I recently came across the idea of embodied cognition – the theory that touch and other senses play a large role, perhaps the only role, in the nature of our minds and even our very consciousness. I am not about to head down the road of any sort of new age philosophy but it certainly seems obvious that we were created to respond to certain sensations like weight and warmth which is why these ideas are being explored in more practical ways in fields like product design.
As I was reading a blog article that related the concept to design, I couldn’t help but think about some shooters I know and maybe even myself who, at times, seem to be almost irrationally attached to certain firearms. The article mentions how our perceptions change when we are holding something weighty or warm (among other sensations and feelings). I wonder if this plays at least a small part in why some people seem to have a near irrational attachment to certain firearms.
Maybe, at some subconscious level, we can’t help but love blued steel and walnut stocks. Maybe, this explains why firearms like the 1911 have such staying power. Maybe this might explain some shooter’s hesitance to accept plastic firearm components. I don’t have any concrete answers for you but it is a very interesting concept to try to plummet.
