Mind

Earlier, I posted my initial response to the "Greatest Theory Ever" question---the first things that came to my mind. A new thought came to me, however, as I walked home from campus today.

The theory that seems to be the most pervasive in my experience is the Theory of Mind. Unlike some of the less widely known theories proposed as the greatest ever (e.g., vibrating theory of olfaction, performativity), people from many walks of life seem to buy into and appeal to the theory of mind, not only in the way they make sense of their experiences and their relation with others and the world (and their own body), but in the way we even talk about our existence. This theory has a lot of traction and power, probably because it gels nicely with our experiences. It really does seem like we have a thing like a "mind" tucked away somewhere in our head. Even if we don't really, it has proven to be a useful way of conceiving of whatever it is that goes on up there.

But is the theory of mind correct? Or are we merely talking to ourselves without verbalization, or recalling and reconstructing images based on previous visual input? Does a theory have to be "true" to be the greatest ever? Or is truth found in the greatness?

I think a natural question to ask next about the theory of mind is whether its prevalence has been good for humanity? If you have thoughts on this question, feel free to add them here.