Feedback Loops that make us bitter (or better)!

Greetings!

Have you heard of a German Anatomist and Surgeaon named Dr. Julius Wolff  from 19th century, who (among a prolific bibliography) proposed "The law of transformation of the bone" in 1892?

No?

I too didn't. (Well at least till last week)

While discussing how stress impacts human beings, I heard a wise man talk about Wolff's Law .

Technically, the law (now modified slightly by Utah-Paradigm of Bone physiology) states that mechanical loading influences bone structure by changing the mass (amount of bone) and architecture (its arrangement) to provide a structure that resists habitual loads with an economical amount of material.

In simpler words - whenever bones of a healthy person experience tension, compression, shear they respond by becoming stronger!




Great!

But this leads to another question, does the human mind also respond in such "anti-fragile" way when it comes to the (mostly imagined but sometimes real) stress?

The answer is complex. We can see several people getting better as they face calamities while there are those too, who emerge as more bitter than before. And, it is not uniform across the dimensions of personality. Sometimes stress affects different dimensions differently. e.g. Some may become better in dealing with outside world but bitter at home (or vice versa).

The question now is, what is the deciding factor in this dichotomy of responses?

If we go back to Wolff's Law Analogy, and dig a bit deeper into the science - we are introduced to a great scientific sounding, (and truly scientific) term : mechanotransduction.

As per Wolff and others who have researched this field; this mechano-jing-bing-thing is the "feedback loop" that enables Wolff's law. A wide array of cross-talking signalling pathways creates this "feedback loop".

If this "feedback loop" doesn’t work properly, then Wolff' Law turns on its head and we fall prey to bone and cartilage diseases.

I wonder, whether, just like the mechanotransduction "feedback loops", we have certain feedback loops that make up a healthy mind?

What if, those loops are part of a "factory mode" installation of human mind?

What if, the way a human mind develops through its life affects these loops - either strengthening them or jumbling them?

What if, it is the strength or jumbling of these loops that ends up making someone better or bitter?

What if, in our layman's language, such "feedback loops" are called as "introspection"?

I, for one, plan to introspect on this.

How about you?

Sincerely Mine!
Anand Kulkarni

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