• Your brain has a neurological trick for drowning out chaosolaser/Getty Images Your brain has a neurological trick for drowning out chaos olaser/Getty Images Recently, I was scrolling TikTok when my brain failed me. • I watched a video of Donald Trump berating CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins for “not smiling”, after she questioned him on matters concerning sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. • I didn’t consider the implications of a person - let alone a president - saying such insulting words to another human being. • Yet I’m not a monster. • Writing this column, I’ve reflected on those remarks, and found them abhorrent, unprofessional and sexist. • Read moreTake control of your brain’s master switch to optimise how you think Read more Take control of your brain’s master switch to optimise how you think My brain didn’t fail because I don’t care.

Article Summaries:

  • The column explains how the brain’s habit‑formation process-habituation-helps us filter out repetitive stimuli to focus on new, potentially important information. The author illustrates this by recounting a moment of scrolling past a Trump insult on TikTok, noting that the brain simply “tuned it out.” Habituation, which begins in utero, conserves neural resources and is seen across species. While it aids coping with grief, chronic pain, and motivates progress, it can also dull responses to danger or normalize toxic behavior. The piece highlights that impaired habituation underlies many mental‑health conditions, such as depression, and suggests that awareness of this process can help individuals manage its effects.
  • Recently, I was scrolling TikTok when my brain failed me. I watched a video of Donald Trump berating CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins for “not smiling”, after she questioned him on matters concerning sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. And I scrolled past. I didn’t pause. I didn’t get angry. I didn’t consider the implications of a person - let alone a president - saying such insulting words to another human being. Yet I’m not a monster. Writing this column, I’ve reflected on those remarks, and found them abhorrent, unprofessional and sexist. My brain didn’t fail because I don’t care. It failed because

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