Influences

I just participated in a discussion of the book by David Eagleman entitled “Incognito”.  It basically mentions parts of us that are unconscious but important in our lives.  Americans like to emphasize that we have minds of our own and can make up those minds about issues, questions and decisions that come up.  To a large extent, that seems to be true: we can believe and do what we want.  But and it is a big but, parents, siblings, neighbors, officials, teachers, partners, and others have important influences on us.  That doesn’t mention that we change, from birth to child to adolescent to young adult to older adult to old adult.  It is a wonder we manage to do as well as we do!