We now know that the nervous system is 10^12 interconnected neurons... does this increase or decrease the comfy-ness of the idea that behavior and the brain are the same thing?

The nervous system... the brain... it is amazingly intriguing that 10^12 neurons ARE our brain. That they ARE our intelligence, our abilities, our beliefs, our morals, and to some extent, our life. We would be nowhere without these cells. I do not want to give in so easily to the debate of the brain being equivalent to behavior, but I see no choice. If neurons comprise the brain and the brain controls the body and the mind, then behavior is indeed part of what the brain controls. In a way, I feel as though there should be more to the nervous system than gazillions of cells working together. Team work beginning on such a minuscule level does not seem like it could account for me producing this essay.

Thinking in this way leads to a feeling of lack of control. Though somehow we CAN control the neurons, it just does not make sense. Perhaps we have control over a larger box that is comprised of these neurons. It is hard for me to type because I keep imagining a particular neuron firing. And when it goes out of turn, then I have a mispelled word (I suppose that sometimes it just does not fire at all...). My thoughts are convoluted. Does that mean that too much is happening all at once in the box on top of my body? Yes, I suppose it does actually. Because as I understand more and more, less and less neurons will have to fire at the same time to produce a final result.

I agree that the brain is behavior, but I still don't understand how the brain "chooses" or "controls" behavior.

Delightful working through of some of the implications of what we're talking about. Thanks. Notice that if "you" try and control your brain/behavior, some things get worse? And that the phrasing "how the brain 'chooses' or 'controls' behavior" gets you into trouble? If the brain IS behavior then the question isn't "how does the brain choose behavior" but rather what is it that is occuring within that brain that corresponds to "choice" or "control" of behavior. And, if there are lots of boxes, maybe "control" isn't the right word? That help any? PG