Mind

– I've been thinking about thinking.
– You mean, in terms of finally doing something about it? As in, you'd like to start thinking sometime soon?
– No – that would make no sense at all. I mean I've been thinking about the process of thinking: how the brain works, that sort of thing.
– And do you know how the brain works?
– Well, no, not exactly, but that's beside the point. I find it helps to forget that the brain is some sort of mysterious, omnipotent being, encapsulating your very essence, the temple of all your innermost thoughts, and so on, but rather that's it just – say – a man-made mechanical object, one which does some things amazingly well, but is a bit useless at other things, and tends to get distracted and tired and run out of ideas now and again.
– I'm not sure man-made mechanical objects ever get distracted or tired or whatever.
– Perhaps the analogy is a little weak at that point. Maybe not a mechanical object, then, but something else... Like a muscle: the same way the muscles in your arm or leg need progressive training to build up their capability, but can get tired through overuse.
– But muscles don't ever run out of ideas. Or get distracted.
– Again, the analogy is not perfect. Think of – of – the cat.
– Why the cat?
– It's a simple example of something with a certain degree of intelligence, quite obviously, but is also, to be honest, a bit dim. For instance, every time you open the fridge, it expects to be fed. It's a simple Pavlovian response. Whereas higher species –
– To tell the truth, every time I open the fridge, I also expect to be fed.
– ... I rest my case.