You Can't Sustainably Live In Your Reptile Brain
Watching the State of the Union event the other evening, I was reminded that rage is in vogue these days. While some people see the 2016 election as a one off event, my own sense is that the cultural forces that led to it were building for a long time. Decades, in fact.
The reptile brain is that part our brain that is responsive to perceived threats and kicks us into action mode. One time as a toddler, my little sister, who was two years younger than I, waded into a body of water and her head disappeared. My dad, who had been leaning against a boat house with his arms crossed, launched himself into the water and quickly brought my little sister to the surface. Aside from her tears and coughing, she was fine. The reptile brain is designed to respond to those types of emergency situations. (The memory remains vivid and frightening for me. Decades later, I asked my Dad about the incident and he couldn’t remember it. I sure did.)
Of course, back when we were being chased by sharp tooth predators, our reptile brains frequently came in handy.
Today’s world results in our needing to rely on it less often. (There are times when we need it, of course.) Once I was cut off by a driver on a highway near Boston, swerved to avoid a collision. It took a while for me to get my car back under control after nearly rolling it over. There was a terrifying moment when I thought I wouldn’t be able to. Another poignant recollection.)
Our modern world requires that we be thoughtful, strategic and intelligent about responding to our challenges. Flight/fight alone won’t get us there. I wish the hecklers would read Sun Tzu’s classic The Art of War. If your “enemy” enrages you, you’ve already lost. Or, perhaps, they could immerse themselves in Stoic philosophy, which carries the same message.
I fully recognize that anger has its place. The trick is to integrate it and make it work for you.