It was at the beginning of the last century that the novelist E.M, Forster urged us to ‘only connect”.* He had in mind resolving the tension between apparent opposites – poetry and prose – as represented by the characters in his novel Howard’s End. Today we continue to be easily drawn into false dichotomies. In recent elections, for example, there has been the talk of red states and blue states. However, the truth is that all of the states are actually varying shades of purple in terms of their political leanings and many find affinity with the opinions of the ‘other side’ when it comes specific issues and how to find solutions to problems.
It’s the same with the simplistic view of brain research. We are not purely left brained (rational, sequential, objective) nor right brained (intuitive, synthesizing, and holistic). While many are predominantly right or left brained in their thinking styles others are more whole-brained and equally adept at both modes. In general, schools tend to favor left-brain modes of thinking prizing the analytical and objective. Right-brain thinking – creativity, feeling, and subjectivity – is often discounted as less important.
This is not to deny that most individuals have a distinct preference. This is as true in politics as it is in styles of thinking. However, brain research shows that when we are engaged in problem solving or creative work both lobes of the brain are firing and in connection. The corpus collosum that connects the two hemispheres of the brain has a staggering 100 million fibers that share information between them.
At PDS we seek to find those connections and allow the whole brain of the individual to flourish and the whole brains of all of us to participate in the work.
When I was at school students were divided at age sixteen. The minority who continued with formal schooling had to choose: humanities or sciences. Those were them sub-divided even further into narrow specializations. The arts were marginalized as mere enrichment, as frills for those who had the time. In this way creativity and imagination were put on the sidelines as luxuries.
At PDS we know that such thinking and such false dichotomies are wasteful and unnecessary. Of course we want to encourage passions and allow for specialization but not at the expense of creativity and connection. We all have strengths and affinities; we are all whole brained. And only together can we collectively achieve our best work.
*Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height. Live in fragments no longer. Howard’s End (1910)
