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Taka Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Drive a wedge

As anyone who has ever been in a verbal disagreement can attest, people tend to give elaborate justifications for their decisions, which we have every reason to believe are nothing more than rationalisations after the event. To prove such people wrong, though, or even provide enough evidence to change their mind, is an entirely different matter: who are you to say what my reasons are?
But with choice blindness we drive a large wedge between intentions and actions in the mind. As our participants give us verbal explanations about choices they never made, we can show them beyond doubt - and prove it - that what they say cannot be true.

What does the part in bold mean?
  

Top answer

Consider two things which would normally be together in some sense, perhaps touching, perhaps communicating remotely as a single unit. Originally, a wedge was a tapered tool, usually metal, sharp on one end, used for splitting logs or firewood. One would drive it into the wood with a heavy sledge hammer until the wood was forced to separate into two parts.

— Avangi

  • Consider two things which would normally be together in some sense, perhaps touching, perhaps communicating remotely as a single unit.
  • Originally, a wedge was a tapered tool, usually metal, sharp on one end, used for splitting logs or firewood.
  • One would drive it into the wood with a heavy sledge hammer until the wood was forced to separate into two parts.
  • Normally, intentions translate into actions.
  • They communicate.
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12 Answers
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Consider two things which would normally be together in some sense, perhaps touching, perhaps communicating remotely as a single unit.

Originally, a wedge was a tapered tool, usually metal, sharp on one end, used for splitting logs or firewood. One would drive it into the wood with a heavy sledge hammer until the wood was forced to separate into two parts.

Normally, intentions
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I somehow understand what 'to drive a wedge' means; it's 'to keep things apart' as you say.

But what does 'to drive a wedge between intentions in mind and actions in mind (not jut 'actions'; it's 'actions in mind') exactly mean? How does it related to the rest of the text?
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There are so many concepts of mind floating around these days I'd probably have to read your book to see exactly what they mean here.

Your entire nervous system is made up of neurons, or nerve cells.
Anything from memory on through to motor neurons (which activate your muscles) is made of the same stuff.

It comes down to what you mean by "intention." Does "intention" have a
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AvangiHave you read yet about the concept of "choice blindness"? I suspect you need to understand that to understand the wedge.
I've just read about it.
AvangiThey send a message along sensory nerve pathways to your brain, which somehow processes them as "wild tiger," and comes up with the INTENTION to run. Impulses are now sent in th
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we drive a large wedge between intentions and actions in the mind.

I guess your original question continues to go unanswered.
Perhaps we have a parsing problem here.
In my opinion, "in the mind" is adverbial, and you're taking it as adjectival.
I believe it modifies "drive," and you believe it modifies "act
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AH! I see. 'In the mind' was adverbial.

Then 'in the mind doesn't really seem necessary, don't you think so? This version, without 'in the mind', itself seems to make enough sense.

We drive a large wedge between intentions and actions.
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Yes. I think we're on the same page. Emotion: smile

If you wish to refine (or define in great detail) exactly how this is accomplished,
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AvangiYes. I think we're on the same page.
Good.
Avangi If you wish to refine (or define in great detail) exactly how this is accomplished, you would probably need to make clear which of the several scientific disciplines you're using.
To define what 'the mind' in 'in the mind' really means? Is that what you mean, Avangi?
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TakaTo define what 'the mind' in 'in the mind' really means? Is that what you mean,
That's certainly part of it.

Your author is developing a concept called "choice blindness." I have absolutely no idea what it's about, but it seems to play a key part in the "wedge" image.

If it's your intention to persue this, I should think you'd want
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OK.

In other words, as a general statement for general readers who are not familiar with psychology or physiology, that 'in the mind' is even unnecessary, right?
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