Key points

The brain is wired to engage in tasks like washing dishes and sweeping the floor without thought.

The default mode network is a friend to anxiety, worry, and pessimism.

Our heads may continue to nod, even though the words conveyed by the person speaking to us don’t register.

A neighbor once told me that he often dresses, ties his shoelaces, drags his toothbrush around, starts the car, drives down the parkway, and arrives at his office without much mental effort; this sometimes alarms him. Yet we all do it. We all have days where we go through the motions like an automaton. How many mornings have I walked to the train station without noticing who I passed along the way?

For this zombie-like state, we can thank the “ default mode network ,” which is located in the brain’s p

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