Starfish Don't Have Brains and Still Manage to Heal

Sea stars, still often called starfish despite being neither stars nor fish, don't have brains. They possess a decentralized nervous system consisting of a nerve ring and radial nerves in each arm. There is no central processing. No mental load. No inner dialogue reviewing yesterday’s conversations for tone.

When a sea star loses a limb, it begins to regrow it. The process does not wait for clarity or meaning. There is no hesitation, no reflection, no story attached to the injury. Regeneration begins because it is biologically programmed to do so.

Humans operate differently. Equipped with a brain capable of abstract thought, emotional nuance, and language, we often spend more time explaining our pain than recovering from it. We interpret, narrate, and postpone action until it fits into a structure we can understand. What we call insight often functions as delay.

The sea star does not need interpretation in order to heal. It does not need to explain its loss before it starts rebuilding. Its nervous system does not require permission from language before taking the next step. It continues not because it is wise, but because it is unencumbered.

This is not an argument against meaning. It is a reminder that meaning is not always required. Recovery can occur without context. Progress does not always need an audience.

The sea star offers a version of healing without noise. No dramatics. No process posts. Just repair, executed without hesitation. It cannot think. It also does not wait. That may be the reason it moves forward so efficiently.

We humans are not lacking in ability. We are just simply too involved in our own explanations to use it efficiently.