©Arlene R. Taylor PhD
I encourage people to learn all they can about brain function and to apply the knowledge they gain to their own lives on a daily basis. Because it is often easier to start from something than from nothing, I have prepared these summaries related to a variety of topics under the heading Personal Challenges.
My goal is to stimulate thinking and observation, trigger increased awareness at an individual level, jumpstart applications for every day living, and provide options for behaviors.
Although I have relied heavily on brain function research, a plethora of studies, and discussions with brain researchers and other experts, the summaries represent my own brain’s opinion.
Typically, conclusions from research projects and studies are presented in the form of generalizations that apply to nearly 70% of the population (to the first standard deviation on either side of the mean). There are always exceptions based on individuality. No two brains are ever identical in structure, function, or perception, not even the brains of identical twins.
If some of your personal characteristics / behaviors don’t match a specific generalization, it doesn’t invalidate the research findings. It does exemplify individual uniqueness. Avoid discounting first-impression mismatches too quickly. Perhaps you haven’t had the opportunity to hone a specific skill, or your personal past experiences have impacted you in unusual ways.
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Left Frontal Lobe |
Right Frontal Lobes |
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Individuals with a lead in this cerebral division tend to want social and organizational power (and may try to achieve this through managing time, money, and other resources). They want to set and achieve goals, but they do not have to:
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Individuals with a lead in this cerebral division tend to want innovation and variety.
They want freedom from restrictions, routines, and rules, but they do not have to:
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Left Posterior Lobes |
Right Posterior Lobes |
Individuals with a lead in this cerebral division tend to want predictability and continuation of the status quo.
They want to develop and run routines, but they do not have to:
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Individuals with a lead in this cerebral division tend to want peaceful environments and foundations, connection, and collegiality.
They want harmony and dislike conflict, but they do not have to:
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| Prioritizing Division | Envisioning Division |
May become involved with addictive behaviors that are perceived to help him/her to:
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May become involved with addictive behaviors that are perceived to help him/her to:
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Ways in which addictive behaviors may be displayed can include:
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Ways in which addictive behaviors may be displayed can include:
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| Maintaining Division | Harmonizing Division |
May become involved with addictive behaviors that are perceived to help him/her to:
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May become involved with addictive behaviors that are perceived to help him/her to:
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Ways in which addictive behaviors may be displayed can include:
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Ways in which addictive behaviors may be displayed can include:
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Left Frontal Lobe |
Right Frontal Lobe |
Individuals with an innate lead in this division tend to use boundaries as tools to help them achieve their goals.
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Individuals with an innate lead in this division tend to use boundaries to protect the self. They prefer to avoid conflict although can deal with it in situations when others raise objections about boundaries. If the conflict continues, these individuals often will take steps to distance themselves emotional and/or physically from the conflict (especially if they choose to maintain their own personal boundaries).
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Left Posterior Lobes |
Right Posterior Lobes |
Individuals with an innate lead in this division tend to use boundaries to maintain the status quo and to help them feel safer.
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Individuals with an innate lead in this division tend to use boundaries to conform to expectations.
