Humanity Won’t Survive Without Engaging its Thinking Brain
No Action in a Reaction
The Human Survival Paradox
Consider a time long ago when survival required outrunning predators or gathering enough food to last through the day. For our early ancestors, every rustle in the grass could signal a threat, and every shadow might hide a predator. The fight-or-flight response—the body’s instinctual reaction to danger—evolved to aid us in those critical moments. Our ancestors’ brains focused on immediate survival, releasing adrenaline and shutting down non-essential functions like complex thought. This survival mechanism not only saved lives but also became a cornerstone of human existence and evolution.
Fast forward to today. The threats we face are no longer stalking predators or looming famine. Instead, they are mental: a missed deadline, a conflict in a relationship, or the fear of failure. Yet, our brains still respond to these modern stressors as if they were life-threatening dangers. The same fight-or-flight response kicks in, flooding our systems with stress hormones and keeping us on high alert. Anxiety increases, and when no solution seems possible, that anxiety transforms into anger. We lash out—not at predators, but at colleagues, loved ones, or strangers online. This is the paradox of human survival: our greatest strengths—language, reason, and emotional depth—can also become our most significant vulnerabilities and challenges.
The Threat Perception Problem
The brain’s capacity to perceive and react to threats is essential to human behavior. Unlike other mammals, humans process mental threats—such as social rejection, failure, or uncertainty—through the same pathways as physical threats.1 This unique characteristic evolved to ensure survival, but it now leads to a constant state of alertness in response to challenges that are neither immediate nor life-threatening.
Anxiety functions as the body’s natural alarm system, prompting us to take action against real or perceived threats. Your brain cannot tell the difference between the two. For example, an approaching work deadline can trigger anxiety, motivating us to confront the challenge. Alternatively, the pressure might stem from within you. Regardless, when solutions seem lacking, or threats appear unavoidable, the brain heightens its response. Stress hormones such as adrenaline, norepinephrine, and cortisol flood the system, transforming anxiety into anger. In this context, anger is a survival mechanism, providing a fleeting sense of power and control. However, this emotion is often misdirected, resulting in destructive behaviors that harm relationships, productivity, and societal well-being cohesion.
The Neurological Impact of Stress
Stress fundamentally changes brain function, prioritizing survival instincts over rational thinking. In high-stress situations, blood flow is redirected from the prefrontal cortex—the brain’s center for reasoning, planning, and decision-making—to areas responsible for intuitive and emotional responses. This shift ensures immediate survival by enabling quick, reactive decisions, but it comes at the expense of long-term problem-solving and relationship-building.
This phenomenon is particularly significant in humans due to the high energy demands of the brain. Humans devote 25% of their metabolic energy to brain function, compared to only 4–8% in most mammals.2 During times of stress, this energy is redirected to systems essential for physical survival, leaving the prefrontal cortex under-resourced. As a result, rational thinking becomes impaired, and actions are driven by emotional instinct.
Anger, in particular, dominates under these conditions. It narrows the focus to the immediate perceived threat, often disregarding broader contexts or future consequences. This neurological state explains why people make impulsive decisions during heated arguments or struggle to perform under pressure. In sports, for instance, athletes who give in to frustration often see their performance decline because their learning and decision-making systems are offline. They lose the ability to execute complex skills they’ve spent years mastering. Their performance suffers not due to a lack of talent but because their brains are stuck in survival mode, while repetitive thoughts of failure also distract them from achieving their peak performance.
This exact process happens during arguments or moments of anger. In these states, rational thought vanishes, replaced by reactive, emotion-driven behavior. This is why people say things they regret or make impulsive decisions when they’re angry. They are no longer functioning at their full cognitive capacity.
The Interplay of Cooperation and Competition
Human evolution tells a story of cooperation. Early humans thrived by collaborating, sharing resources, and building communities. Cooperation propelled us to the top of the food chain while also fostering competition between individuals, groups, and nations. This dual nature is a defining characteristic of humanity.
