Brains are to some extend comparable with computers. We even named systems in computers the same as systems in the brain, like working memory. And actually our brains really are complex computers. We compute information from the external world and use it in our decision making.
As a fetus we are incorporated with an operating system and the hardware to complement it. Our whole lives we install software on the system based on inputs like sound and vision. Our senses are our sensors which allow us to render our own version of reality in our minds. Our society can be seen as connected computers: knowledge and memes are communicated through the networks. We up- and download the culture which forms the paradigm we live in. But what if there is malware out there? And what would we consider malware for our brains and our society?
Malware is a software program that damages or does unwanted actions on a computer system.
What brain activity makes us do something we do not want? That seems like a strange question because if we didn’t want to do it; we wouldn’t do it right? It depends on what goals we have. We have multiple interests from time to time. Sometimes we have interest in resolving our hunger. Sometimes we might have interest in gaining knowledge, muscle or skill. But not all interests we have are compatible with each other. Most of us want to be healthy but also eat the unhealthy things. Its malware to the extend your overall succes at achieving your goals degrades.
What interests do you have that are incompatible with other interests? And how did that interest got installed on you?
