For many years, James Olson has investigated the effects of brain perspective on government, corporate life, war, and our personal lives. Most of us have a predominant way of thinking. Either we use the left brain, which tends to be analytical and dualistic in its perspective – it looks at the parts – or we are predominantly right brained, which is holistic and relational – it seeks unity. These two different ways of seeing the world can be detected in the way we view politics, religion, war, and peace. Olson says we must “understand what the right brain sees and how it responds and what the left brain sees and how it responds. That is the only way we are going to be able to integrate these two forces. It is not just our brain, it is the mind and our ideas.” We need to ask ourselves if we are motivated by love or fear. The problem is not how each side of the brain responds to life, but how to integrate the best of both sides.
