. Click here to read this paper. (78 KB)

 

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Please note: Carl R. Pacifico died on December 15, 2005.
His work on this site is preserved in his memory.

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