The left cerebral hemisphere is averse to uncertainty. It will seek data to fill in the gaps - by creating inferences and explanations to resolve uncertainty. Inferences do not have to be correct or plausible as long as they bridge gaps in information and create a cohesive narrative. The left hemisphere then maintains this at all costs. Once established the left will incorporate only ‘acceptable’ evidence and suppress all right hemisphere prompts of inconsistencies. The left feeds on a confirmation bias.
The right hemisphere is averse to inconsistencies. The right hemisphere monitors, evaluates and revises plausibility. The right tends to be more globally integrated (non-linear) and less rigid while the left is linear and more rigid. Pure right hemisphere information prevails in a ‘raw’ state and requires the strategic left hemisphere to refine and structure the data for application.
The left is driven by fear and anger while the right derives courage from clarity and awareness. In this way an over-heated left will attempt to functionally over-power and suppress the virtues of the right. The primary modus operandi of the left is to delete and distort inconvenient information or alternatively, discredit the information and / or the bearer of the information. Unfortunately the excessive fear-anger of the left will also suppress their pre-frontal cortices resulting in some dumbing down.
Ideally we seek inputs from both hemispheres and thereby experience optimal function. This will be thwarted by the excessive ‘lefties’. And so we recognize the two warring factions: The excessive lefties or Half-Brainers and the shared hemispherers or Whole-Brainers.
The three nurture Archetypes can now be superimposed upon the hemispheral model.
1. The Bravo Archetype in its extreme becomes the over-heated ‘Leftie’ that harnesses and drives the activated amygdala – the seat of fear, anxiety, panic and rage. The stimulated amygdala suppresses the pre-frontal cortex, the seat of reasoning and also suppresses the right hemisphere. Gratification will be experienced intermittently when reward is experience and the nucleus accumbens is activated while the amygdala is quietened.
2. The Charlie Archetype functions for the most part in the right hemisphere. If functioning is almost exclusively right hemisphere-based this results in cognitive information remaining raw and ineffective since it has not been processed and tested by the left hemisphere. They therefore lack the strategic and goal-orientated action which is left hemisphere-based. This adds to the diminished self-esteem and self-confidence. The hostile-vengeful type Charlie has more left hemispheral connectivity which is required for sociopathic strategic action.
3. The Alpha Archetype is essentially the ‘Whole-Brainer’ incorporating the best of both hemispheres. They have the right hemispheral broad environmental perception with big-picture sensitivity, intuition and creativity – all processed through an active and confident strategic left hemisphere. This sensitive and broad-based engagement provides maximal awareness of self (self-awareness), of the greater environment and of oneself within that environment.
Copyright reserved - Ian Weinberg 2022 This discussion is based on the Triangles Model and its applications (TMA). For those seeking a deeper dive into this fascinating world, I invite you to peruse the online courses available at www.neuronostic.com – Online Mentoring Courses for the lay public and the Online Accreditation Course for professionals.