This atmosphere of instability has bred a culture of competitiveness (in the form of self preservation) that permeates everything we do. Security, one of the four basic needs and motivations of all people, is primarily a left hemispheric function, for it requires us to be more logical, calculated, analytical, and time oriented. This is particularly evident if you consider the role this portion of our brain has played in the past four years of most Plan II students’ lives (i.e. academic competitiveness and preparation for professional security).
This competitive culture means we haven’t been able to completely tune in to the potential of the right side of our brain, and, as a result, we’re missing out on a fundamental, raw human experience. In other words, the right side of our brain enables us to explore our emotional and spiritual spectrums, and, by exploring these spectrums, we “discern true principles that are part of our conscience” (X43).
Consider Covey’s experiment with his students- “the dominant, central theme of their activities, the underlying principle, (was) love” (132). His students most likely always loved their parents, but when they changed their perspectives, when they began thinking with the right side of their brain, the idea of love become something completely new to them. They were able to lead a fundamentally different and more enriching life, because instead of simply acknowledging something like love, they felt the love for their family!
My mom and my brother, the perfect example of FEELING love
Which leads me to question when was the last time you or I really FELT compassion? When was the last time we did the right thing, because we FELT it was the right thing, not because we knew it was?
I say people who think predominately with the left side of their brain are missing out on the raw human experience, because, not to sound melodramatic, what’s the point of being human if we don’t allow ourselves to respond in the way ONLY humans are capable of responding. After all, “our capacity to act on our thoughts and feelings, and to make things happen is unmatched by any other species in the world” (X42).
"Don't Lose Touch", Against Me
As for the debate on whether the Internet encourages or discourages the use of our right hemisphere, I agree with Bump’s assertion in Left vs. Right Side of the Brain: Hypermedia and the New Puritanism-- “hypermedia can facilitate as well as retard emotional intelligence”. Most people react differently to the situations/experiences they are exposed to, and-- to refer back to my original argument – their specific reactions are dependent on their environments and experiences. For example, one may only use the Internet to pay bills, order pizza, and surf ebay, while someone else (me, for example?) may only uses the Internet to surf youtube, look at pictures on corbis, and read blogs. I would argue that the former only encourages the use of your left brain (one isn’t being exposed to much creativity). While the latter primarily encourages the use of one’s left brain (watching and looking at people’s creations, reading about their feelings).
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I found the video visually entertaining and amusing.It was thorough and honest in its presentation- I liked how it touched on the positive and negative sides of the Internet.However, I enjoyed the end of the video the most. It’s easy for me, and I’m sure other Y Generation-ers, to take the Internet for granted. I have never really thought about the Internet in terms of ethics, but the part where “rethink _____” kept appearing made a connection for me. The Internet is definitely a double edged sword, and it’s easy for most people to approach it with a detached-nothing-bad-can-happen mindset.
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