TAKING EXECUTIVE CONTROL

Built into your brain are multiple executive functions. That’s a given and it establishes a great human capacity. It establishes a capacity that explains “human potential” and why and how it extends far, far beyond the potential of any animal. With their instincts, animals are quite limited. They are programmed and their programming tells them all they need to know in terms of who they are, what they are to do, how to live, who they eat, who eats them, etc.

The situation is completely— completely— different and unique with us humans. We don’t have information content instincts. Maslow said that at best we have “instinctoids,” left over remnants from instincts that have no content, only a drive or urge. And the problem with these urges is that in feeling them, we really don’t know what they are signaling us— do we need to eat, drink, sleep, mate, or what?

We are without programs. And as “You can’t tell the players without a program” so we can’t tell who we are, what we are, what we’re to do, what to eat, who wants to eat us, etc. Enter the executive functions. These are the higher level brain functions that enable us to learn what we need to learn, and in learning, we create our own programming. Ah, yes, be careful what you learn!

Your learning and the meanings that you construct become the instincts that you live.

Now given that you can learn some really stupid things, destructive things, things that violate your health, well-being, relationships, ability to live peacefully with yourself, and on and on— the central key to effective and joyful human living is effectively using your thinking and learning potentials!

How sad it is that a human being doesn’t elevate thinking (critical and creative thinking) and learning as the most critical skills that one needs to be effective, efficient, and happy! These executive functions— thinking, learning, deciding, and developing wisdom — define your potential. They give you a pathway to actualizing your highest potentials and your best performances.

But you have to take control. Here’s another critical distinction between humans and animals. Because they have their programs and are programmed by their instincts and we are not— you can become your own best programmer, if you accept that responsibility. And you have an executive function in your higher brain functions to do just that.

In NLP we call this “running your own brain.” In many psychologies and philosophies it is called “accepting personal responsibility.” Otto Rank developed the concept of will. William Glasser made this his primary theme in Reality Therapy and in Control Theory.

But what if you don’t? What if, instead of detecting your executive functions of thinking, learning, and deciding, you choose to default to whatever programs that your parents gave you, the programs in your culture, school, media, etc.? The paradox here is that even in choosing to not take control, you are already exercising control— only you are giving all of your control away! You are giving all of your power away. You are powerfully thinking, learning, and choosing to be a victim.

Now there are several secondary gains that you will get from this: You can enjoy the pleasure of blaming. You can blame parents, society, history, genetics, government, some particular person — you can blame them for everything that you experience that’s wrong. You can also evade the effort of assuming responsibility for using your mind, developing your learning skills, and for making wise choices. You can depend on others for your happiness. You can depend on family, friends, or government for bailing you out of your troubles. Of course, none of that describes a very happy way to live.

Conversely, you could step up to the human plate and take executive control. You could choose to be the CEO of you and of your life. You can be the one exercising critical thinking, creative thinking, effective learning, and wise choosing. It is possible. In Neuro-Semantics we call this “human potential” and our focus is on actualizing that potential to its fullest.

For more: See Unleashed! Or Winning the Inner Game. Or if you’re ready for the heavy stuff: Neuro-Semantics and/or Meta-States. Or the Executive series: Executive Thinking, Executive Learning, Executive Decisions.