{"id":82316,"date":"2022-10-22T12:15:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-22T16:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=82316"},"modified":"2022-11-01T15:23:16","modified_gmt":"2022-11-01T19:23:16","slug":"lizard-brain-myth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/lizard-brain-myth\/","title":{"rendered":"The Lizard Brain Myth\u2014Debunked by Science"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>What is the lizard brain myth? Why have scientists debunked this myth?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s a neuroscience myth that claims a small part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-are-the-regions-of-the-brain\/\">brain functions<\/a> entirely on instinct, like a lizard&#8217;s. However, Lisa Feldman Barrett&#8217;s book <em>Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain<\/em> debunks this theory, saying our brains are different than other animals&#8217; brains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Continue reading to learn why the lizard brain myth isn&#8217;t true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-we-can-t-know-how-the-brain-works-based-on-appearance-alone\"><strong>We Can\u2019t Know How the Brain Works Based on Appearance Alone<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Barrett argues that the way we traditionally think of the human brain is based on outdated research. <strong>There\u2019s a<\/strong> <strong>popular belief that the human brain has three distinct parts, each with distinct functions<\/strong>: a brain core (or \u201clizard brain\u201d), a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-does-the-limbic-system-do\/\">limbic system<\/a>, and a neocortex.<strong> <\/strong>The three-layer model of the brain has long been used as \u201cproof\u201d that the human brain is more evolved than other animal brains.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The lizard brain myth became popular in the mid-20th century when doctor Paul MacLean identified structural similarities and differences among the brains of different animals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Humans, mammals, and lizards have similar-looking brain cores. He called this the <em>lizard brain<\/em> because it was thought to be a remnant of prehistoric animals, and he argued it was the seat of instinctual behavior\u2014something all animals seem to share.<\/li><li>Humans and mammals share the next layer of the brain, one that lizards don\u2019t have. MacLean called it the <em>limbic system<\/em> and argued it was the seat of emotions, believing that only mammals (including humans) were capable of having emotions.<\/li><li>Only humans have a <em>neocortex<\/em>, the outer layer of the brain, which he argued is the seat of rational thinking. This last layer is supposed to be unique to humans and hence the seat of our uniquely human capacities.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Barrett says that <strong>researchers debunked this model in the late 20th century<\/strong>, yet the general public still believes it to be true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The problem is that this model relies on what brains <em>look like <\/em>to deduce what they can <em>do<\/em>. To combat this error, Barrett explains three truths about our brain\u2019s structure and how it functions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, several parts of the brain are needed, for example, to breathe, to feel angry, or to make a plan. <strong>It\u2019s not accurate to say that there\u2019s one specific part of the brain that deals with a specific function<\/strong>. (Shortform note: The understanding that several parts of the brain collaborate to perform specific tasks also debunks the common myth that the left and right hemispheres have distinct functions. While books such as <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-whole-brain-child\"><em>The Whole-Brain Child<\/em><\/a> argue that <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/the-whole-brain-child\/appendix#left-and-right-brains\">the right side of the brain deals with emotions while the left deals with rational thought<\/a>, this is inaccurate.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, <strong>appearance and location aren\u2019t the only determining factors of a neuron\u2019s function<\/strong>. When researchers studied neurons (nerve cells) more closely, they found that neurons from animals and humans can look very different or be found in different parts of each brain, yet have similar genetic structures. Thus, different animals can have brain cores that look similar, for instance, but that doesn\u2019t mean that they\u2019re responsible for primitive, instinctual functions that we believe all animals share. Likewise, just because the outer layer of our brains (the neocortex) looks <em>different<\/em> from other animals\u2019, it doesn\u2019t mean that the animals lack the function that our neocortex plays.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Researchers have found that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2020\/11\/201104114741.htm#:~:text=understand%20the%20functions%20of%20these,they%20are%20critical%20for%20proper%20brain\">a neuron\u2019s development process can also determine its function<\/a>. Looking at the development of fruit flies\u2019 brains, they discovered that young neurons can have the same genetic information but trigger different genes within that information, resulting in widely different adult neurons. Researchers say this information has important implications for future studies of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, and cerebral palsy.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Third, <strong>most brains<\/strong>, including the human brain, a monkey\u2019s brain, and a lizard\u2019s brain, <strong>develop in the same order<\/strong>. According to Barrett, the difference is that they develop different parts for different lengths of time. For example, all mammals and reptiles have a cerebral cortex (part of the neocortex), but the human cerebral cortex spends more time developing so it becomes larger and more complex than that of a monkey or lizard.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Even different species of our ancestors developed at different paces. For example, the brains of <a href=\"https:\/\/humanorigins.si.edu\/evidence\/human-fossils\/species\/australopithecus-afarensis\">Australopithecus afarensis<\/a>, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/history-of-hominids\/\">hominid<\/a> that lived between 3.85 and 2.95 million years ago, were 20% larger than the brains of chimpanzees and took much longer to develop. Much like modern-day humans, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2020\/04\/200401181502.htm#:~:text=evolution%20of%20brain%20growth%20and%20organization.