Meet My Inner Monkey. How the brain works – a symphony by the Chimp, Professor and Computer

Understanding how the brain functions, and taking part in the dialogue about your self-image and the stories that you tell yourself about yourself is a gateway to self-awareness. This is thus fundamental for personal change leading to organizational culture change. This is the second of three blog posts on my musings on what drives human peak performance. Enough said, let's get to the meat and potatoes.

The human brain processes between 12.000 and 60.000 thoughts per day[1], and consumes a disproportionate amount of the body’s energy. Although the brain accounts for less than 2% of a person’s body weight, it consumes 20% of the body’s energy and oxygen. To thrive, the brain, therefore, requires high performance nutrition and hydration, and energy to function optimally. It also needs oxygen and neurological stimulation that can only come from consistent movement. In addition, the brain needs rest and regeneration to solidify memory and replenish vital brain chemicals.

An intellectual understanding of where stress comes from (for further info on this read my previous blog post “Stress is Good”), how the brain works, and what you can do to thrive could be the starting point to a healthy foundation for your life.

From the time I was first exposed to behavioral economics and neuroscience as part of my education at Caltech, I have been fascinated by the inner workings of our brain and how we as human beings make decisions. Over millions of years, the brain has become wired to protect us from harm. However, the ancient part of the brain does not know that today we live a mostly mundane life. No one bothered telling our brains this fact, and so it mostly overreacts.

The human brain consists of three major parts – brain stem, cerebrum and cerebellum. To describe how the brain works, neuroscientists and psychologists typically use simplified metaphors and a so-called dual-brain model.

One such model by Dr. Steve Peters[2] describes (a) the ancient brain (the limbic system[3]) as the Chimp because it is driven by emotions and feelings fixated on preserving basic drives (e.g., food, power, sex, ego, feeling accepted by others and security), and (b) the modern brain (the frontal cortex[4]) as the Professor because it is logical and only deals with facts and truth.

Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman refers to them simply as “system 1” and “system 2”[5]. The last part in Dr. Peters’ model is the Computer brain which automates habits and routines based on previous experiences, and is thus responsible for 95% of our behaviors which happen on autopilot without conscious thought. In simple terms, there is a constant dialogue between the various brains on how to act, respond or decide in any given situation.

Here is the catch. The Chimp brain reacts to sensory input data up to five times faster than the Professor brain (but is still slower than the Computer brain). And it uses powerful neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline, endorphins and oxytocin to get our attention and move us into actions to protect our basic drives. It was put in place to control the fight, flight or freeze response when we face life-threatening danger. The Professor brain on the other hand, is motivated by honesty, compassion, and self-control. It acts with a conscience, searches for purpose in life, and works for a sense of achievement or impact.?

A brief description of the key neurotransmitters:?

·?????? Dopamine (pleasure juice): Makes you want to do stuff that gives pleasure and thanks you for it

·?????? Serotonin (happiness juice): Helps us feel significant, important and less lonely

·?????? Adrenaline: Helps get your body ready for action

·?????? Endorphins: Helps stress, fear and pain become more manageable

·?????? Oxytocin: Helps us feel compassionate, trusting and intimate

?

The Chimp must get your permission for action (unlike the automatic Computer brain) and is simply offering up a proposed course of action. While it is trying to force you via powerful neurotransmitters, it is still a choice. In conclusion, learning how to calm down and rise to any occasion is about recognizing which part of your brain is in charge and doing some brain wrangling to get the right brain for the job back in control.

Understanding how the brain functions is a gateway to self-awareness and taking part in the dialogue about the self-image and stories that you tell yourself about yourself. This is thus fundamental for personal change, which in turn leads to organizational culture change.

Next time you are having conversations (or trying to make a decision) in your own head, I encourage you to reflect on this question: Who is doing the talking, who is listening and who makes the decision?

This is the second of three blog posts on my perspectives for how we can better unlock human peak performance. Stay tuned for the next one and don’t be shy in sharing your own perspectives adding to the joint learnings in the life-long journey called life.

[1] Scott Peltin & Jogi Rippel (2009): “Sink, Float or Swim” (p.89)

[2] Steve Peters (2013): “The Chimp Paradox. The Mind Management Program to Help You Achieve Success, Confidence and Happiness”

[3] Limbic system comprises of the amygdala, cingulate gyrus, hypothalamus and hippocampus

[4] Prefrontal cortex comprises of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, uncinate fasciculus, ventromedial prefrontal cortex and orbito prefrontal cortex

[5] Daniel Kahneman (2011): “Thinking, Fast and Slow”