Quote Originally Posted by Adrian II View Post
You're right about such basic patterns.

But we can doubt certain patterns.
To a degree. The problem is not that you as an individual can exercise some higher brain functions and enforce a new pattern of behaviour to suppress others. But when these higher order brain functions or created patterns fall apart, the old ones emerge again. You cannot fundamentally change the assumption of agency, you can merely shrug it off until the time your brain is damaged and the higher order intelligence to shrug it off no longer functions -- then you will become your old paranoid self. Similarly, a learned helplessness and reliance on other members of the “group” to perform what would have been basic exercises of trial/error & reasoning during adulthood comes back the further away you go from the age span when the brain is still sufficiently receptive to outside stimuli.

If you are a 70 year old, intelligent adult with a good grasp of English and your 16 year old granddaughter is able to setup your cell phone where you give up this is simply your brain refusing to suppress old patterns and create new ones.