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| Left Frontal Lobe Individuals with an energy advantage in this cerebral division: • Tend to use boundaries as tools to help them achieve their goals • Tend to act as if their boundaries are the gold standard, and expect others to conform (abuser stance) • May implement boundaries objectively, decisively, and authoritatively • May be able to “just say no” | Right Frontal Lobe Individuals with an energy advantage in this cerebral division: • Tend to use boundaries to protect the self or avoid conflict • Are usually somewhat unstructured about their boundaries and may adjust them based on situational context • Dislike boundaries that are perceived to be excessively rigid or even unnecessary • Prefer to say “let’s take the risk” (although can be very definite about not wanting to take the risk) |
| Left Posterior Lobes Individuals with an energy advantage in this cerebral division: • Tend to use boundaries to maintain the status quo and to help them feel safe • Tend to perpetuate and honor established boundaries, and expect others to do the same • Tend to adjust their boundaries to fit into the established environment • May be rigid and stubborn in implementation of selected boundaries | Right Posterior Lobes Individuals with an energy advantage in this cerebral division: • Tend to use boundaries to conform to expectations • May violate boundaries in order to avoid disharmony or increase connectedness (victim stance), and can find it difficult to “just say no” • May underestimate the value of boundaries, and may struggle to develop appropriate boundaries (over a lifetime) • May be affronted when others implement their own personal boundaries |
| Left Frontal Lobe • Join a debate club • Give a speech in public • Read and prepare an abstract • Participate in a research project • Learn to play chess • Learn to read a foreign language • Learn to use tools (of any type) | Right Frontal Lobe • Write poems and stories • Learn to meditate • Compose and/or arrange music • Draw, paint, sculpt, carve, design • Assemble 3-D puzzles • Travel • Learn to play Sukoku |
| Left Posterior Lobes • Read and outline the information • Make and follow lists • Balance the checkbook • Join a club or team • Learn to sight-read music • Develop and stick to a schedule • Do crossword puzzles | Right Posterior Lobes • Join a choir or other singing group • Take a drama class • Play games for fun • Participate in peer counseling • Play an instrument by ear • Learn to speak a foreign language • Learn to cook gourmet-style |
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Prioritizing Division |
Envisioning Division |
Activities that can help to build skills in the Prioritizing division include:
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Activities that can help to build skills in the Envisioning division include:
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Maintaining Division |
Harmonizing Division |
Activities that can help to build skills in the Maintaining division include:
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Activities that can help to build skills in the Harmonizing division include:
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Left Frontal Lobe
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Right Frontal Lobe
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Left Posterior Lobes
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Right Posterior Lobes
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| Left Frontal Lobe • Tend to approach the development of habits from the perspective of functional analysis (e.g., repetitive systems/methods designed to assist in goal setting and achievement, or in winning) • Likely to implement habits consistently if they appear to contribute to success, whether or not the habit is particularly pleasing (e.g., exercise to keep weight down for health/longevity, to make a good career-related impression). • May try to coerce others into developing similar habits “to help you to be more successful,” or “to help ensure that you will reach your goal.” Note: This may come across to others as a form of control and actually may represent attempts to impose the controller’s will for what he/she believes is for the other’s “own best benefit.” | Right Frontal Lobe • Tend to view the development of habits as helpful, but may struggle with the repetitiveness of the routines (e.g., exercise, brushing teeth, taking food supplements) • Likely to be somewhat inconsistent in the implementation of habits and may struggle with an up and down course (e.g., exercise routines may wax and wane unless it becomes clear that one’s health absolutely depends upon consistency and, even then, it may be a struggle!) • May be initially enthusiastic about a habit and charismatically encourage others to jump on the bandwagon, only to abandon the habit and move on to something else in a few months when repetition becomes monotonous. • May try to make the existing environment fit into their habit patterns. |
| Left Posterior Lobes • Tend to perpetuate habits that were developed in childhood, often basing them on learned rules and expectations (e.g., brushing teeth, going to bed at a specific time, exercise schedule) • Likely to be somewhat rigid and stubborn about maintaining their habit patterns. • May try to fit habits into their existing environment. | Right Posterior Lobes • Tend to adopt existing habits of others who are in their immediate environment (because it promotes harmony) • May be fairly consistent about implementation of habits when within their immediate environment and somewhat inconsistent about implementation if outside their immediate environment or if others change their habits. • May try to persuade a loved one into developing a specific habit “because I care about you,” or “for your own good,” or “to keep me company.” |
In talking with these people, Taylor found that some had suspected PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Their respective physicians, however, had indicated that the although many of their reported symptoms did, to some extent, mirror PTSD, they were “not classic” for the syndrome. There were two notable exceptions: there were no specific incidents that could have served to trigger the symptoms (e.g., rape, military service in a war zone, catastrophic illness, acts-of-God environmental events), and flashbacks did not occur.
Common Themes
Gradually, Taylor identified a collection of symptoms that seemed to be exhibited fairly consistently, although the actual level of symptomatology varied depending on the individual and his/her own personal history. A common theme began to emerge from evaluating their histories. All of them expressed disappointment and dissatisfaction with life as they had been living it for the past decade or so. The reasons for this dissatisfaction were, at times, nebulous, but clearly life wasn’t working for them and they frequently reported feeling exhausted.
Persistent fatigue was a key trigger for seeking consultation, a fatigue that couldn’t be tied to anything specific. None had been diagnosed with an illness, disease, or condition that would be associated typically with energy drain (e.g., Infectious Mononucleosis, CFIDS or Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome).
