Brain Rules Chapter 2: The human brain evolved, too

 The human brain evolved, too

We don't have one brain in our heads; we have three. We started with a "lizard brain" to keep us breathing, then added a brain like a cat's, and then topped those with the thin layer of Jell-O known as the cortex - the third, and powerful, "human" brain.

Meet your brain

Your most ancient neural structure is the brain stem, or "lizard stem." It controls most of your body's housekeeping chores. Its neurons regulate breathing, heart rate, sleeping, ans waking.

The second brain like Paleomammalian brain appears in you the same way it does in many mammals. It has more to do with your animal survival than with your human potential. Its functions involve what some researchers call the "four-F's": fighting, feeding, fleeing and ... reproductive behavior.

The third brain is your "human brain," the cortex. Latin for "bark," the cortex is the surface of your brain.

We took over the Earth by adapting to change itself, after we were forced from the trees to the savannah when climate swings disrupted our food supply. Going from four legs to two to walk on the savannah freed up energy to develop a complex brain.

Symbolic reasoning is a uniquely human talent. It may have arisen from our need to understand one another's intentions and motivations, allowing us to coordinate within a group.

Saduran dari: Medina, John. 2008. Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School (Rule #2).