I read the book, Lifespan, recently and have been pretty impressed and excited with the genetic research there. And as always, reading about one thing generates thoughts and ideas about whole other things.

Genetic expression is controlled by suppressing genes (or not suppressing them). When certain genes are suppressed, the cells behave in a certain way and when other genes are suppressed, the cells behave in a certain other way.

I've been thinking about how this is analogous to our thoughts and feelings.

When we find ourselves in a certain situation, say wanting to buy a new car, some aspects come to the forefront like how we will be perceived when we own a new car, what it will feel like to drive down to work in our new car, how it will make us feel when we have it parked outside our house, and so on.

At this time, certain thoughts are suppressed and we don't think fully well about the long term financial implications of buying a new car, whether we will still feel the way we expect to just a few weeks after the purchase, etc.

However, once we have made the purchase and have transitioned to the other side of the decision, these thoughts tend to get suppressed and other thoughts begin to dominate our frame of mind.

This is the reason for the existence of regret in the first place. If we were able to express all our thoughts and feelings equally all of the time, then we would always make rational decisions and never regret any decision that we make.

But, in reality, we are unable to express all our thoughts and feelings equally all of the time. I'm not even taking into account the changes that occur to our thoughts and feelings over time, but merely what's expressed more prominently.

The core of product design, marketing and advertising is to exploit this reality to drive us to make certain decisions. And that's what makes it so fascinating!