Meet Yourself Again for the First Time

In this high-tech age, some computer scientists have predicted that robots might eventually be programmed to think and act like people. This may sound like science fiction. But suppose you and I and everyone else already has been programmed for certain parts of our behavior … without our realizing it? No, alien creatures didn’t do it while we were asleep. Undeniable forces at work in our society have shaped the deterioration of the American family structure. Apparently, similar influences are redesigning family status around the globe. The ultimate impact of this could occur after it is too late to alter its path. Even though most of us recognize these changes, as individual mothers or fathers we may believe that the solution is beyond our individual abilities to achieve. Cultural attitudes often block the way. In many instances, economic survival preempts more personalized childcare. Unfortunately, we cave in to environmental pressures in resignation. Only as future historians look back at twenty-first century America will the outcome be fully visible. What we're referring to are the nuances of human behavior and their natural causes. The word "natural" is used here to mean the impact of influences that surround each of us almost from the time of our conception. These are not identical for each of us; rather, they are highly individualized. Their source is highly variable: such things as our parents and significant others; the environment in which we're reared; and the conditions we encounter growing up. There seem to be at least two distinct aspects of our creation that may be pertinent to this book. The first can have significant social impact. It outlines the growth and development of the human brain from the fetal state forward, patterned along the evolutionary path nature established beginning with the primitive reptilian brain. By tracing this evolution as it became the template for our brains today, we can identify where societal changes over time did and can significantly alter natural intent. The potential outcome of such influences has been enormous and growing interest in acknowledging and addressing these forces offers promise for the future. The second aspect of human nature also seems to have existed for some time, but apparently was superimposed upon human evolution with a distinct purpose. Although its origin or purpose does not seem well defined, it may have been instituted as an additional measure to assure survival. It involves the implicit mind, the subconscious seat of programs mentioned in the first paragraph above. Neurobiologists and mental health professionals now acknowledge that each of us has two memory systems. “Explicit” memory is the one commonly called “memory.” It begins around ages two to three. “Implicit” memory, by contrast, begins in the womb and consists of subconsciously “imprinted” memories plus associated emotions. These are not consciously retrievable but shape conditioned behavioral responses to internal and external stimuli throughout our lives, without our awareness. The purpose of this book is to help us understand the complex individuals we are; how events in our early years may have life-long effects; the complicated, unpredictable society in which we live; how very unique we are; and how very special each one of us is with capabilities like no other living creature.