Hacking the Human OS: The map

Hacking the Human OS is a series of posts that investigates the mechanics of the human mind. Understanding your Operating System (OS) will help you think better, and help you get better, more consistent results from your interactions with other people.

Here's a visual map that will serve to open the floor for discussion on the Human OS. At a very high level, the map visualizes my current understanding of how the Human OS functions as a system:

The primary inputs are sensations from the outside world.

The primary outputs are the actions that you take to create results in that outside world.

The primary feedback loop occurs when the impact that you have on the outside world drives more sensory inputs, which result in your understanding of how the world works and how you can be successful in it. One of the things we'll be talking about is the difference between positive and negative feedback loops, and what you can do to encourage positive loops in yourself and others.

Between sensation and action are the guts of the system, where you translate sensations into things like memories, mental models, habits, routine behaviors and priorities.

At the moment the map may not be self-explanatory. If it doesn't make sense yet, don't worry: in the coming week's I'll be posting more on the subject.

If you can make sense of it please share your thoughts; I consider it a work in progress and want to incorporate your thoughts and ideas. With your help, I will solodify the model as we move forward. The goal is to develop a functional model that people can use to effect change.

So what do you think?

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