II. What is Evolution & Why is Brain Power so Expensive?

For most of our human evolution, energy and biological processes were diverted toward sheer survival and fighting over resources.

Except for rare interludes of creative achievement, higher order thinking was simply a luxury we could not afford.

We can still experience this today when we become ill, or burdened by pregnancy and child raising, or caught in precarious socioeconomic circumstances, we simply do not possess the budget required for higher order thinking.

So brain power is a luxury, bought at a high price, and treasured when it emerges as times of high creativity and higher order thought.

Looking back on human history we may observe long periods of gritty survival punctuated by waves of innovation and creativity.

Early on this innovation emerged as hunting strategy, securing of water supplies and shelter.

Later, brain power was liberally applied to the design of projectiles, the fashioning of stone implements, and to the celebration of individuality through jewelry, tattooing & clothing.

Marked by instances of painting and drawing which increased both individual and group identity.

Times of emergent brain power are marked by such technological progress as the mastery of fire and metallurgy, and such innovations as basketry & weaving, building construction & pottery development.

Once civilization was established, waves of creativity emerged from a background of bureaucracy, resource management, disease control, social status maintenance, infrastructure building & maintenance, and warfare.

We can see the emergence of higher brain activity in waves as these episodes punctuate a more grim and gritty background.

And we can envision the budgetary constraints as the luxury of higher order thought emerges.

That vastly expansive line item of brain power a familiar shadow as we evolve.