Some of the participants reported having completed one or more assessments: the Ned Herrmann HBDI, the Myers-Briggs MBTI, the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, the Blitchington and Cruise Temperament Inventory, Johnson-O’Connor Aptitude Testing, the Benziger Thinking Styles Assessment, the Arno Temperament Analysis Profile, and so on. While able to learn more about themselves through these modalities, participants indicated that the assessment results didn’t seem representative of who they thought they were at their core—innately. That is, the results often indicated that significant skills had been achieved in tasks that were disliked, dreaded, or regularly procrastinated. Furthermore, they frequently experienced fatigue during and/or at the completion of those same tasks.
This further reinforced Taylor’s perception that the energy drain reported by these individuals might be related to the types of tasks they were asking their brains to accomplish and the relative amount of time spent on these energy-intensive tasks.
Individuals who exhibited some, but not all, of the collection of symptoms often reported that portions of their lives were working quite well, while other portions were not. When they were engaged in tasks that matched what their brains did energy-efficiently, they felt good and had plenty of energy. When the opposite occurred, they felt drained and disappointed or uncomfortable. In some cases they were still quite young in age and still had a lot of energy, but had begun to notice some decrease after engaging in specific tasks. In general, the longer the individuals had spent doing these types of tasks, the more symptomatology they reported.
Eight Symptoms of PASS
For purposes of describing this set of symptoms in a more formal manner and sharing her work with others, Taylor arrived at the acronym Prolonged Adaptive Stress Syndrome or PASS. Eight commonly observed symptoms may be present in varying degrees in individuals who have developed PASS as a result of years of living an energy-exhausting lifestyle. A brief description of these eight symptoms follows.1. Fatigue
The brain likely has to work much harder when trying to accomplish tasks that do not match its own innate preferences or biochemical giftedness. The additional energy-expenditure requirements can contribute to a progressive fatigue that is not really alleviated by sleep. Other symptoms can include an increased need for sleep, interference with sleep, and decreased dreaming. These can conspire to cause further sleep deprivation and fatigue that sometimes borders on exhaustion.
2. Hypervigilance Living an energy-exhaustive lifestyle can push the brain to activate a protective safety mechanism. This hypervigilance can be exhibited at times as a startle reflex, or increased jitteriness. The Reticular Activating System or RAS can push a person into a state of protective alertness. The additional energy expenditure to enlarge the brain’s metaphoric opening also may contribute to fatigue. 3. Immune System Suppression Failure to live your own innate giftedness, which, in effect, is akin to living a lie,can suppress immune system function (e.g., temporarily shrink the Thymus gland). Outcomes that may be observed related to immune system suppression can include a slowed rate of healing, exacerbation of autoimmune diseases, an increased susceptibility to contagious illnesses, and/or an increased risk of developing chronic disease. 4. Interference with Brain Function Interferencewith functions of the frontal lobes may show up in a variety of ways. The individual may experience a decrease in artistic or creative competencies (e.g., writer’s block, difficulty brainstorming options, diminished problem-solving skills). Or may experience interference with the ability to make logical or rational decisions, exhibit a tendency toward increased injuries due to cognitive impairment, or notice that one’s thinking seems less clear. 5. Changes in Neurochemistry Changes in hypothalamus and pituitary function can affect hormonal balance. This may be observed in myriad ways (e.g., decreased growth hormone, insulin production irregularities, alteration in reproduction functions, an increase in glucocorticoids that can speed up aging of the Hippocampus). Studies of mice and rats have shown that altered neurochemistry, due to extreme or prolonged stress, may interfere with the permeability of the Blood Brain Barrier in the brain. 6. Memory Problems Cortisol, released under stress, can interfere with the function of memory in a variety of ways. Dr. Robert Sapolsky of Stanford University (author of Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers) has outlined several consequences of increased cortisol production, all of which can impact the function of memory: Left Frontal Lobe
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Right Frontal Lobe
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Left Posterior Lobes
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Right Posterior Lobes
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Left Frontal Lobe
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Right Frontal Lobe
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Left Posterior Lobes
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Right Posterior Lobes
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Left Frontal Lobe
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Right Frontal Lobe
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Left Posterior Lobes
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Right Posterior Lobes
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Left Frontal Lobe
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Right Frontal Lobe
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Left Posterior Lobes
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Right Posterior Lobes
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Left Frontal Lobe
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Right Frontal Lobe
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Nothing is as stressful as trying to be a different person from whom you are.
