We invented mathematics because language is too imprecise to be useful when investigating phenomena. Consciousness is a classic example of the problem. All empirical evidence indicates that at best we have occasional and very limited consciousness, defined as "an awareness of the interplay of external states and inner mental states." Unfortunately, we imagine we are far more conscious than we really are, and thus discussions about what consciousness means begin with a very false premise - and things go rapidly downhill from there. We ought to proceed from an evolutionary perspective, looking at how brains have to interpret external stimuli in order to create a useful (but not necessarily accurate, and inevitably only partial) representation of the external environment in order to promote survival. This would remove the absurdly over-inflated notion most people have of consciousness and prevent a lot of wasted time.