Help each other!

It is the only way to break the cycle

We have all grown up with two mind states, not a natural state of affairs, but one that pertains anyway.  We are better off, and those around us are too, if we spend as much of our time as possible in the adult mind (or “blue brain”), where we are confident, collaborative and creative and where the best learning takes place.

What prevents us from doing this is the second mind state – our “red brain” – which is really the childhood mind, hedged in with fixed beliefs and hair triggers, which has persisted into adulthood. It is not our fault that we have a “red brain”, but it is our responsibility to do something about it, if we want to improve our wellbeing and happiness, and limit the development of a “red brain” in those young people for whom we have some responsibility.

These mind states tend to lead to polarisation.  The more we operate in the “blue brain” the more we are able to.  The more we operate in the “red brain” the harder it is to get out of it, and the more we lack agency.

We won’t break this cycle unless we recognise it and purposefully set out to break it.  Those who operate largely in the “blue brain” can help here, they have agency and the confidence, creativity and collaborative skills to help their colleagues, but often don’t think to do so.

Rather than ignoring or avoiding those who are disengaged and, often, prickly to deal with, we should be doing the opposite, engaging with them in our own best possible mind state.

This is a challenge, but things won’t change by themselves.

 John Corrigan is an expert in helping individuals to bring their whole of mind to their daily life and increase their effectiveness and the effectiveness of those around them. This expertise scales from the individual to the team to the organisation. At the core of this work is the practice of encounter.  Earlier blogs can be found here.

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