Q. Since it is possible to develop skills throughout the brain, why not aim for equal skills in all four divisions of the cerebrum?

A. The short answer is because there is a price to pay for everything you do. You always give up something to get something. The basic medium of exchange is life energy. Since human beings likely have an energy advantage in only one of the four cerebral divisions, utilizing the other three equally could exact a huge price, resulting in your expending your energy at excessively high rates, decimating your reserves, and contributing to negative outcomes that may also have implications for longevity. Metaphorically, the differences in energy expenditure could be as great as pennies on the dollar.

Dr. Katherine Benziger, author of the BTSA (Benziger Thinking Styles Assessment), has summarized the cost of  adapting as follows:

• The immediate results tend to be that second for second the brain requires more oxygen, needs more glucose and micronutrients, expends more energy, and works much harder.
• The short-term results tend to be increased irritability, headaches, and difficulty in mastering new tasks (no doubt connected to the increased need for oxygen, glucose, and other nutrients).
• The long-term results tend to include exhaustion, a homeostatic imbalance involving oxygen and glucose, premature aging of the brain, vulnerability to illness, and depression.