© Charles M. Schulz. Characters from Peanuts, including Charlie Brown, are the intellectual property of Peanuts Worldwide LLC
Once again, Charlie Brown was awake at night, his mind spinning with endless thoughts. He often found himself trapped in a cycle of overthinking, analysing every little decision until he felt paralysed by doubt. That night, a familiar question nagged at him: “How do I think, feel, and decide?”
The next morning, still feeling overwhelmed, he wandered over to Lucy’s psychiatric booth, hoping she might have some answers.
Lucy, ever confident, leaned forward. “It’s simple, Charlie Brown. Your brain works like a machine. You get a thought, and it’s like pressing a button. Just like turning on the TV. You pick a channel, and boom, it plays. You think, you decide, end of story, 5 cents please!”
Charlie Brown frowned, uncertain. “But what about when I feel happy and then something bad happens? I think I’m afraid to be happy because whenever I get too happy, something bad always happens,” he said, reflecting on how even his happiest moments seemed fleeting, always overshadowed by an expectation of disappointment.
Just then, Linus appeared, carrying a book tightly under his arm. He had been reading about the brain and was eager to share what he’d learned. “Actually, Charlie Brown, there’s more to it than that. Your brain is more mysterious than just a machine or a TV.”
Charlie Brown looked up, curious. “Really? Tell me more, Linus.”
Well,” Linus began, “there are two different ways people think about how the brain works. Some people believe it works like a giant puzzle or computer. That’s what a really smart guy named John Hopfield thought. Apparently, he won something called the Nobel Prize. I’m not totally sure what a Nobel Prize is, but it sounds important! He said the brain is full of tiny puzzle pieces called neurons that talk to each other. These neurons send messages and connect in just the right way to help you solve problems, remember things, and make decisions. It’s like your brain is the world’s greatest puzzle solver.
“Wow!” Charlie Brown said after Linus explained his view. “So my brain is like a super puzzle?”
“Exactly,” Linus added calmly.
“But if that’s true,” Charlie Brown continued, “why do I always feel like I’m missing a piece? Why do I feel happy one moment and worried the next?”
Linus replied, “Sometimes the pieces don’t seem to fit perfectly, especially when we overthink. But John Hopfield’s idea is that, even when you feel like something’s wrong, your brain is still trying to solve the puzzle, even if it doesn’t feel that way.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “Of course. It’s like a machine. I told you, Charlie Brown.”
But then Linus added, “But that’s not the whole story. There’s another idea too. Another smart man named Roger Penrose has a different way of thinking about it. I read he won a Nobel Prize as well, so he must be pretty important too. He thinks the brain is much more magical, something no computer or machine could ever copy. He believes that tiny things in our brain called quantum particles are doing something mysterious — something even scientists don’t fully understand yet.
Charlie Brown blinked. “Quantum what?”
Linus explained, “These tiny particles behave in strange ways that no regular machine could ever do. Penrose believes that these particles are like stars twinkling in the night, creating thoughts and feelings in a way that’s more like magic than puzzles. This is why our thoughts and consciousness are so unique.”
“So,” Charlie Brown said, scratching his head, “My brain is a puzzle and magic at the same time?”
“Sort of,” Linus smiled. “John Hopfield would say your brain solves problems like a puzzle, connecting neurons together to help you think. But Roger Penrose would say that something deeper, more mysterious, is happening inside your brain — something we don’t fully understand yet, like quantum magic.”
Charlie Brown sighed, still thinking about his earlier worry. “I don’t know, Linus. Maybe when I overthink and get stuck, it’s because my brain is trying to figure out something more complicated than I realise. But… I still can’t shake the feeling that when I get happy, something bad is just waiting around the corner.”
Lucy crossed her arms. “It sounds like you expect a lot for 5 cents, Charlie Brown”
“Good grief!” Charlie Brown exclaimed. “It’s giving me a headache… How can two guys win the Nobel Prize for saying completely opposite things about the brain? Meanwhile, Snoopy’s over there dancing and having fun.
Linus chuckled. “Well, Charlie Brown, maybe Snoopy’s figured out the secret of consciousness, and we’re all still trying to catch up.”
A puzzled Charlie Brown asked Linus, “What do you mean?”
Linus replied, “It’s great to explore the mystery of the brain, but Snoopy has this intuitive way of being that goes beyond all those explanations. He recognises the brain’s ability to feel joy, simplicity, and be fully present. Snoopy shows us how to live fully, to dance, enjoy moments without overthinking, and approach life with a light heart.
Charlie Brown looked over again at Snoopy, who was dancing carefree, full of joy. Shaking his head, half-amused and half-confused, he muttered, “Maybe he has, Linus. Maybe he has”.