Discovering Your Brain Team - Whole Brain Living Book Summary
Have you ever wondered why you sometimes react with fear, other times with compassion, or with rigid analysis? According to neuroanatomist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, you're experiencing different "characters" in your brain taking the wheel.
This is a slightly longer post because I got excited about creating my Brain Team. Check out the bold text for a quick summary.
About the Four Characters
In her groundbreaking book Whole Brain Living: The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life, Jill Bolte Taylor, PhD introduces a framework for being able to choose our actions based on her 8+ year recovery from a stroke (chronicled in her memoir My Stroke of Insight).
Taylor’s perspective is unique as a world-class brain scientist who experienced a significant stroke. During her recovery, she existed primarily in the present moment, without a sense of time, self, or internal chatter.
She found living in the present moment liberating as her left brain was offline. Although she worked to recover her left brain, she wanted to be able to choose to be more present and developed the Four Characters or Brain Team model (see the image above) to help. The characters come from dividing the brain into four quadrants:
Left vs. Right Hemisphere: The analytical left side versus the holistic right side
Thinking vs. Emotional: The cognitive versus emotional processing in each hemisphere
Let's meet the Four Characters/Brain Team
Character 1 (Left Thinking) - The Planner: Analytical, judgmental, and focused on structure/order.
Character 2 (Left Emotional) - The Protector: Rigid, cautious, critical, fear-based, and concerned with safety/survival.
Character 3 (Right Emotional) - The Explorer: Open, fearless, friendly, grateful, playful, and creative/innovative.
Character 4 (Right Thinking) - The Connector: Holistic, compassionate, and open to possibilities.
By acknowledging, celebrating, and working with all the Characters in our Brain Team, we can learn to choose who we want to be and how we want to show up.
Spot Your Brain Team Characters in Action!
Learning to recognize which character is currently "driving" your brain is the first step toward conscious choice.
Your Planner (Character 1) helps you organize your day, follow through on commitments, and analyze complex problems. They are active when you're making checklists, analyzing pros and cons, judging/categorizing situations, or engaging in logical internal dialogue.
Your Protector (Character 2) keeps you safe, watches for potential threats, and maintains healthy boundaries. They take the wheel when you feel anxiety about potential risks, replay past mistakes, become critical of yourself or others, or notice bodily tension.
Your Explorer (Character 3) embraces joy, seeks novel experiences, and generates creative solutions. They emerge when you feel playful about possibilities, try things for fun, experience gratitude, or feel physically energized.
Your Connector (Character 4) connects you with others, provides compassion (including self-compassion), and sees the bigger picture. They are present when you sense oneness with others/nature, experience deep joy/peace with natural compassion, remain fully present, or see broader patterns.
No character is "better" than the others—each serves a vital function. The magic happens when you recognize who's driving your reactions and consciously choose who you want in control.None of these characters is "better" than the others. Each serves a vital function in your life. The magic happens when you learn to recognize which character is driving your reactions and consciously choose which one you want in the driver's seat.
I find that my Planner is often dominant. My Explorer loves to draw and synthesize content, while my Protector can take over when I’m tired, hungry, or irritated. In fact, my Planner spends a lot of time trying to make things easy for my Protector so it doesn’t take over - something to explore in the future. My Connector is joyous and I’m thinking about how to let them drive more.
Get to Know Your Personal Brain Team
Take a moment to reflect on each of your internal characters:
Which character do you relate to most strongly?
What physical sensations signal this character's presence and what name feels right for them?
Which character comes second in your life?
What bodily sensations and name would you give this character?
For your less dominant characters:
Which character feels least familiar or accessible?
How does this character feel in your body, and what would you name them?
What about your remaining character - how do they show up and what would you call them?
Team Dynamics:
How do your characters interact with each other?
What unique value does each bring to your life?
How might intentionally consulting your full Brain Team change your decision-making?
Slow Down to Choose Your Actions: The Brain Huddle
Taylor suggests creating a Brain Huddle several times a day to help bring more choice into our days. She describes the steps using the acronym BRAIN (paraphrased from her book below).
Breathe - Pause and focus on your breath. Acknowledge the present moment
Recognize - Identify which character is most dominant
Appreciate - Acknowledge the value of your dominant character and the value/role of each character
Inquire - Ask how all four characters might approach your situation
Navigate - Move forward knowing all four characters are there to help
By practicing the BRAIN Huddle, you can shift from being unconsciously driven to consciously choosing which character's strengths you want to employ.
So the next time you find yourself reacting in a way you don’t want to react, pause and ask: Which character is driving right now? Would another member of my Brain Team serve me better in this moment? With practice, this awareness can transform how you navigate your world.
More on Jill Bolte Taylor
Whole Brain Living: The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life (May 2021)
My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey (May 2009)
Taylor's famous TED Talk, which has been viewed over 27 million times
Below is my book summary graphic.
