Tuesday, November 25
A Dangerous Mind
Here is one of the reasons why I think about thinking so often.
Also why I feel compelled to educate others about Brain Injury and the reality of where risky decisions can lead. As a 16 year old, before my accident it's not inaccurate to say that I just didn't "get it". And most of us still don't.
If Life has told me anything about the way we think, it's that our Brains get too much power far too quickly for it's own good. Not unlike issuing drivers licenses at the ripe age of 16, the Human Brain unwittingly controls an incredible amount of power that it gives little regard to. We all have made life decisions that we look back and breathe heavy on, thankful that we didn't pay the price for the lapse in judgement. In the video, I found it interesting when the narrator notes, "Our (teenage) bodies are not temples, but rather drive-through chapels that exist only for our convenience... At 16, Death is just a rumor".
How telling is that? It's unfortunate that this mentality oozes from the pores of many patches of our society. Concerned with immediate indulgence and constantly trying to appease an insatiable addiction to adrenaline, my generation in America is one that's hellbent on self-destruction. And it seems that we're embedding it into the mindsets of the generations after us.
One of my back-burner goals of being in Ad school then, is to dream up a way to get young people excited about taking care of their bodies and minds; making life decisions that are self-preserving during a time when most teens reject authority and strike out to distinguish themselves as unique. It will be interesting to see how things turn out when those of that demographic who manage to survive the Jackass-worshiping, thrill-seeking pre-life crisis, are confronted with the long term damage that their bodies have sustained in combination with a social security fund that's steadily running out.
How's that sound?
Here's an article that my friend Kelly Northrup wrote for our (nationally recognized) high school newspaper 4 years ago. When we were pitching story ideas for that months issue, I had just begun to deconstruct my own judgment and grapple with the changes in my Brain 1 year out from my accident. I pitched the idea, Kelly did a great job exploring the subject. Click on the little poster icon in the bottom right of the frame to expand it to full screen.
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1 comments:
it's interesting that your brain does tend to peak in the number of synapses between ages 16-20, and that is when the parts of your brain that help you form decisions about the future consolidate as well. prior to this stage of development, it really is hard for us to understand the consequences of our actions. combine this with intense hormones and overactivity in the brain from puberty, and you have the ' indestructible ' teenager. the fact that americans are such an individualistic, adrenaline craving society, does nothing to help ease this biological urges.
but then again, how many things do we accept without 'proving' that they are true? the scientific method is structured to 'prove' that a theory is true. there are, doubtless, many americans who have a notably less than cushy life, but compared to war torn areas such as Haiti in the early 90s, Rwanda, the Middle East, etc, what do we know of death and destruction at an early age besides what is on tv? even kids there, however, often turn to drugs. aaa the cycle of it all
great post though. i loved the part in the video about "we beg you to note our velocity as we round the corner to independence' maybe the constant rules of 'no sex, no drinking, no staying out after 11' that a some teens are confronted with (and note, 'some' because i am not one to claim that there is one explanation for every situation) causes them to find other ways to assert themselves. how often are school shootings in the ghetto? rarely. and those that are almost never make the national news. how often are they in more upper scale settings where the kids feel stifled? we say we are an individualistic society but how many teens feel as if they are unique individuals?
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