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We can argue that everything we think and know is a construction of the brain. Without the brain and the nervous system we would not be able to perceive inputs. Almost everyone can use the environment to create certain responses in the body. Heat can be an input to create a signal that tells your body to sweat to maintain your body temperature. What happens when the input does not signal your body to create the response needed?

Those with congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA) cannot feel pain. It is a rare genetic disorder that prevents the formation of nerve cells. This leads to multiple injuries of the arms and legs, chronic infections of bones and joints, inability to sweat (anhidrosis), and recurrent episodes of hyperthermia.

The input does exist although people with CIPA cannot perceive it. Those with CIPA do not have to perceive external input for it to exist.

The same goes with perceive those around us. I agree that Eden will exist regardless of whether you (dmckeever) exist because others perceive her. But I think your thought on how other’s perception shapes Eden’s identity is incomplete. It is true that “Eden’s existence is very much dependent on those around her because our perceptions of her make her who she is” but this would not be true if Eden did not have the ability to respond to our perceptions of her.

Going back to patients with CIPA; a child with CIPA will never learn directly that touching a hot stove will burn. If a child touches a hot stove, he will not be able to respond to the input and change his brain; he will not be able to change his actions/himself according to the input.

An example with Eden would be: Eden is in a group of people that do not like the subject money. Eden likes to discuss how much money she has all the time with the group. If she could not perceive the group’s dislike, Eden’s existence does not depend on those around her because the perception of those around her does not make her who she is. She would continue to talk about money with or without the group’s perception of her. It is important to remember that it is an endless loop of inputs and outputs, which can be another person’s outputs and inputs and one’s unique ability to process that information is what makes our perceptions different from another’s.