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Thoughts on Thought

Managing the Mind

Roger Haines contemplates how we consciously manage our minds.

A Martian, I’m told, recently visited a terrestrial garment factory. He was surprised to see that the boss never touched a sewing machine. Even when she asked someone to order new material, it was only after other minions had brought her details of stock levels, work-in-progress, and garment orders. This woman who calls herself ‘the boss’, the Martian concluded, is a mere puppet, her every action being manipulated by these minions. Her only creative input was to make up a story justifying her instructions.