Thomas Lewis
Thomas Lewis
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Thomas Lewis was a renowned British physiologist, born on December 9, 1916, in London, England. He is often referred to as Tom Lewis.
Birth and Death Dates
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December 9, 1916 - November 16, 2001
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Lewis was a British physiologist by profession. His work primarily focused on the study of the cardiovascular system and its responses to emotional stress.
Early Life and Background
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Growing up in London during the tumultuous years of World War I and II, Lewis developed a keen interest in science from an early age. He was particularly fascinated by the human body's response to stress and its effects on the heart. This curiosity led him to pursue a career in physiology.
Major Accomplishments
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Lewis made significant contributions to the field of physiology through his groundbreaking research on the body's "fight or flight" response. His most notable work, The Body and the Man, published in 1960, provided an in-depth analysis of how the human body reacts to emotional stress. This book not only expanded the understanding of physiological responses but also shed light on their psychological implications.
Notable Works or Actions
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In addition to his seminal publication, Lewis authored several other influential works, including The Polymorphic Heart and Adrenaline: The Inside Story of a Hormone That Made Us Human. He was also an accomplished lecturer, sharing his knowledge with students and professionals worldwide through various conferences and workshops.
Impact and Legacy
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Thomas Lewis's work has had a lasting impact on the fields of physiology and psychology. His research on emotional stress responses paved the way for further studies in psychophysiology and stress management. The concept of "adrenaline" – popularized by his writings – became an integral part of everyday language, often used to describe intense emotional states.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Thomas Lewis is widely quoted and remembered for his insightful descriptions of the human body's responses to stress. His ability to explain complex physiological concepts in simple terms has made him a beloved figure among scientists, students, and laypeople alike. Through his work, Lewis continues to inspire new generations of researchers and scholars to explore the intricate relationships between mind and body.
His quotes, often appearing in popular media outlets and academic journals, offer profound insights into human behavior and our capacity for resilience. By sharing his expertise with a broad audience, Thomas Lewis has left an enduring legacy that transcends disciplinary boundaries, reminding us of the importance of understanding the intricate mechanisms governing our physiological and emotional responses to life's challenges.
As we reflect on the contributions of this remarkable individual, we are reminded of the profound impact that scientific inquiry can have on our comprehension of human nature. Through his tireless efforts to illuminate the intricacies of the human body, Thomas Lewis has not only advanced our understanding of physiology but also left a lasting impression on the world of science and beyond.
Quotes by Thomas Lewis
Thomas Lewis's insights on:
Like any other momentous shift in emotion, depression is not an occupation by a foreign army; it is civil insurrection, the subversion of identity’s republic from within. A depressed person loses more than energy and appetite – he loses himself and the capacity to make the decisions his former, pre-coup self would have made.
Total self-sufficiency turns out to be a daydream whose bubble is burst by the sharp edge of the limbic brain. Stability means finding people who regulate you well and staying near them.
An ironic revelation of the television-computer age is that what people want from machines is humanity: stories, contact, and interaction.
In a relationship, one mind revises another; one heart changes its partner. This astounding legacy of our combined status as mammals and neural beings is limbic revision: the power to remodel the emotional parts of the people we love, as our Attractors activate certain limbic pathways, and the brain’s inexorable memory mechanism reinforces them. Who we are and who we become depends, in part, on whom we love.
But dividing the mind into “biological” and “psychological” is as fallacious as classifying light as a particle or a wave. The natural world makes no promise to align itself with preconceptions that humans find parsimonious or convenient. (167)
The brain’s dense thicket of interrelationships, like those of history or art, does not yield to the reductivist’s bright blade. (91)
When trying to fathom an immense, intricate system, drawing direct arrows of causality between micro and macro-components is perilous. Which stock caused the crash of ’29? Which person triggered the outbreak of World War I? Which word of Poe’s “The Rave” suffuses it with an atmosphere of brooding melancholy? (91)
One brain’s blueprint may promote joy more readily than most; in another, pessimism reigns. Whether happiness infuses or eludes a person depends, in part, on the DNA he has chanced to receive. (152)
When people have trouble with their emotions – a bout of anxiety or depression, say, or seasonal gloominess - they often want science to pinpoint an offending neurotransmitter in the way that a witness picks the perp out of a lineup. Is it excessive norepinephrine, too little dopamine, errant estrogen? The answer is apt to dissatisfy: no single suspect can be fingered with confidence because the question itself attributes a fallacious simplicity to the brain.(91)
Modern amorists are sometimes taken aback at the prospect of investing in a relationship with no guarantee of reward. It is precisely that absence, however, that separates gift from shrewdness. Love cannot be extracted, commanded, demanded, or wheedled. It can only be given. (208)