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1-Page Summary of The Chimp Paradox
Overview
Chimps have become a part of popular culture through movies, expressions, and songs. They also remind us of our evolutionary past. We can learn more about chimps by watching them in the wild or in zoos, or we can simply observe their behavior to understand how they think and feel.
The human brain has two sides, the rational side and the emotional side. The emotional side is more animalistic than our rational side and can sometimes make us act in ways we wouldn’t otherwise choose to. We’ll explore both of these parts of our brains and try to understand how they work together.
In this article, you’ll learn about the different parts of your brain and how to control them. You’ll also learn that there are four types of communication.
Big Idea #1: The human brain has two primary ways of thinking that easily come into conflict with one another.
Even though people know what the most rational response is, they often end up doing something completely different. How come?
Because we have two distinct parts of our brain. The first is the human part, which thinks rationally and acts based on facts. The second part is called the inner chimp, which makes decisions based on feelings and emotions rather than rational thinking.
Two systems of processing information are in tension: the emotional system and the rational system. The limbic system, which is older than the other one, works faster and sends stronger impulses to action. For example, John was late for work because his neighbor’s car blocked their driveway; he asked them to move it but they didn’t listen.
When John’s neighbor moved his car quickly, the noise stopped. But if John were to let his chimp brain take over, he might hear Pauline’s comment as a criticism and ask why she never supports him or defend himself by saying that it wasn’t a big deal after all.
Most people have been in a situation where they’re arguing with someone and it gets out of hand. In order to avoid that, you need to actively manage your brain—the human one. That’s what the next point will teach you how to do.
Big Idea #2: Manage your inner chimp by giving it room to vent.
The human brain is made up of two parts. The first part is the human, and the second one is the chimp. It’s important to be able to manage these two parts in order to succeed. To do this, ask yourself questions that begin with “Do I want…?” By answering them, you’ll learn which part of your brain you’re following at any given time.
For example, we might ask ourselves if we want to do something or feel a certain way. If the answer is no, then it’s clear that our instincts are in control.
To make it more practical, let’s say you’re worrying about being late for a meeting. You could ask yourself if you want to be worried about this. If your answer is no, then there’s an emotional problem that needs to be managed. Once you’ve determined what the problem is, give it some exercise by letting it vent and not worry too much or over-think things.
For example, imagine an interaction that made you angry – say, someone bumping into you at the supermarket without so much as an “excuse me.” The key here is to allow yourself to express anger in a safe environment and rant about it for ten minutes. By making space for this time, you will satisfy your inner chimp and the anger will fade into the background.
However, this technique is only effective in a safe environment. Don’t go overboard and yell at the person in the supermarket. Instead, find a private place where you can vent your pent-up emotions without worrying about how long it takes or what others might think of you.
