Man overboard

"Humans are pattern seeking animals. We must find cause and meaning in all events(quite apart from the probable reality that the universe doesn't care much about us and often operates in a random manner). I call this bias "adaptationism"-the notion that everything must fit, must have a purpose, and in the strongest version, must be for the best."

The quote is from Stephen Jay Gould, in his book Bully for Brontosaurus,. In the chapter "The Panda's Thumb of Technology", he draws on an analogy of the QWERTY typewriter and the panda's thumb illustrating it may not be the best system for typing or in the case of the panda the most functional design. However, it still prevailed in being adapted or evolved in a certain time and place.

I often wonder if I am seeing patterns that are not there in order to explain to myself what I feel. Some of the exercises created by Moshe Feldenkrais are strictly done in the mind with very little movement seen from an observer. The imaginary pane of glass sliding through the body from the head is one such and that is where the idea comes from in my own take on it. Another exercise one uses an imaginary brush to paint the outside of the head on either side. This exercise pointed out to me many years ago the way I used the left and right side of my head was different but I could not put a finger on how.

"We normally pay no attention to the asymmetry of facial movements as we speak (unless extreme in severity or when we are alerted about it in a particular case by someone more sensitive than ourselves)"

Quote is from Dr. Derakhshan's paper.  

I could feel the asymmetry but not equalize the movements in my left jaw and neck.  It led to the perception that I am always slightly twisted so that my right side is given a slight advantage to have slightly more free range. It was a very long time before I felt that I did not have a separate perception, a left moving image of my jaw, tongue, sublingual musculature and throat. There was a separate realization that I did not really see the left side of someone's face. I think I see normally the 'persona' as existing in the right half of someone and that is how my body in total responds in kind.  I feel now I have a partial use of  left moving image but I can not say that it is a real benefit. More to the point of this post why would I be the only idiot talking about it. I don't know, but the most logical conclusion would be that I am incorrect.  Later in the chapter by Gould, he throws me a partial lifeline that I can cling to. "Stasis is the norm for complex systems; change when provoked at all, is usually rapid and episodic."

I'm more comfortable with the slow and steady kind of change as I hold steadfast to my partial life buoy.