This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Whole Brain Living" by Jill Bolte Taylor. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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What does the cerebral cortex do? What’s the difference between the cerebral cortex’s functions on the left side and the right side of the brain?
Jill Bolte Taylor’s book Whole Brain Living describes four characters that help the brain function. Two of these characters (Characters 1 and 4) make up the cerebral cortex.
Discover more about the functions of the cerebral cortex and how it forms your thought processes.
Left-Side Cerebral Cortex—Structured Thinking
What does the cerebral cortex do? According to Taylor, the cerebral cortex on the left side of the brain values practicality the most and is highly attuned to your ego—your sense of being an individual. Character 1 focuses on differences (between physical objects and people) and excels at defining boundaries and establishing routines. This character uses their rational and ordered thinking to analyze, organize, and formulate plans. On the other hand, Taylor says that Character 1’s structured thinking can be too rigid, and it’s also the part of us that judges ourselves and others harshly, makes unhealthy comparisons between people, and is only satisfied by external forms of affirmation such as wealth and social status.
| Character 1’s Personality Profile Is Linked to Taylor’s Healing Journey Although some research aligns with Taylor’s description of Character 1, other aspects of her Character 1 profile are likely based on her personal journey of primarily inhabiting her right hemisphere post-stroke and slowly regaining her left hemisphere functions. For example, research supports the idea that the cerebral cortex as a whole supports higher-level thinking and reasoning skills. It’s associated with a wide range of brain functions, including memory, problem-solving, reasoning, sensory processing, and motor skills. However, research on how the brain distinguishes borders between objects doesn’t differentiate between the roles of the left and right hemispheres. This observation about Character 1 may stem from Taylor’s experience—described in My Stroke of Insight—of losing all sense of her body’s physical boundaries when she experienced the stroke in her left hemisphere. Likewise, it’s difficult to identify evidence linking the left hemisphere cerebral cortex with the judgmental and extrinsically motivated personality type that Taylor describes. This analysis may have been influenced by her experience of losing her judgmental tendencies in the aftermath of her stroke.) |
Here’s how Taylor describes Character 1 in different contexts:
Taking care of your body: Character 1 tends to treat the body like a valuable tool needed to get things done. Because of this, Character 1 optimizes the body’s health through regular check-ups, pays close attention to detail when it comes to diet and exercise, and tends to manage illness by learning as much as possible about it and taking appropriate action.
(Shortform note: Taylor implies that Character 1 takes meticulous care of the body because the higher-level thinking in the cerebral cortex makes Character 1 detail-oriented and able to think through the cause and effect of your actions. For example, Character 1 might reason “If I eat a salad instead of junk food now, I’ll probably feel better later on.”)
Workplace: Character 1 tends to take on a leadership role in the workplace in one of two ways—what Taylor refers to as a “Hard 1” or a “Soft 1.” Hard 1s are so determined to get things done efficiently that they can be overly critical of their colleagues and themselves. They like to do things their own way and aren’t receptive to feedback. On the other hand, Soft 1s are supportive and good at organizing their team members, set clear expectations, and strive for improvement.
(Shortform note: We can infer that Hard 1s might result from being hyperfocused on creating order and executing plans—skills that are often associated with the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex. In The Leadership Challenge, James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner say good leaders exhibit certain traits, and these traits align with those found in Soft 1s. Good leaders must empower others by fostering a relationship of collaboration and trust, and they must show that they genuinely care about their team members. Kouzes and Posner argue that these characteristics, along with setting an example, inspiring others, and challenging the status quo, help you become a leader that others want to work with.)
Romance: Taylor claims that in relationships, Character 1 is very concerned with establishing labels (for example, “Are we in a committed relationship or dating casually?”) and the timeline for relationship milestones such as marriage, as well as maintaining a predictable dynamic between partners.
(Shortform note: Taylor implies that this tendency is linked to Character 1’s penchant for boundaries and order. In Attached, Amir Levine and Rachel Heller claim that regardless of what kind of labels and timeline you prefer, the key to a thriving relationship is being able to clearly and honestly communicate those needs. This is what Levine and Heller refer to as communicating like a “secure attacher.” For example, if your Character 1 wants reassurance about where a relationship is heading, be assertive about what you want and clearly ask your partner about what their goals are as well.)
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Here's what you'll find in our full Whole Brain Living summary:
- How you can choose to access different parts of your brain
- The four areas of the brain that perceive and navigate the world differently
- How to achieve emotional well-being by getting to know your brain better
