I often hear some people say that "I'm wired differently from other people" or "My brain is differently wired" but I don't understand what "wired" really means. Here are several definitions of the word from OED:
- Making use of computers to transfer or receive information, especially by means of the Internet.
- (Of a device or network) using wires or cables rather than wireless
technology to transmit signals. - In a nervous, tense, or edgy state.
- Under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
What puzzles me is that none of the above definitions seem to fit the meaning.
Does it have something to do with their thoughts or the way they perceive the world?
Best Answer
The closest fit is 2.; brain cells (neurons) are connected to each other and can send electrical signals via nerve fibres (axons). These signals carry information, just like in a wired computer network.
'Wired differently' is figurative speech (of course, everyone's brain cells are different from the next person), and it indeed means your way of thinking is different from what is normal. (Depending on the context, this can even be a derogatory term.)