Tribal narratives like the one above teach humans to live with nature. These ancient stories provide the knowledge and mindset needed to survive by being in tune with the environment rather than relying on the ability to scientifically measure and to control it. Increasingly, however, we have replaced the natural environment with the security of the planned, built environment.

In Daniel Quinn’s book Ishmael, he expresses concern that globalization will eliminate tribal narratives by spreading the ideology of Western or “civilized” nations:

Given a story that puts them in accord with the world, they will live in accord with the world. But given a story that puts them at odds with the world, as yours does, they will live at odds with the world. Given a story to enact in which they are the lords of the world, they will act like lords of the world. And, given a story to enact in which the world is a foe to be conquered, they will conquer it like a foe, and one day, inevitably, their foe will lie bleeding to death at their feet, as the world is now.

Ideology justifies behavior while masking the destructive consequences. A few other themes in Western narratives that I find problematic include human imperfection, distrust of others, continuous growth, greed, and the importance of money. Culture is usually slow to change, but perhaps the current environmental and economic crises will inspire new narratives.

To learn more about or to purchase books mentioned:
“Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit” by Daniel Quinn
“The Neuroscience of Human Relationships” by Cozolino

Critical theory suggests that society has reached a point where scientific progress has actually become counterproductive.  The drive for evermore efficiency, quantifiablity, and standardization imposes excessive controls on individual thought. Max Weber called this the rationalization of society.

Ecological and sociocultural factors influence brain development. Western culture emphasizes left-brain (rational, analytical) functions more than hunter-gatherer cultures, which tend to emphasize right-brain (spatial, gestalt) functions. As rationalization spreads through globalization, the value of right-brained functions has likely diminished and will continue to do so. Without a purpose, might some capabilities be lost over time to the process of natural selection or simply socialized out?

Probably not. Right-brain functions will always be useful, even if rational thought is more culturally important. Even so, I believe that an ideal society would emphasize both left- and right-brain functions equally in order to better accommodate the different strengths and personalities of its people. The increasing rates of depression, Attention Deficit Disorder, and other mental health issues signify that the demands of our society do not correspond with our biological nature. A balance of left- and right-brain processes is also advantageous for society as a whole because it makes us more adaptable to change.

I think it is important to consider this topic in the context of public policy. Could and should policy play a role in restoring the balance? The government and other organizations often subsidize parks, art programs, museums, and other cultural institutions, but these efforts do not really address the underlying issue of rationalization. In fact, policy often encourages rationalization. For example, standardized testing in the public education system attempts to measure the “success” of public education. In actuality, they only measure and promote test-taking abilities (left-brained thought) and sociocultural homogeny.

Nurturing & Socialization

From birth, we are protected and nurtured by our parents. The parental instinct to nurture is essential, as human infants are born unable to care for themselves. In being cared for, babies learn to be nurturing and social toward others. Nurturing parents also make a child feel that he or she is “fit” – in a Darwinian sense - and, as with everything else, perception becomes reality (Cozolino 2003).

Mirror Neurons & Empathy

Mirror neurons have been found in the frontal lobes of primates. These neurons fire both when a primate engages in a specific activity and when a primate simply observes another engaging in the same activity. This synchronization of individual brains is useful for imitation and social learning, but current research also suggests that mirror neurons are a foundation for the development of more complex social behavior such as language and empathy.

Biological Predisposition to Express Emotion

Oftentimes, we unconsciously reveal our intentions or feelings through nonverbal communication and even if we want to, our ability to consciously control this is limited. Our biological characteristics make us very “readable”. The whites (sclera) of our eyes reveal where our attention is directed and can even reveal our internal emotional state. For example, when we are surprised or scared, we instinctually raise our eyebrows, making the whites of our eyes larger and making it easy for others to notice. In other primates, the sclera is smaller relative to the iris and both are similarly colored. Their eyes, therefore, do not as easily reveal attention or emotion. Blushing and pupil dilation are other examples of traits that make humans socially readable.

Conclusion

The fact that we instinctually disclose their internal consciousness implies that we are cooperative by nature. Why else would dependency, social learning, and emotional expression have improved survival chances and ultimate “fitness” of humans?  Competition, aggression, and the struggle for power are likely more modern developments resulting from the vulnerability created by our own dependency and readability. Since the built environment has minimized our struggle against nature, we have redirected our survival instincts against each other. It might benefit us if society took more time to reflect on the cooperation and coordination that has gotten us so far in the chain of evolution.