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The Council of Gods

Book by Kevin L. Michel · 27 quotes · Psychology, Neuroscience, Perception

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The Council of Gods Quotes

“The battle between impulse and wisdom is not a sign that one is weak or flawed - it is a natural feature of being human. Our psyches are not monolithic, but assemblages of different drives, emotions, and thought patterns. By acknowledging the battle, we can more consciously support the side of wisdom.”

“At the center of this reaction is a region of the brain called the amygdala, our internal alarm system. When faced with the unknown, the amygdala triggers stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol - heart pounding, senses on edge, stomach uneasy - great for real danger but breeding anxiety when the ‘threat’ is only abstract.”

“At the center of this reaction is a region of the brain called the amygdala, our internal alarm system. When faced with the unknown, the amygdala triggers stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol—heart pounding, senses on edge, stomach uneasy, mom's spaghetti—great for real danger but breeding anxiety when the ‘threat’ is only abstract.”

“Centuries after Plato’s allegory, neuroscience now confirms that indeed, perception is a filter, not a passive window onto reality. Our brains are not cameras capturing an objective world; they are artists crafting a narrative. Light pours onto your retina upside‑down and full of gaps, yet you don’t see the world as an upside‑down patchwork full of holes.”

“Now picture that one day, a single prisoner is somehow freed … The familiar wall with its comforting shadows suddenly feels safer and saner than this new blinding light and its strange shapes. Gradually, as his eyes adapt, he starts to see forms in true detail—first vague outlines, then clear shapes with colors beyond any palette of shadow.”