You're a Miracle (and a Pain in the Ass): Embracing the Emotions, Habits, and Mystery That Make You You

by Mike McHargue

For many reasons, our species is in the middle of a renegotiation of what it means to be a good person.

many of us were raised in cultures that value comfort and civility over truth telling, and because of that we tend to shut down at the very moment we need to rise up.

basal ganglia, brain stem, or “reptilian brain.”

These structures manage all your involuntary functions (like your heartbeat and breathing), as well as ritualistic behaviors and territoriality.

limbic system, or “old mammal”

These are the parts that coordinate your social behaviors, nurturing, and reciprocity.

neocortex, or neomammalian brain.

Your neocortex does all the fancy, human things: language, advanced cognition (like planning for the future or modeling reality), music, and advanced visual processing.

I often think of my brain as a person standing on a dog, who in turn is standing on a crocodile.

The neocortex is much slower to act than the reptilian brain or the limbic system, but given time to process, it can do a much better job navigating the world we live in.

Anxiety is the brain’s way of trying to make you do something about the stressors in your environment.

But sometimes, you are a pain in your ass because all these networks are running a playbook that’s been around a lot longer than you have.