The impact of evolution on how we think

Have you ever made a rash decision? Or, done something you did not think through as well as you could have? I am sure all of us have at some point. Did you ever wonder why we do this? Why do we sometimes act impulsively and make decisions we may later regret? In this article, I am going to take a look at the human psyche to help explain how we think and how we act.

Before we begin let me establish one thing - I am not Sigmund Freud. I certainly cannot match his aptitude for analysing the human mind. However, I hope that some of the concepts I plan to share with you will provide insight into your daily life and into the behaviour of your employees. I appreciate that some of the ideas and terms I employ might be new to you or might be a touch difficult to understand, but I will try to make everything in the coming pages as cheer and as relevant as possible.

Evolution

I would now like to discuss the main theory behind my article -evolution. Originally, hypothesised by Charles Darwin, evolution is a well-known idea. Yet, often our understanding of the concept is somewhat simplistic - we define it as the process by which one species of primates became human. However, the theory is much more complex than that singular example. I want to focus on the process of evolution and how it affects us and the way our minds work.

One of the major factors of evolution and the way the human mind has developed is the time-frame over which this process has taken place. Take a look at the following points to get a brief understanding of the periods involved.

1. Homo sapiens (humans) have been evolving since 3.2 million years ago. Before that we were a sub-species divided from primates genus that can be traced back 85 million years.

2. Modern human civilisation has approximately a total length of

6,000 years.

The key to our emotional circuitry has, for millions of years, been ‘survival'. In evolutionary terms, for most of that period, only the fittest and strongest survived - those who were not fit enough or strong enough, died. Today, these inherent survival instincts may no longer be as relevant as they were when humans were first evolving, but some of them still survive as innate tendencies within our modern personalities. Let me give you an example of this that is close to all our hearts, food. Nowadays, eating has become a pastime rether than just a necessity - we all have our own favourite dishes and restaurants. However, as delicious as some of our favourite

delicacies may be, it is not their exquisite flavours that often drive us to eat more than we need. The desire to take in large amounts of calories comes from millions of years ago when food was scarce and we needed to preserve enough energy to survive during periods when sustenance was not readily available.

Our Three Brains

Eating a little too much is one example of inherent traits that date back millions of years through our evolutionary process, but there are countless others. Let me explain the basis of these traits in a little more detail. They fall into three major categories, as devised by Paul Mclean, author of the ‘Triune Brain Theory':

1. Basic (Reptilian brain): Muscle control, balance and autonomic functions - eating, sleeping, killing, mating, protecting territory, etc.

2. Advanced (Mammalian brain): Pleasure driven - avoiding danger, feeding offspring, courtship behaviour, needing love, preserving energy, a sense of social hierarchy and social security, etc.

3. Operant (Human brain): Logical thinking - following commands, mirroring/imitating, creativity, understanding and producing symbols and languages, etc.

Our three brains grew on top of each other. First the reptilian brain developed, followed by the mammalian instincts, and finally the human capacity for thought emerged. In our minds today, they operate separately but simultaneously. Each one has evolved for different reasons

and serves a specific purpose. For example, the reptilian brain is needed for survival and works to control our most basic functions. The mammalian brain is pleasure oriented and kicks in to push us away from things that can cause pain and towards things that bring pleasure. These two

levels are largely unconscious and work on a stimulatory level. In slightly more simple terms, this means that when we use these functions, we react naturally to outside stimulus without thinking about the situation. On top, sits the human brain, which is there for our logical thinking

and rational decision making.

"Our three brains grew on top of each other. First the reptilian brain developed, followed by the mammalian instincts, and finally the human capacity for thought emerged."

Many of the inner conflicts we face when making decisions are often the result of a conflict between each level of our instincts. The best examples of this are matters of the heart or issues about which we feel very emotional, such as friendship and our families. Even though you may be

smart, well-educated, and logical, when it comes to love, relationships or family, you may sometimes act illogically and irrationally. This is because in deeply emotional situations, our mammalian brain kicks in and drives us toward the scenario we feel will bring us pleasure, whether this is a sensible decision or not.