The past year has seen current affairs shine the spotlight on the existence of the human race. A global pandemic combined with wider societal issues including racism and gender discrimination, has provided an intriguing exploration into the function of the human brain and what drives its motives for extreme behaviours.
A simple theory to illustrate this would be the Triune brain model by Paul MacLean. He divides the brain into 3 parts, the red thinking system as our primitive brain, the blue thinking system as our logical brain and our autopilot system where we perform actions automatically e.g. making a cup of tea. The red system has 3 drives, the first is to procreate, the second is to keep us safe and the third is to identify with people with similar characteristics. On the other hand, the blue system has a societal drive and seeks to make decisions using logic and rationale.
The red system is at least 5 times more powerful than the blue system which explains why we tend to act impulsively and become anxious when we feel under threat. We also become pack animals and although this has benefits including fulfilling a sense of belonging, it can also fuel discriminatory behaviours including racism and sexism, highlighting why they are such deep-rooted issues in society.
The blue system is more rational and logical in its approach and doesn’t jump to conclusions or use binary thinking. Its drive for logic means that we make up bizarre conspiracy theories, for example, 5G internet being blamed for the pandemic. On the other hand, it recognises the need for compromises rather than seeing a situation as win or lose.
Our autopilot system acts on learning experiences throughout our lifetime and performs actions with little to no thought. If helpful behaviours and habits are rehearsed, it can help the red system when it is confronted with potential threats or unusual circumstances. All in all, our brains haven’t evolved since the dawn of time so we need to adopt helpful techniques and behaviours to help us in life.
The Real Talk blog 