The issue of gun violence is inevitably controlled by our brains. While perhaps an oversimplification, the left/right brain dynamics can help us understand how we think about gun violence and its consequences. The unity of emotion and reason is where progress is made.
The left temporal hemisphere of the human brain is thought to house most of our analytical and critical thinking. People with a dominant left brain tend to make decisions based on logic and fact rather than an emotional response. Mathematics and language are the foundation of this logic. Whenever a new mass shooting occurs, left-brain dominant people will more likely use statistics and chart trends to make their points about legislation.
The right temporal hemisphere, on the other hand, is thought to be responsible for our gut reactions and emotions. A right-brain dominant person will likely emote against a larger picture view of things. This type of thinking sometimes leads to a person being more creative or artistic. Typical responses to gun violence tend to be more dramatic and filled with a striking emotional content.
Of course, all people have left and right temporal hemispheres, so we all experience a mixture of these two mental modes as we process information. Then, as we have experiences that provide us with new stimuli, we begin to change our thinking to adapt to the new signals coming in. Personal experience can temper one’s default settings to make a person more or less emotional about a subject.
Experience can therefore be a huge progenitor to a person’s views on gun violence. This is why we here at ROOT, Inc believe in sharing these experiences. When our founder Kenny Barnes, Sr. lost his son to a senseless act of gun violence, he decided to share his story with the world. So many people have similar experiences. They’ve lost someone close to them or know someone who has. They’ve survived direct hits; they have scars – both physical and emotional.
So many people have been affected by gun violence. Too many people, but sharing the experience helps us to understand the overwhelming amount of information our left-right brains must process. Only then can we actually understand how to fix this epidemic.
The left temporal hemisphere of the human brain is thought to house most of our analytical and critical thinking. People with a dominant left brain tend to make decisions based on logic and fact rather than an emotional response. Mathematics and language are the foundation of this logic. Whenever a new mass shooting occurs, left-brain dominant people will more likely use statistics and chart trends to make their points about legislation.
The right temporal hemisphere, on the other hand, is thought to be responsible for our gut reactions and emotions. A right-brain dominant person will likely emote against a larger picture view of things. This type of thinking sometimes leads to a person being more creative or artistic. Typical responses to gun violence tend to be more dramatic and filled with a striking emotional content.
Of course, all people have left and right temporal hemispheres, so we all experience a mixture of these two mental modes as we process information. Then, as we have experiences that provide us with new stimuli, we begin to change our thinking to adapt to the new signals coming in. Personal experience can temper one’s default settings to make a person more or less emotional about a subject.
Experience can therefore be a huge progenitor to a person’s views on gun violence. This is why we here at ROOT, Inc believe in sharing these experiences. When our founder Kenny Barnes, Sr. lost his son to a senseless act of gun violence, he decided to share his story with the world. So many people have similar experiences. They’ve lost someone close to them or know someone who has. They’ve survived direct hits; they have scars – both physical and emotional.
So many people have been affected by gun violence. Too many people, but sharing the experience helps us to understand the overwhelming amount of information our left-right brains must process. Only then can we actually understand how to fix this epidemic.
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