SAY ‘HELLO’ ONE MORE TIME

In the 1930s Korzybski noted that the brain is not fully developed until the late teens; now we know that the brain, and especially the frontal lobes “do not come fully alive until the third decade.” And there’s a reason— “the far-flung structures of the brain” have to be “fully myelinated.” And that occurs in the mid-30s. (Goldberg, 2009, p. 178). So prior to the mid-30s people still have a not-fully developed brain, they have a brain that’s continuing to develop. And after that, a brain that is actually used for thinking and mental effort and challenged will continue to learn and develop and even grow new neurons.

Neuro-scientist Elkhonon Goldberg in his book, New Executive Brain: Frontal Lobes in a Complex World (2009) says that the frontal lobes are more connected to all other parts of the brain than any other region (p. xiv). Further, “The frontal lobes perform the most advanced and complex functions in all of the brain, the so-called executive functions. They are linked to intentionality, purposefulness, and complex decision making. The frontal lobes are to the brain what a conductor is to an orchestra, a general is to an army, the chief executive officer is to a corporation. The ability to lead to compel other human beings to rally behind a person or cause, is the most mysterious and the most profound.” (p. 5)

While we still have lots to learn about the prefrontal cortex, there are certain things that neuro- science now suspect. First, the prefrontal cortex seems to contain the map of the whole cortex (p.

34) and there it seems to be the instrument or agent of control within the central nervous system.

From his studies and experience Goldberg posits a distinction in the frontal cortexes in the right hemisphere and the left hemispheres.

“Novelty and familiarity are the defining characteristics in the mental life of any creature capable of learning. In simple instinctive behaviors the triggering stimulus is instantly ‘familiar’ and the degree of familiarity does not change with exposure. ... Unlike instinctive behavior, learning is change. At an early stage of every learning process the organism is faced with novelty and the end stage of the learning process can be thought of as routinization or familiarity.” (p. 66)

This transition from novelty to familiarity describes a fundamental cycle of human cognition. Of course, novelty and routinization are relative. What is novel today will become routine in a month or a year. This requires a dynamic relationship between the two hemispheres, a gradual shift in the locus of cognitive control over a task from the right hemisphere processing what is novel to the left hemisphere so it now seems familiar (p. 68). So in the course of learning a task there is a transition

from novelty to routinization which means from right hemisphere in the early learning stages when the task is novel to the left hemisphere once the task-appropriate cognitive strategies are firmly in place.

This learning begins in the right hemisphere as a bottom-up process. It is driven by ad-hoc computations aimed at establishing similarities or as we would say, formulating patterns. Once that is established, then the left hemisphere uses a top-down process from those representations encoding the class membership (p. 84).

Now inasmuch as some people are better at innovation and others at following routines, people sometimes conflict over these different abilities. Visionaries develop new trends in science, culture, or business yet often are not able to implement their ideas in a systematic and sustainable way. Others who are not so capable of developing new things are fully capable of taking something and making it work and/or sustaining it (p. 140). This describes other abilities—the ability to chart a plan, stay on course, “remember” the future, sustain attention, etc.

Goldberg asserts that the right hemisphere is “particularly adept at processing novel information to which none of the mental representations available in the subject’s cognitive repertoire immediately apply.” Amazingly, the brain is somehow able to acquire new information without the loss of previously acquired information. It can learn to deal with new challenges without “unlearning” how to deal with previous situations. Here the brain exhibits—simultaneously—the properties of plasticity and stability (p. 260).

Here also is a synergy of two propensities— facing novel situations and utilizing established knowledge. To wit, learning. This synthetic activity requires the coordination of multiple cognitive skills—something your prefrontal lobes do for you. The prefrontal lobes “enables you to fully collaborate with yourself”—with all of your cognitive skills and traits (p. 141). Talk about an ultimate collaboration. It is a collaborating occurring right there at top of your neck!

It is here in the prefrontal lobes that you and I develop “Executive Thinking.” Here you learn to become competent in developing insights that are clear and precise, in making smart decisions, in generating inspirational visions for the future, in transcending a present state and yet including it in a higher state of awareness, in stepping back to cultivate a higher level mindfulness, and so much more. Say “Hello” one more time to your prefrontal lobes!