It is 4:30 in the morning and I’ve just fed my cat. He came in hungry after much activity. There was some old cat food lying around, which had been there for 12 hours. As he was hungry he dived in and began to eat it. Meanwhile I was preparing some fresh. He hadn’t give it much thought. He was hungry. There was food on the table. He ate it. My cat’s mind is like a very lightweight website. Lightweight websites load very quickly because there are few processes to go through to make it work. Yes, I liken my cat’s brain to a lightweight website. Note to aspiring website owners: keep it unemcumbered (stripped-down) if you can!
He sees, he likes it, and he does it. He doesn’t have to process the whole thing, the pros and cons of it, and the philosophical questions as to whether he should or shouldn’t do something. He doesn’t have to work out through rational thought the various consequences, which speeds up the whole mental process. This is not to say that instinctive behaviour does not also include an appreciation of the consequences. Domestic cats learn from their actions and they also inherit knowledge which allows them to weigh up situations instinctively and accurately.
But this does not detract from the point that I wish to make which is that domestic cats brains are relatively umemcumbered compared to the human’s. They don’t carry around the mental baggage that humans have stored in their craniums. The more sophisticated a society and an animal becomes the more baggage they carry. The more societal rules they have which slows everything down.
I’m reminded of the mentality of the French. In general, they like a very large book of rules about how to live life. It’s quite anally retentive. They believe that it’s a reflection of a sophisticated society to have a large rulebook but it does make getting things done very difficult. The European Union is a good example. It’s bogged down in bureaucracy. Nothing happens.
And humans can sometimes become too cautious and overcomplicate matters. If you overthink something you become paralysed by it and never take action. The first step is the most important one in achieving a goal. People should be open to taking risks, failing, learning and then taking another risk with modified actions. Eventually you succeed and stand head and shoulders above others.
We can learn from domestic cats in this sense. They don’t overthink. They just do it. Their brains are unencumbered with baggage. This is a positive thing.
Dictionary: for those who are unsure what “unencumbered” means: not having any burden or impediment. Stripped-down to essentials.