–Michael Levine, MD
Human beings are able to adapt. That’s a good thing. Some adapting is desirable. It allows you to develop skills and change in a way that permits you to fit in to a new or specific situation. It increases your options and give you opportunities to accomplish a variety of tasks and activities. There is a big difference, however, between desirable adapting and excessive or prolonged adapting. In some ways it is simple to figure out which is which; in other ways, maybe not so much. This may be because there is a tendency to think, that if you’ve learned to do something well, the task must also be energy-efficient for your brain.Adapting represents the quintessential different strokes for different folks. Tasks that require adapting in one individual can represent innate giftedness in another. Activities that energize one person can exhaust another. When an individual is born with a style of brain function that typically is rewarded by or approved of by society for their gender they tend to adapt less. They are more likely to identify with, develop, and use their innate giftedness the majority of the time.
In the United States, especially in the WASP cultures, there are very clear rewards and expectations for performance based on gender and brain function. For example:
Consequently, a female with a brain lead in one of the frontal cerebral divisions and a male with a brain lead in one of the right hemisphere divisions are the most likely to adapt—especially if they are extroverted and are able to do so.
Following are examples of tasks that could represent either temporary (desirable) adapting or prolonged (undesirable) adapting based on an individual brain’s own innate talents and energy advantage.|
Prioritizing Division Left Frontal Lobe |
Envisioning Division Right Frontal Lobe |
| Offer a listening ear – typically accomplished most energy-efficiently by a brain with a lead in the Harmonizing Division. On the other hand, to open a family-counseling office or become a grief-recovery counselor would likely represent undesirable adapting. | Learn to balance the checkbook – typically accomplished most energy-efficiently by a brain with a lead in the Maintaining Division. On the other hand, to take a full time job as an accountant or bookkeeper would likely represent undesirable adapting. |
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Maintaining Division Left Posterior Lobes |
Harmonizing Division Right Posterior Lobes |
| Write a short article for the newspaper – typically accomplished most energy-efficiently by a brain with a lead in the Right Frontal Lobe. On the other hand, to try to earn a living writing short stories or scripts for a stand-up comic would likely represent undesirable adapting. Note: A brain with a bent in the Prioritizing Division might write an article if it involves an “analysis” of something. A brain with a bent in the Harmonizing Division might write an article if it involved a “story” about people or animals involving emotions and feelings. | Develop a financial budget – typically accomplished most energy-efficiently by a brain with a lead in the Left Frontal Lobe. On the other hand, to take a job as a chief financial officer would likely represent undesirable adapting. Note: Adhering to and maintaining the budget after it is developed may be accomplished most energy-efficiently by a brain with a bent in the Maintaining Division. |
Since it is possible to develop skills through practice, why not aim for equal skills in all four cerebral divisions? Because too much adapting can exact a huge price. Remember, you pay for everything in some way or another. The cost may be recognized immediately or only become apparent somewhere down the line. And you pay primarily in energy (as energy is the basic medium of exchange in life). Metaphorically, the differences in energy expenditure appear to be as great as pennies on the dollar.
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Expend $1 per second when doing tasks that match what your brain does energy efficiently |
$1 |
Expend $100 per second when doing tasks that are NOT a match with what your brain does energy efficiently |
$100 |
At some level you need to use all of your brain all the time. So how can this work? If you must complete a tasks that requires higher energy expenditures, book-end it with tasks that are more energy-efficient for your brain. The non-preferred tasks may still require 100 times the energy-expenditure but since it is book-ended by activities that are more energy efficient it ‘doesn’t seem so bad.’ You may want to do one of your higher energy tasks early in the day when your brain and body have more available energy. Remind yourself that you are choosing to complete the tasks as part of your total life-activities package, even though it may not be a favorite. Do some brain breathing before you begin the task to energize your brain.
Remember, you do have a whole brain—it’s just that you want to manage the amount of time you spend completing activities that require higher expenditures of energy. Be consciously aware of those tasks and manage them more effectively, trying to limit them to a minority of your life’s tasks. Pay attention to your relative energy level after you complete various tasks. You may find it helpful to complete the Work Task-Energy Evaluation for several tasks. Before long you’ll likely be able to do this in your head.
Awareness is the first step on the continuum of positive change. The famous lines from Hamlet may be as profound today as in Shakespeare’s time:
To thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to anyone.
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