“Even if it’s not your fault, it’s your responsibility.”
Terry Hatchett
The human brain is the most complex organ in the body. Responsible for regulating our emotions and physical movements, it processes 70,000 thoughts per day and countless automatic activities to regulate our organs and bodily functions. Arguably, its most important task is to keep us alive.
Our modern homo-sapien brains weigh about three pounds (1.4 kilograms), making up about two percent of a human's body weight. They also contain about 73 percent water. Needless to say, we need to look after them and studies have found that being dehydrated by as little as two percent may impair a person’s ability to perform tasks that involve attention, memory, and motor skills.
Over the course of human evolution (i.e, millions of years), the brain has undergone massive changes, resulting in the sophisticated cognitive abilities we possess today. One of the most significant changes was the development of the neocortex (the outer layer of the brain), responsible for higher cognitive functions such as memory, thinking, attention, and language.
In the 1960s, Dr Paul MacLean developed the triune brain theory1 which divided the human brain into three separate functional regions: the reptilian brain, the limbic system, and the neocortex. The reptilian brain is the most primitive part of the brain, and is responsible for basic functions such as breathing, heart rate, and muscle movements. The limbic system is responsible for emotions, motivation, and social behaviours. Finally, the neocortex, is responsible for higher cognitive functions such as language, problem-solving, and abstract thinking.
Triune theory gives us a framework for understanding how the different regions of the brain interact with each other to produce our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. For example, when we sense a threatening situation, our reptilian brain activates the fight-or-flight response, which prepares us for physical action. At the same time, our limbic system generates feelings of fear or anxiety, which motivate us to take action. Finally, our neocortex uses higher cognitive functions to evaluate the situation and make decisions about how to respond. However, depending on the scale of perceived threat, the neocortex may be shut off completely or dulled to allow for instinctive actions with or without an emotion – rational thought and actions can come later, as long as we’re still alive. This is our brain on auto-pilot.
Despite the incredible advancements in brain functioning and our understanding of it, it’s important to remember that our brain works on auto-pilot by default, and for good reason – it helps to keep us alive. However, the auto-pilot is still programmed for threats from the dawn of man and therefore, we can’t engage the neocortex before the reptile brain or limbic system have their say. Nor can we simply change our brain to be more intelligent, happier, or more successful. However, this does not mean that we are powerless to improve our lives. Instead, it is up to us to take responsibility for our actions and make conscious choices that will lead to positive outcomes.
One of the most effective ways to take responsibility for our actions is through self-awareness. By understanding how and when the brain operates on fully automatic and becoming more aware of our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, we can begin to understand the patterns that shape our lives and make changes that will lead to improved well-being. The scale of perceived threat mentioned above is partly determined by an innate sense of survival but also by the memories we create from each prior experience we have. Importantly, we also give each memory an associated meaning and emotion, filed away in the deep recesses of our brains, they are automatically bought to bear by the limbic system should we experience a similar ‘threat’ in the future.
Some changes we can develop include healthier habits like exercise, mindfulness, quality sleep, and eating unprocessed foods, as well as seeking professional help if we are struggling with negative patterns or mental health issues. Likewise, education and personal growth play a significant role in improving our lives. By continuously learning and challenging ourselves, we gain a deeper understanding of both ourselves and the world around us. Additionally, two important traits to develop are gratitude and compassion.
Compassion for ourselves and others is critical for resilience and connection. Without compassion we continually push and berate ourselves to breaking point. Without compassion, we elevate the potential for shame should we fail to achieve our goals. Meanwhile, gratitude can be found in every experience – even tragic and traumatic ones. Shifting our meaning making from negative to grateful has a profound impact on our future experiences. By doing these things, we can tap into the full potential of our brain, living a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life.
The triune structure theory provides a simplified glimpse into the complex and sophisticated organ that is our brain. Although we can’t change the order in which it works, we can take responsibility for our actions and make conscious choices that will improve our lives. By exercising gratitude and self-compassion we can give meaning to experiences that otherwise might negatively impact us and therefore build resilience. Whilst plenty of things in life are not in our control, the quality of our life, what we say to ourselves about it, (and staying hydrated) is our own responsibility. After all, who’s in charge when you fly, you or the auto-pilot?
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