Living in an Automatic World, with a Manual Mindset

In the complexity of the universe, from the smallest quarks and atoms to the intricate neural networks in our brains, everything seems to operate automatically. These systems interact based on the laws of physics, environmental variables, and their own internal structures. But where does the mind fit in?

When you look at yourself, you see more than just these automatic processes—you experience something singular and continuous, and you feel your influence in it. This experience is mental, physical, and social, all at once. Despite the overwhelming complexity of the physical activity about us, our experience seems unified. All the diversity of systems—billions of neurons firing, trillions of atoms interacting—are focused into one single, cohesive experience. This singularity is what we call consciousness, and it’s not just passive. The whole can influence the parts.

This means that the mind, arising from the body’s complexity, is more than just a byproduct of physical processes. It can exert influence back on those processes, guiding thoughts, actions, and shaping the way we interact with the world. Our experience is not just a reflection of physical activity—it’s a force of its own. The mind, as a whole, connects all the parts and shapes them into the singular experience of "you."