Power Up Your Mind: Learn faster, work smarter

Hermann takes the idea that our brains have two halves and

adds to it a theory that we have already met, that higher-order

thinking takes place at the top of your “learning” brain, while the

more basic emotional functions are located at the bottom, toward

the “reptilian” brain.

Hermann suggests that your instinctive characteristics will be

different depending on which side and which “quarter” of your

brain is dominant. Your brain is, in a sense, hot-wired to lead you

to want to act in certain ways.

I have deliberately used two kinds of language in Figure 2. The first

set of words is neutral, while the second and third are more obvi-

ously biased, the kind of things you might hear in an office or from

teenagers at home!

Throughout Power Up Your Mind, you will be finding out

14 Power Up Your Mind

Logical. Analytical.

Mathematical. Problem

solver. Fact focused

Or: Head screwed on. Dependable.

Eye for detail. Helpfully well

organized. Not prone to emotional

outbursts

Or: Number cruncher. Power hungry.

Unemotional. Calculating. Uncaring.

Cold fish. Nerd.

Imaginative. Synthesizer.

Artistic. Big picture.

Theoretical. Fantasy focused.

Or: Creative. Thinks out of

the box. Big-picture thinker.

Strategist. Full of ideas.

Or: Reckless. Can't focus.

Unrealistic. Off the wall. Dreamer.

Undisciplined. Head in the clouds.

Controlled. Conservative. Planner.

Organizer. Administrative.

Process focused.

Or: Displined. Well organized.

Good at systems.

Safe pair of hands.

Or: Picky. Can't think for

themselves. Unimaginative.

Stick in the mud.

Grinds out the task

Interpersonal. Emotional. Musical.

Spiritual. Talker. Feeling focused.

Or: Good with people.

Emotionally smart. Considerate.

Great communicator.

Or: Bleeding heart. All mouth.

Touchy-feely. Pushover.

Soft touch. Wet.

Figure 2 The four quarters of the brain