%20A,Australopithecus%20afarensis%20infants\">their brains continued to develop during childhood<\/a>, making them dependent on adults of the species for a longer time.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thus, Barrett argues that human brains aren\u2019t <em>more <\/em>evolved than others, as the lizard brain myth of the three-layer brain would have us believe. Our brains just evolved <em>differently <\/em>from other animals, in a specific trajectory that made us who we are today\u2014good at reading books, but bad at sleeping with our eyes open to stay aware of our surroundings, like guinea pigs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Not only did our brains not evolve <em>more<\/em> than others\u2019, they might also have not evolved <em>as differently <\/em>as we think. For example, some evidence shows that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2008\/06\/080610212404.htm\">monkeys also have some ability to use symbolic reasoning<\/a>, albeit to a much lesser degree than humans. Some other species, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-dogs-emotions\/dogs-can-read-human-emotions-idUSKCN0VP1DH\">such as dogs and primates<\/a>, also have the \u201chuman\u201d ability to read emotions.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Impact of the <\/strong>Lizard Brain Myth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The lizard brain myth was further popularized by books such as Simon Sinek\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/start-with-why\/preview\"><em>Start With Why<\/em><\/a>, where he puts forward a model for finding a person\u2019s or organization\u2019s purpose that <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/start-with-why\/chapter-4\">mimics how the three-layer brain allegedly works<\/a>. Sinek\u2019s \u201cGolden Circle\u201d model consists of three concentric circles, <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/start-with-why\/chapter-3\">each representing one of the core concepts in his theory<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. The inner circle is the Why:<\/strong> the <em>purpose <\/em>that orients everything you do. It\u2019s the core belief that motivates you to get out of bed in the morning. Why originates from and appeals to the limbic system\u2014which, he argues, processes emotions and generates \u201cgut feelings.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. The middle circle is the How:<\/strong> the <em>methods and practices<\/em> that characterize you and that other people consider your strengths. How corresponds to both the limbic system, which handles <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/methods-of-decision-making-crucial-conversations\/\">decision-making<\/a>, and the neocortex, which controls <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-rational-thought\/\">rational thought<\/a> and language.&nbsp;<strong>3. The outer circle is the What:<\/strong> the <em>outputs <\/em>you generate. It\u2019s the tangible part of your organization or life and the easiest to identify. What appeals to the neocortex, which he argues is well-equipped to process factual information.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is the lizard brain myth? Why have scientists debunked this myth? There&#8217;s a neuroscience myth that claims a small part of the brain functions entirely on instinct, like a lizard&#8217;s. However, Lisa Feldman Barrett&#8217;s book Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain debunks this theory, saying our brains are different than other animals&#8217; brains. Continue reading to learn why the lizard brain myth isn&#8217;t true.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":15321,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,160],"tags":[782],"class_list":["post-82316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psychology","category-science","tag-seven-and-a-half-lessons-about-the-brain","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Lizard Brain Myth\u2014Debunked by Science - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There&#039;s a theory that humans have lizard brains, but it&#039;s just a myth. 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Learn why scientists have come to debunk the lizard brain myth.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/lizard-brain-myth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-10-22T16:15:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-11-01T19:23:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/brain-on-fire-anti-nmda-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Katie Doll\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Katie Doll\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/lizard-brain-myth\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/lizard-brain-myth\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Katie Doll\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c3e1b539e89423b544ede91ab2bff937\"},\"headline\":\"The Lizard Brain Myth\u2014Debunked by Science\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-10-22T16:15:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-11-01T19:23:16+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/lizard-brain-myth\/\"},\"wordCount\":1105,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/lizard-brain-myth\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/brain-on-fire-anti-nmda-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Psychology\",\"Science\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/lizard-brain-myth\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/lizard-brain-myth\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/lizard-brain-myth\/\",\"name\":\"The Lizard Brain Myth\u2014Debunked by Science - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/lizard-brain-myth\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/lizard-brain-myth\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/brain-on-fire-anti-nmda-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-10-22T16:15:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-11-01T19:23:16+00:00\",\"description\":\"There's a theory that humans have lizard brains, but it's just a myth. 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