Importance of Cognition 

It is only the cognitive faculty that is sensible. It is the cognitive faculty that should dominate our mind, and not the emotions, but very often it is the emotional or affective faculty that dominates our mind. This is what makes a human being an animal. What is special about the human being is the cognitive faculty. The glorious aim of the Buddha was to make the normal half human being a supernormal fully human being. 

                              Feeding, sleeping, fear and sex 
                              Is common to both man and beast 
                              Cognition does make man very special 
                              When low in cognition man is a beast 

                              Āhara nidra bhaya maitunanca 
                              Samanya me tad pasubih narānāṁ 
                              Dharmohi tesa madiko viseso    
                              Dharmena hinah pasubih narānāṁ