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Embodied Cognition

Over the span of more than two decades, I have ventured into unfamiliar cultures, of which each offered its own distinctive experiences. From my time spent on an Indian reservation in Parker, Arizona, to immersing myself in a farming community in the heart of the Midwest, and even exploring the vibrant, tourist-driven town of Summit County, Colorado, I've encountered a diverse array of environments. These places carried distinct scents, dialects, and customs, challenging me to navigate the landscape of the unfamiliar.

As I embraced these novel situations, I found myself making judgment "calls," often while engaged with my clients. This act of transitioning and adapting fascinated me. It highlighted the two fundamental choices we face when confronted with adversity: to either be open to it or to deny it. These paths, like keys to opposing locks, lead to vastly different experiences, shaping our perspectives and interactions.

In our journey through life, our personal values, morals, and beliefs serve as the compass guiding our encounters. The question of whether we choose openness or denial arises when something challenges what we hold dear. These challenges often trigger emotional responses and prompt us to assess the congruence between our values and the situations we face.

The notion of moral judgments is deeply intertwined with our moral knowledge and convictions. This is where moral sentimentalism comes into play, suggesting that our emotions and desires play a fundamental role in shaping our ethical considerations. These emotions, in turn, manifest through embodied cues, influencing our feelings and mediating our moral judgments.

Embodied cognition is a captivating phenomenon that underscores the profound connection between our bodies and our minds. Non-verbal communication, conveyed through body gestures, holds the power to shape our cognitive processes, encompassing perception, memory, problem-solving, and emotions. The interplay between our bodies and our environment becomes particularly significant when we encounter adversity, influencing our choices between openness and denial.

Consider the posture of forearms up with fingers stretched open, a gesture that conveys a different message than clenched fists or open palms in the context of moral judgment. Such physical gestures embody values and beliefs, representing the fortresses of our spirits. These strongholds, whether they are tangible or subtle, play a pivotal role in our decision-making processes.

In the realm of adversity, the battle between openness and denial often hinges on these spirit strongholds. They encapsulate our embodied values, our deeply ingrained beliefs, and our "felt" sense of right and wrong. As we navigate the complex landscape of life's challenges, we find ourselves at a crossroads, facing the profound choice of embracing the unfamiliar with open arms or retreating into the safety of denial. It is within this choice that our growth, resilience, and understanding flourish.

Questions for further exploration.

What are your core values? What’s deeply meaningful to you? (i.e. loyalty, minimalism, buddhism).

What is a recent experience that challenged your values? Describe it. Name your thoughts, feelings, and sensations surrounding the situation.

What is one thing you were open to within that situation?

REFERENCES

Shapiro, Lawrence and Shannon Spaulding, "Embodied Cognition", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2021 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), forthcoming URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2021/entries/embodied-cognition/>. (Originally cited from the initial research July 25, 2011).