Right Brain "Survival" Becomes Left Brain "Success"

Vision has been a primary implement of Darwinian survival since the Cambrian period.  The neural architecture derived from the sense of vision had species survival as its primary goal.

The primary advance of Homo sapiens has been addition of the speech/thinking capabilities that have characterized our left brain.  In the earliest days of our emergence, our left brain skills were a fairly simple addition to our primarily right-brain existence and enabled us to become more successful at surviving.  However, our new thinking skill eventually enabled us to conquer all other life forms on the planet and to harness the planet’s resources in a way as never before.  Survival seems now assured.

As our thinking left brain gradually assumed a greater role in our individual and collective mind, and as we successfully conquered the planet, “success” became the goal of the left brain thinking.  We humans, who are largely led by our left brain thinking, are driven by “success”.  Of course, “success” can be and has been defined in many ways. 

Hence, the deepest motivations of the right brain remain “survival”. Species survival is deeply embedded in the right brain architecture and always will be.  Our left brain, however, is driven by “success”.

Figure. The speech-based cognitive skills of the left brain have enabled us to dominate life on earth. Survival, the objective of the right brain cognition has largely been assured.  The objective of the individual and collective left brain is “Success” – as variously defined by human groups.