AI pioneer Marvin Minsky on ideas and communities

This is a quote by the famous and inspiring cognitive scientist who died last year, out of his book "the society of mind":

"Most of our concepts come from the communities in which we're raised. Even the ideas we 'get' for ourselves come from communities – this time, the ones inside our heads."

It is very rewarding to follow that thought Marvin Minsky had here: How is an individual defined? Is ist always the same? Is the person who you call your best friend the same person, when it is with anyone else? Are there people in whose presence you behave totally different than normal?

Several scientists have concluded, that our personalities are very complex and that our behavior is very dependent on the people we interact with at a certain moment. So the impression of having a stable and continuous personality is maybe not as appropriate as it seems in the first place.

Marvin Minsky 2008, image taken form wikipedia.

Emotions design our lifes

Our mood is a very powerful dynamic force in our brain. And it is emotions which decide which memories are being stored, it is the moments with the strongest feelings, that remain unforgettable and defining for ourselves.

So How does your funny ego get along with your angry one?