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.