Iain McGilchrist – The Divided Brain and Its Impact on Society
Key Concepts.
- The brain is divided into two hemispheres, each with distinct ways of perceiving the world.
- Traditional views of left-brain (logic) vs. right-brain (creativity) are simplified. Instead, McGilchrist says they focus on the world in completely different styles.
The Left Hemisphere.
- Narrow focus – Analytical, detail-oriented.
- Mechanistic thinking – Prefers rules, structure, and predictable outcomes.
- Control and manipulation – Wants to control the world, reducing complex systems into parts.
- Language & logic – Strong in language but treats words as detached symbols rather than rich meanings.
Right Hemisphere.
- Broad awareness – Sees the bigger picture, recognizing connections.
- Deep meaning & intuition – Engages with metaphor and symbolism.
- Lived experience – Values uniqueness rather than reducing things to categories.
- Creativity & empathy – More tuned in to emotions and relationships.
The Impact on Society.
Modern society is dominated by left-hemisphere thinking.
- We are Relying too much on rules, systems, and strict structures.
- Tend to break things into parts and Ignore the bigger picture.
- A disconnection from nature and our tradition.
- We loose Creativity and intuition, leading to cultural shallowness.