There are two kinds of fear. Fast fear and slow fear. (FYI – slow fear takes a whopping 24 milliseconds.) Either way, Lilly can react faster than I can even process what she’s seen or heard. Author Temple Grandin explains it like this: “The reason fast fear can be so fast is that accuracy is
sacrificed for speed. Fast fear gives you a rough draft of reality.”
So, there you go. Lilly is living a rough draft life.
I’ve said before that I sometimes wish Lilly thought a little less, that she could simply let go. Yet, reading about this kind of brain research makes me wish she’d process stimuli just a tad longer. Maybe if she thought about it more, she’d be less afraid.
Alas, Lilly may be a one-draft wonder … which is great for writers, not so hot for reactive dogs.
Then again, knowing the kind of time splits we’re working with in her high-powered brain makes me feel a bit less lame for not being able to react fast enough to help.
Unfortunately, this stuff is hardwired into her grey matter in a way that makes it hard to divert.
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