Behavior passivity refers to the nature of behavior, all behavior, including all human behavior, of any type or level of complexity. Like all real events in nature, on this planet, in this universe, behavior is natural, that is, it comprises natural events. It is an inevitable reaction.
This column contains examples of ordinary, though unpleasant experiences, called “daily downers,” that certainly seem at least indirectly to provide a kind of evidence that reality seems to exist independently of our neurally behaving it. The examples constitute a kind of support for reality’s possible—some would say probable—although unknowable, independent existence. So does reality exist?
Misestablished reality involves behaviors of knowing some stimuli as the causes of some sensory–neuron firings that are actually not the stimuli that induced the sensory–neuron firings. This kind of inaccurate behaviors of knowing, regarding particular inputs, leaves the reality of these inputs misestablished. This means that these inputs likely affect subsequent behavior with similar inaccuracy.
Consider some reality implications. The current evolved state of our physiology provides no other access for inputs (i.e., energy traces) of any kind from further afield than our sensory neurons, as extensive or as limited as they might be, even with instrumental supplements. All inputs, even with such supplements, must come through our sensory neurons (e.g., photoreceptors, phonoreceptors).
This column looks more closely at how reality stems from the firings of sensory neurons. Recall that this discussion questions, and tries to answer, how knowing about reality happens. This discussion can neither question nor answer whether or not reality exists. For now, we just presume that reality exists.
Another inadequately answered ancient question concerns reality. The question takes various forms. What is reality? Is reality real? Are our surroundings really what they seem? Are humans really what they seem? How does reality happen?