In modern society, competition often overshadows cooperation, driven by persistent narratives of division. Leaders who seek power utilize propaganda to turn groups against one another. They magnify differences, creating a sense of “us versus them.” Repetition ingrains these divisive ideas so deeply that they supersede reason and evidence. This dynamic manifests in politics, workplaces, and even families.
Repetition and Behavioral Patterns
The brain’s ability to embed survival patterns through repetition is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it helps us quickly learn important lessons, such as avoiding fire. On the other hand, it can also allow harmful beliefs and behaviors to take root.
This mechanism also underpins the societal spread of harmful narratives. Propaganda and misinformation exploit the brain’s tendency to internalize repeated messages. For instance, leaders might repeatedly dehumanize a group, embedding prejudice and justifying harmful actions against them. Similarly, in school environments, persistent bullying fosters a culture of fear and silence, enabling bullies to retain power while victims internalize feelings of helplessness and shame.
A propaganda technique described in Adolf Hitler’s book, Mein Kampf, states, “The best way to spread propaganda is to tell a lie and keep telling it until people believe it.3 Humans will believe anything that seems authoritative and is repeated. For instance, some people think the world is flat, regardless of the evidence. When asked about the data, they often reply, “The world is flat.” People confuse beliefs with facts. Repetition creates familiarity, and familiarity breeds belief.
This tactic isn’t confined to fringe groups; it appears in political campaigns, the media, and personal relationships. In chaotic moments, repetition becomes particularly effective. Stress and fear hinder the brain’s rational centers, leaving individuals unable to think critically. Instead, they cling to repeated narratives, regardless of their truth. Leaders throughout history have exploited this vulnerability, generating chaos to manipulate populations. Chaos forces people into survival mode, narrowing their focus and making it easier to influence control.
The Role of Cognitive Dissonance in Belief Formation4
Imagine a person who has believed for years that the world operates in a specific, orderly manner. Perhaps they hold a political ideology, a cultural norm, or a deeply personal conviction about right and wrong. Then, suddenly, they encounter evidence that challenges this belief—a scientific study, a shifting societal norm, or even a direct contradiction from lived experience. Instead of accepting the new information, they feel an immediate, visceral discomfort. This is the experience of cognitive dissonance, a psychological state where conflicting beliefs or facts clash with what they consider to be true.
This discomfort isn’t just emotional; it has a neurological basis. The insula, a small yet significant part of the brain, plays a central role in this process. Often referred to as the “womb” of belief formation, the insula consolidates narratives created in other brain regions and embeds them as core truths. These beliefs become so integral to a person’s identity that any challenge feels like a personal attack. It is not merely an idea under siege—it is the self.
The Insula and the Persistence of Belief
When someone encounters new information that conflicts with their beliefs, the insula engages, marking the information as a potential threat. Typically, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex—the brain’s center for rational thought and contemplation—steps in to evaluate the situation. It might weigh the evidence, consider alternative perspectives, and reconcile the conflict.
However, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex often shuts down under stress or perceived threats. In its absence, gut feelings from the insula take control. These feelings are closely linked to survival instincts, prioritizing safety over logic. In this state, irrational beliefs—even those lacking supporting evidence—become deeply entrenched.
For example, think about someone who believes in a widely debunked conspiracy theory. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they cling tightly to their conviction. Why? Because the belief is grounded in emotional security rather than factual reasoning. Challenging it threatens both the belief and the psychological stability it provides. Attempts to reason with such a person often fail, as their brain prioritizes emotional defense over logical reasoning reconciliation.
Investment and Rigidity
The more a person invests in a belief—through time, social connections, or emotional energy—the harder it becomes to let it go. Cognitive dissonance creates a psychological cost for changing one’s mind. Admitting a belief was wrong feels like acknowledging personal failure, which leads to an avoidance of discomfort altogether costs.
This phenomenon is especially evident in polarized political or social conflicts. Consider a person who is deeply aligned with a political party. Over time, their identity becomes intertwined with the party’s beliefs. When faced with evidence that their party’s position is flawed, they experience cognitive dissonance. However, instead of re-evaluating their stance, they double down, rationalizing the evidence away or discrediting its source.
