| Have you ever wondered why you acted as you | | | | testimony-substantiated theory. |
| did? Why you bought what you did? Why people | | | | Limbic Brain |
| from a different culture say what they say? Why | | | | Of course, normal human development is not |
| people buy or don't buy from you or your | | | | arrested there. In the Limbic portion of the brain, |
| business? | | | | we develop early emotional reactions to |
| Years ago, I remember reading a marketing story | | | | experiences. A given culture may have certain |
| in high school textbook. People were asked if they | | | | experiences in common. The early emotional |
| would buy washing machines that had a simple | | | | reactions imprint patterns in our brain which later |
| dashboard or a complex one, one with few | | | | life expands but does not fundamentally alter. |
| control buttons or many. Majority opinion favored | | | | Where there is a conflict between the Limbic and |
| the simple. The company manufactured and | | | | the "reptilian," the reptilian always wins because its |
| delivered washing machines accordingly. | | | | patterns are set deeper in the neuron highways. |
| And the model bombed. Nobody bought. The | | | | Or so goes the theory and research. |
| company lost big time because they provided a | | | | But there is not always a conflict. I may buy |
| product people said they wanted. | | | | coffee both because I associate the smell with |
| Were the peopled surveyed lying? Possibly, | | | | warm emotions of early childhood and confidence |
| though they may have had little motive to do so | | | | in my survival in the "womb" of my home. If the |
| ... perhaps other than shame at admitting they | | | | two can reinforce each other, the buying motive |
| wanted something fancy. Or did they not know | | | | presumably is stronger ( |
| what they wanted? | | | | Logical Brain |
| Enter Clotaire Rapaille ( who gives us a model that | | | | The logical, intellectual, cognitive part does not |
| helps explain why we do what we do ... even | | | | really kick in until age seven. That part seeks to |
| when we cannot say why. | | | | control the other two, but when it comes, for |
| In part, it is because of who we are. | | | | example, to buying, the gut-level "reptilian" takes |
| Sociologists and anthropologists tells us we are an | | | | over. Of course, there is not always a conflict |
| integrated bundle of nature and nurture, of biology | | | | between the three parts. |
| and experience. Jumping off from there, our | | | | But if you want to know what people will buy, get |
| brains from the beginning develop without | | | | down to the "reptilian" brain, down to survival and |
| abstract logic. Subconscious things like heart beat, | | | | reproduction instincts, and forget the usual |
| digestion, breathing, and flight-or-fight instincts | | | | marketing survey answers. |
| come first. For the latter instinct, it is probably | | | | ... And for what it is worth, I offer the following |
| difficult to discern what is innate and what is | | | | comments to the model: |
| imprinted on the brain ... when the big scary dog | | | | (1) I am loath to say the "reptilian" always takes |
| barks, or whatever. | | | | over, though I think it plausible that it usually does, |
| "Reptilian" Brain | | | | especially when considering marketing patterns. |
| Important to the theory at this point seems to | | | | For example, sometimes we humans do things in |
| be that the neuron superhighways of the brain | | | | opposition to what is needed for our own survival |
| receive their major directions and blueprint at an | | | | or for the survival of our offspring. Our intellectual, |
| early stage of brain development. Rapaille calls this | | | | conscious brain is also able, with practice, to grow |
| the "reptilian" segment of the brain (partly due to | | | | or shrink neuron pathways, at least to some |
| its shape). | | | | extent. |
| Instincts like survival and reproduction reside here. | | | | (2) I believe there is a non-material aspect to the |
| Here is where the gut-level driving impetuses for | | | | human psyche, one ultimately responsible for |
| our buying habits come from and stay with us for | | | | self-awareness and lying, for example, an aspect |
| the rest of our lives. Here is why we do what we | | | | which can manifest itself in a higher order |
| do. We want to be beautiful, for example, | | | | causality than any part of the physical brain, |
| because our "reptilian" brain instinctively directs us. | | | | though normally the physical and non-physical are |
| Or so goes the impressively | | | | highly integrated. |