The two hemispheres of our brains serve very different functions. I'm not talking about the conventional characterizations of the "logical" left brain or the "creative" right brain. Recent neuroscience research reveals that each brain hemisphere actually operates separately to formulate its own version of the world. Let's dig in a little deeper to understand how our two brains create for us two different versions of reality.
LEFT BRAIN: The left brain processes things. It wants certainty. It focuses narrowly on the bits and pieces of information it takes in and attempts to weave it all together as a whole. Tools, machines, codes, numbers, letters. These are the specialty of the left brain. It is prone to bureaucracy because it prioritizes the need to for control. It favors abstraction, anonymity, organizability and predictability. RIGHT BRAIN: The right brain understands things. It wants meaning. It focuses on building "the big picture." Nature, love, art, metaphor, spirituality. These are the speciality of the right brain. Whereas the left brain is smart, the right brain is wise. It favors what is individual, unique, embodied and fluid. Now, think about your job. Which of your two brains do you use most? Which brain gets the job done? Which brain is more likely to get you the promotion you always wanted? Which brain does your employer value more? When I think about every job I've ever had, the answer is: the left brain. Psychologist Iain McGilchrist, co-author of Divided World, Divided Brain, has this to say about how the two hemispheres operate: "The left brain focuses on details at the expense of the bigger picture, and on procedures at the expense of meaning." He goes on to say that the right brain "takes into account more and better integrated information over a broader range" and therefore "sees more" than the left. In essence, McGilchrist observes, the right brain's thinking "is more accurate, more down to earth -- in a word, 'truer' to what is." Here's a blog post that features a nice summary of McGilchrist's groundbreaking ideas. At Our2Brains, we think the left hemisphere's 'way of being' has become more culturally dominant than the right hemisphere's. This imbalance manifests itself in the way we connect to our work. We're mostly task and results-oriented. Productivity is prioritized over purpose. For many professionals, this superficial connection to their work is insufficient for finding fulfillment from their work. Their right brain is yearning for a sense of meaning, but it takes a backseat to the demands of a left-brained world. We think the right brain should have a seat at the table. Our goal is to help people become more aware of their divided brain and equip them with practical tools and resources to achieve better brain balance through synergistic, whole-mind thinking. If you're looking for a deeper connection to your work, and ultimately your world, we invite you to contact us and click the links in the sidebar to find and follow us on social media. - T.J.
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AuthorT.J. Westphal is a co-founder of Our2Brains. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Strategic Communication from the Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University. ArchivesCategories |