Autopilot

Today was a rainy day. As I drove to work, I found myself singing:

This morning

There is rain in RVA

My eyes fill with tears, for no reason

Innocent as if listening to mommy

I cried this morning

Another masterpiece from MFO. (Link in comment)

Sometimes, when I explain things to my son, he simply responds with an "Ohh, okay." I suppose that is the innocence level. It made me think about rain—like clouds shedding tears. Does it hurt them? Or does it cleanse the air and the land? It certainly brings life and blooms flowers.

I began contemplating how little control we have over many of our daily actions. Driving, for example, feels mostly automated—unless I need to change lanes or react to danger, I just go. Walking is similar; I notice blackbirds by the train tracks, a squirrel wedged in the trash can door, the scent of leaky downtown pipes, the hum of passing cars. Yet, my body moves without much instruction from me.

At work, we performed necropsies yesterday and today. Even that felt somewhat automated, aside from ensuring I picked the correct tubes. Many things benefit from this kind of autopilot mode. A car, for instance, runs more efficiently when in gear.

Our brains also prefer tasks that require minimal conscious effort—reflexive actions, habitual behaviors. If money in a bank account could multiply itself without intervention, that too would be an ideal autopilot scenario.

Even at a cellular level, we operate on autopilot. Around 80% of our genes remain in a closed state, with only a fraction actively transcribing. Cells experience bursts of transcription during development or in response to disease, but for the most part, they function automatically.

Then there is the level of numbing the brain. Some people seek unconsciousness, an escape from worries, attempting to erase certain experiences. Unfortunately, many such "solutions" lead to addiction. But is there any benefit to this stage?

We willingly go numb when we sleep. In my family, bedtime is a priority. We rush to ensure the kids brush their teeth and join the world of sleep—a realm of unconsciousness that we embrace for its cleansing, reorganization of thoughts, and reinforcement of memories and learning. We can clearly see the benefit in this instance.

How in control of your actions do you feel?

What are some things you do on autopilot?