On Placticity

My focus of the introductory chapter fell to the small section of plasticity.

The human brain is really quite amazing in that it is able to be mended and molded by its experiences.  It is a flexible thing that, even though it is often damaged either physically or by emotional trauma, it is able to 'rebound.'  Meaning, even if it does not completely return to its original quality, it is able to adapt.  A person can learn to cope with things or train their brain to utilize a different portion of their brain to keep more or less normal functioning intact.

Though it is an idea that I was already familiar with, I had not considered it in terms of the phrase 'plastic.'  In ceramics, clay is referred to as being plastic if it is more flexible or pliable.  If it has a higher level of plasticity, it is less likely to break when bent.  It is more resilient.  This section of the chapter talks about how the idea of plasticity is both a hope giving prospect as well as a realist concept.  Though I am certainly a realist and a pragmatist, I really appreciate the hopeful implications of this property of our brains.  People go through so much over their lives, and if it were not for our mind's high level of resilience, I think that none of us would be able to go on functioning.