The Whole-Brain Child

from the top of your neck to about the bridge of your nose.
Scientists talk about these lower areas as being more primitive
because they are responsible for basic functions (like breathing and
blinking), for innate reactions and impulses (like ɹght and ɻight),
and for strong emotions (like anger and fear). Whenever you
instinctually ɻinch because a Little League foul ball ɻies into the
stands, your downstairs brain is doing its job. The same goes for
when your face goes red with fury because, after twenty minutes
of convincing your kindergartner that the dentist’s oɽce won’t be
scary, the dental assistant enters the room and announces in front
of your daughter, “We’ll need to give her a shot to numb her.”
Your anger—along with other strong emotions and bodily functions
and instincts—springs from your downstairs brain. It’s like the ɹrst
ɻoor of a house, where so many of a family’s basic needs are met.
There you’ll almost always ɹnd a kitchen, a dining room, a
bathroom, and so on. Basic necessities get taken care of downstairs.