How we find our identities.
It is a well known fact that teenagers are usually very self conscious. Many wondered why that
might be. A scientist by the name of Sarah Blakemore did a study on this and noticed how when thinking of one's self, a teen tends to think of what other people think of them. She discovered the part of the brain used when thinking of one's identity is the medial prefrontal cortex. (MPFC) In people this part of the brain develops last. This would explain why many teens have a self conscious demeanor. Our feeling of self develops from what others think of us, and what we see in ourselves.
My response:
I thought this article was very interesting because this issue is a problem many teens have today, and it explains it very well. It was very well written and helps the reader understand how the brain works without being confusing. Altogether, an impressive article.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-teenagers-find-themselves
posted by David Perfect @ 12:31 PM
3 Comments:
I find this article very interesting. I never knew we actually had a part of the brain that can make us think that way. It's interesting how that part of the brain is the one that develops last.
I hate to sound like a christian school child, but the first thing I thought of after reading this is Proverbs 23:7 that says "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he"
My mom has always told me that what you think is what will happen, so if I think positively good things will happen. I tend to come back with saying something along the lines of well if I think I am a boy, will I become one? Obviously, the answer is no. But that is just me taking it to an extreme I believe. I love when I am able to see Biblical truths validated by science. I find it very interesting that if I think that others see me in some way, I will be more likely to see myself that way, even if they didn't.
I never knew that there was a part of your brain that can make people that way. And since that part of the brain develops last, it makes sense as to why teens struggle with how they think of themselves.
Post a Comment
<< Home