Insula -regulating right from wrong
Deep within your brain lies a region called the insula. Tucked beneath the cerebral cortex, it plays a quiet but critical role in helping you feel, judge, and decide.
The insula doesn’t just respond to pain or pleasure.
It processes interoception, your sense of what is happening inside your body.
That gut feeling? That’s the insula at work.
But it does more. It lights up when we face moral decisions. When we sense disgust, injustice, or empathy, it is the insula that helps us determine what feels “right” or “wrong.”
It doesn’t operate like a logical calculator. It feels its way through the world, using emotion and context to guide us.
Algorithms shape the world.
Who, what, when and why are all determined by a program. Your social experiences are driven by algorithms.
Have you watched one video on YouTube on a subject? A hundred more will flood you. In fact, mention it to a friend, and you’ll be inundated with more.
AI organizes content for engagement.
They feed us outrage, extremes, and cleverly packaged misinformation, constantly nudging us to scroll just one more time.
The boundary between right and wrong blurs, often without us knowing.
In such a world, the ability to make good choices becomes a skill.
One we have to train. It begins with awareness. Learn to pause before reacting.
Pay attention to how your body responds. Your insula is trying to tell you something.
Next, develop filters. Not everything you see deserves your trust or your time. Curate your digital environment like you would your diet. Consciously and carefully.
Like everything else in your body, your insula also responds to your training. The more you use it to make sound judgement, the better it will get in sending you the right signals.
Making sound judgements is a super power.
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