The Divided Brain: A Growing Imbalance
On December 17, 2018, I encountered a Rebel Wisdom podcast featuring Iain McGilchrist, a renowned psychiatrist who has spent decades studying brain hemisphere differences. In the episode, McGilchrist introduced his theory of the divided brain, which suggests that modern society increasingly views reality through the lens of the left hemisphere, while gradually becoming blind to the right hemisphere’s perspective.
I had heard of left- and right-brain differences before, but McGilchrist’s insights were far more profound. As I delved deeper, I began recognizing my own tendency to over-rely on the left hemisphere—prioritizing productivity, control, and certainty while neglecting intuition, creativity, and deeper meaning. I noticed how I resisted uncertainty, struggled with moments of stillness, and became frustrated when disrupted from tasks.
As I share McGilchrist’s divided brain theory, you may start to recognize similar patterns in yourself. More importantly, you’ll begin to understand how this imbalance may be contributing to today’s widespread meaning crisis.
A short animated video summarizing the left and right brain hemisphere differences via RSA
Understanding Left vs. Right Brain Hemisphere Differences
In his seminal book, The Master and His Emissary, McGilchrist explains that the two hemispheres of the brain perceive reality differently:
- The Right Hemisphere sees the world as a whole, recognizing connections, relationships, and context. It enables us to appreciate meaning, values, and emotions, fostering creativity, empathy, and a sense of wonder.
- The Left Hemisphere breaks down reality into categories and concepts, focusing on utility, logic, and control. It excels in grasping, achieving, and organizing, but can also be rigid and overly analytical.
While both hemispheres are essential, the right hemisphere provides the more foundational worldview—offering a deeper, more interconnected understanding of life.
Why the Right Hemisphere’s Perspective Is Crucial
We interpret the world through metaphor, a process rooted in the right hemisphere. Before we can analyze or articulate ideas, our intuition must first grasp them. This means that all knowledge begins in the right hemisphere before being processed by the left. However, despite this foundational role, modern society increasingly prioritizes the left hemisphere’s perspective—favoring certainty, measurable outcomes, and rationality over intuition, depth, and ambiguity.
How the Left Hemisphere Became Dominant
Several factors have contributed to the rise of left-brain dominance in modern culture:
- Language is primarily a left-brain function. The voice inside our heads—our inner dialogue—is generated by the left hemisphere, while the right hemisphere remains largely silent and intuitive.
- The left hemisphere offers certainty and easy answers. In contrast, the right hemisphere embraces ambiguity and paradox—qualities that can feel uncomfortable.
- Survival instincts favor left-brain thinking. The left hemisphere focuses on acquiring, controlling, and categorizing—traits that were evolutionarily advantageous for resource gathering.
- The industrial and technological revolutions reinforced left-brain dominance. The modern world, shaped by productivity, efficiency, and measurement, reflects a distinctly left-hemisphere worldview.
- The left hemisphere fabricates false certainty. It often claims knowledge it doesn’t truly possess, dismissing the deeper, intuitive insights of the right hemisphere.
McGilchrist highlights historical evidence for this shift: During the Renaissance, portraits tended to depict people facing left, suggesting a right-hemisphere perspective. Over time, this trend reversed, reflecting an increasing tilt toward the left hemisphere’s worldview.
Similarly, early written languages flowed top-down or right to left—a format favoring right-hemisphere processing. Western languages later adopted a left-to-right structure, reinforcing the left hemisphere’s dominance over language and thought.
How Left-Brain Dominance Is Creating a Meaning Crisis
At the conclusion of The Master and His Emissary, McGilchrist poses a compelling question: What would happen if the left hemisphere fully suppressed the right?
He envisions a world where:
- Quantity is valued over quality, leading to a mechanistic view of life.
- Paranoia and distrust increase, weakening social bonds.
- People are categorized into rigid labels, reducing individuality.
- Materialism prevails, while deeper meaning and purpose fade.
- Overwork becomes the norm, with productivity prioritized over well-being.
Sound familiar? In many ways, this is the world we live in today—one obsessed with work, data, and measurable success while struggling with disillusionment, disconnection, and existential emptiness.
A telling example is the modern work culture:
- The traditional 40-hour workweek has stretched to an average of 47 hours.
- Nearly 20% of full-time workers now put in over 60 hours per week.
- A Gallup survey found that 60% of U.S. workers feel disengaged or dissatisfied with their jobs.
As we spend more time working and less time engaging in meaningful human experiences, we are starving our right hemisphere—weakening our connection to intuition, creativity, and depth.
Moreover, we’ve come to prioritize attention over awareness—living glued to our screens, consuming endless streams of content, and rarely taking moments to simply be present.
Rebalancing the Brain: A Path Forward
Western culture has trained us to favor the left hemisphere’s perspective—placing productivity, logic, and control above intuition, meaning, and connection. But restoring balance is not about rejecting the left hemisphere. Instead, we must acknowledge its proper role—as an emissary serving the right hemisphere’s broader vision.
So, how do we rebalance our brains?
- Practice mindfulness and stillness. Engage in activities that quiet the thinking mind—such as meditation, nature walks, or creative expression.
- Embrace uncertainty and intuition. Allow yourself to explore ideas without immediately categorizing or rationalizing them.
- Prioritize human connection. Make time for meaningful conversations, storytelling, and shared experiences.
- Limit hyper-productivity. Shift focus from doing to being, recognizing that not all value comes from measurable output.
Perhaps, as McGilchrist suggests, awareness itself is the first step toward change. By recognizing the divided brain’s influence on our lives, we may begin to reshape the world around us—not through forceful action, but through a shift in perception.
Conclusion
The dominance of left-brain thinking has led to an era defined by efficiency, control, and productivity—but also one marked by disillusionment and existential crisis. While the left hemisphere serves an essential role, it must not be the master. Instead, a truly balanced mind requires the wisdom, depth, and meaning that only the right hemisphere can provide.
If we can begin to see beyond the narrow lens of left-brain dominance, we may just rediscover what it means to live fully, deeply, and meaningfully once again.
Author: Artem Zen
References
- McGilchrist, I. (2009). The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World. Yale University Press.
- Rebel Wisdom Podcast, Featuring Iain McGilchrist. https://rebelwisdom.co.uk
- Gallup (2023). State of the Global Workplace Report. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx
