The front of our brain’s cerebral cortex is designed to mediate and control the predator brain beneath it—this works most of the time, but not always.
The classic fight between good and evil, in terms of brain science, is simply the challenge to properly manage the predator brain which wants to hunt, kill, attack and defend.
In nature this occurs with cruel simplicity, animal to animal; when you add human intellect to the mix, some scary scenarios emerge: They are often called “war,” or “ethnic cleansing.” And this can happen with amazing ingenuity, design and skill. It’s only human.
When human survival instincts override humane social interests… when the “predator” brain combines with higher thinking processes in service of the predator—weapons of mass destruction ignite and populations grow smaller.
When someone acts like an “animal,” they are acting from the “animal-predator” brain—sometimes called the “mammal” or “reptile” brain.
We all have this animal brain, and most of us do a good job of controlling and directing it safely… most of the time.
If a person is around a group of people acting from their “animal brain” it’s sometimes difficult not to follow in this “animal” behavior.
We humans have a natural tendency to synchronize with the company we keep. This can produce both beneficial and regretful consequences according to the motive we are synchronizing with.
So ease up with judgments about who is a “good” person or a “bad” person. Especially give a break to yourself when you act in a way you don’t like, that just isn’t you. When we are tired, irritable, angry or threatened… it is difficult to mediate or control the “animal brain.”
Some people have not learned to use their cerebral cortex very well; they just haven’t seen other people do it much. Some people simply can’t control their animal brain at times. Some of us are better than others at this trick. It is often simply a matter of luck: genetics, family of origin, how we have been treated in formative years etc.
Our primary opportunity and responsibility is with our own brain-it’s the only brain on earth we really control, though some days it does not seem like it!