Their belief is no longer based on logic; instead, it centers on preserving identity and avoiding the discomfort of dissonance. Efforts to reason with individuals in such states often fail because the conversation revolves around deeply rooted emotions and threat responses, rather than facts.
Cognitive Dissonance and Societal Tensions
At a societal level, cognitive dissonance doesn’t just affect individuals; it intensifies divisions and conflicts. When beliefs are challenged, the anterior cingulate cortex activates, signaling the amygdala, which is the brain’s fear center. This communication increases the sense of threat, creating a feedback loop: the more a belief is challenged, the stronger the emotional response, and the more rigid the belief becomes.
For instance, discussions about climate change, vaccinations, or human rights often descend into entrenched camps within deeply polarized societies. When their beliefs are challenged, each side encounters cognitive dissonance, resulting in heightened emotional responses and a diminished ability for rational dialogue. This cycle perpetuates division, causing each group to retreat further into its ideological stance bubble.
This dynamic is particularly dangerous in the age of social media, where algorithms amplify confirmatory content and suppress opposing views. People are not only entrenched in their beliefs but also shielded from meaningful challenges to those beliefs. The result is a society fragmented by rigid narratives, where cognitive dissonance fuels hostility rather than understanding.
The Path to Reconciliation
Cognitive dissonance is an unavoidable aspect of human psychology. It influences how we formulate, defend, and challenge our beliefs. Moreover, throughout human history, the first action taken by authorities has often been to create chaos. In this state, with the public stirred into a frenzy, rational thinking is notably diminished. Individuals may only perceive a narrow facet of the situation and are unable to physiologically grasp the larger context. Regardless of where you stand on the spectrum, anger is anger.
Understanding dissonance’s neurological and emotional roots can create and foster environments that encourage reflection, dialogue, and growth. In a world increasingly defined by polarization, this understanding is not just a psychological insight but a societal imperative.
Breaking the Cycle
While cognitive dissonance creates division, understanding it also offers pathways to growth. The key is to foster environments where beliefs can be challenged without triggering threat responses. This necessitates:
- Psychological Safety: People are more willing to reconsider their beliefs when they feel safe and supported. Encouraging curiosity instead of confrontation lowers the emotional stakes of cognitive dissonance.
- No action in a reaction. The first step is recognizing that your brain isn’t functioning properly when you’re angry. Avoid saying anything or leaving the room, and re-engage once you’ve calmed down
- Gradual Exposure to New Ideas: Major challenges to deeply held beliefs often backfire. In contrast, gradual exposure to alternative perspectives enables the brain to adjust without triggering a sense of threat responses.
- Encouraging Reflection: Questions that prompt introspection—such as “What evidence would change your mind?”—help engage the prefrontal cortex and diminish reliance on emotion defenses.
- Building Resilience to Discomfort: Teaching individuals to tolerate the discomfort of cognitive dissonance fosters adaptability. Recognizing that discomfort is a natural part of growth can transform it from a barrier to an opportunity opportunity.
The bottom line is that humans spend a lot of time reacting to danger cues. The resultant threat response, anxiety, or anger compromises our thinking capacity. To thrive and survive, we must learn to spend more time using our neocortex (thinking brain). At a minimum, no actions should be taken while in this state. “No action in a reaction.”
The first step in solving a problem is understanding its nature. We must all get our brains back online to thrive individually and as a species. That happens by connecting with our sense of play and perspective. “Wake the fun up.”
References
- Eisenberger N. “The neural bases of social pain are evidence of shared representations with physical pain.” Psychosom Med (2012); 74: 126-135.
- Burini RC and WR Leonard. The evolutionary roles of nutrition selection and dietary quality in the human brain size and encephalization. Nutrire(2018); 43: 19. DOI:1186/s41110-018-0078-x
- Hitler A. Mein Kampf. Initially published in 1925 by Franz Eher Nachfolger GmbH, Munich, Germany. James Murphy’s 1942 English translation, chapter 10, volume 1, page 134.
- Clawson, DR. Lecture to the Dynamic Healing Discussion Group, on 10/02/2024.