RSA ANIMATE: The Divided Brain

In this new RSA Animate, renowned psychiatrist and writer Iain McGilchrist explains how our 'divided brain' has profoundly altered human behaviour, culture and society.

The RSA is a 258 year-old charity devoted to creating social progress and spreading world-changing ideas.

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Produced and edited by Abi Stephenson, RSA. Animation by Cognitive Media.

[TheMullela]

"we created a society that honnors the servant, but has forgotten the gift" - Now thats something to think about.

[MusicalBasics]

RSA, please do NOT listen to all of the people who comment that it's too dense - these are the people who expect everything to be delivered to them in bite-sized, ELI5 levels. It's actually a very small minority of people (the vocal minority) who complain about complexity and denseness. Many of these people are either non-English speakers, or autistic. The silent majority - aka most of us who do not comment, fully appreciate the scope and depth of the illustrations and the level of detail you put into this animation.

[SunsetSix]

Thanks for posting this. Please don't change it, shorten it or edit it. It's perfect as is.

[hicemadre]

This talk is extremely compelling. I am a physicist, and the discussion in this video well describes the problems we encounter today in physics: we are able to explain so many separate phenomena, but we are completely incapable of arriving at a Theory of Everything. Science - as with many things - has become increasingly left-brained: devoted to the mechanics of fragments, and not the analysis of the whole.

I feel it is important to note, especially in my own brain, the left brain does not shave off that which disagrees with its model, but at every instance is prepared to abandon its model of the universe and reality in favor of a more suitable description. Perhaps I am more right-brained than others, but I feel the most important thing is to be at all times willing to reformulate one's conception of life and everything pertaining thereto. I think my right brain governs all arguments, in contrast to this video. Although admittedly, this was not always the case, but rather I have arrived at this outlook through trial - and, more importantly, error.

In any case, the majority of this talk rings true, and in fact, offers an explanation for much of the troubles I encounter in scientific research. I think that any intellectual should, as a starting point, endeavor to understand the workings of their mind, and I think that this video will greatly aid such studies.

[rsaorg]

Hi all. Thanks for all your comments about the new RSAnimate. We've taken on board all of your feedback re: the speed of this latest one - it certainly is a lot more visually dense and information-heavy than the previous ones. We'll try and scale it back and slow it down a bit when we make the next one.

In the meantime, enjoy rewinding and pausing your way through this one - there are loads of little jokes, characters and references to find...

[HistoryFromAScot]

Who else gets goosebumps while listening to this man speak? Then the visual art is just the icing on the cake!

[rogermuppet]

This gave my brain a sharp twist - counterclockwise.

[IBiancoNeve]

Since childhood I’ve been feeling that I was gradually forgetting the gift. It was painful. It still is.

[stazerwsg]

someone should make subtitles in diferent languages, so that this (rsa animate) could get to more people all over the

[jenafierro]

This really is one of the best speeches of all time.

[powderdd]

This has been by far my favorite one yet. I've been trying to explain this concept of the importance of being comfortable outside of elementalism for a long time, but this did a much better job than I ever have.

[nosapience]

This is one of the best intellectual oratories in the whole of YouTube

[arawtgabi]

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant... how true...

[manthasagittarius]

Excellent piece, just excellent. The kind of thing I love to send round to my students for a fun surprise when they've been working hard -- works wonders to consolidate what they need to know about themselves as learners..

[LJY]

This is sheer brilliance, thank you! This shows succinctly the two different ways the brain learns; through listening and watching; through verbal communication and imagery. As I am more of a visual person (who needs information given to me in an ordered and logical way), I found the animation brilliant! Thank you! Just...thank you!

[dominicwest]

Anyone else notice Moss from The IT Crowd at 9.37?

[MrEjsim]

You've done an unintentionally admirable job of illustrating the point about modern society being overly focused on the purely technical/mechanical (e.g., AC, light bulbs, radio, robotics, etc.), while missing, or, depending on your p.o.v., indulging in a willful ignorance of the bigger picture; of the overall meaning of these technical successes in relation to the wider conception of reality (i.e., the complex interaction between networks of human & nonhuman systems needed to create a radio).

[TheAnadromist]

And just to prove the point that we honor the servant more than the gift, the whole thing ends up on smartphone followed by corporate branding. Abstract object contained.

[marianalevy]

This animation is simply brilliant. I have read The Master and His Emissary and this is a beautiful summary of the book... but also stands on its own!!!!

[Analyticalinadream]

My right hemisphere is intrigued by this, however the left hemisphere is finding it complicated and not very useful....I am struggling.