The Cockroach Theory of Mind

Forget all you have heard of grey matter neurons and hemispheres of ther brain.

In certain characters:
Above eye level the cranial cavity is empty

Up to eye level it is filled with a viscous liquid

Floating on the liquid is a cork (it's about the size of a wine bottle cork)

sitting on the cork is a cockroach

The hair continues growing into the cavity, in black people it is a bit like telephone cords, all springy, in whites and asians it tends to be straight and hang down obstructing the cockroach.


The cockroach is the controller. On command, he paddles his little cork around and connects up the inner ends of the hairs, in much the same manner as old style telephone operators used to do.

So, for example, the boss man says: "Sweep the yard"

The cockroach paddles the cork over until he can reach and connects the hairs for "sweep" and "yard".

The individual then goes and sweeps the yard. At this level the system works very well, however, we are all inclined to try to use systems for more than they were originally meant to do, and this system is now exception:

The boss man is in a hurry and needs several things doing.

"Sweep the yard, feed the dogs, bag some corn and chop some fire wood. Then, when you've done that, fuel the truck.

The cockroach sets off and connects "Sweep" to "Yard", then quickly paddles the cork so it can reach "feed" and "Dogs" and sets off in the direction of "bag" and "corn".

Unfortunately by this time the fluid is starting to slop around and the cork is not the most stable means of transport, so the cockroach falls off and lands on its back, legs in the air, and unable to reach up and make any connections.

I'm sure you've seen the look of total blank and confusion that appears on a face at this stage.

This is rapidly followed by a finger coming up and probing the inner recesses of a nostril or an ear.

These are automatic responses, they are helping the cockroach back onto the cork.


Ps
Next time you see a cockroach, don't hurt it, it might be lost and someone might be looking for it.