## Notes - I enjoyed the exploration of how our primary [[Thinking Styles]] influences our values in a reciprocal fashion. We fail to find meaning in a purely rational perspective, just like how [[Science does not provide meaning]] - [[The reciprocal nature of value and meaning]] ## Highlights McGilchrist, similarly to John Vervaeke’s work on _The Meaning Crisis_, argues that many of today’s crises stem from a reduction of our ability to perceive value and meaning, linked to our modern time’s overreliance of the left brain hemisphere. He posits that the values we perceive and the meanings we derive from our surroundings are directly influenced by our mode of attention. His central thesis, from his books _The Master and his Emissary_ and _The Matter With Things,_ is that the two hemispheres of the brain have different types of attention and interpretations of the world. The right hemisphere’s type of attention—broad, open, and capable of holding ambiguity and complexity—allows us to see beyond the immediate and utilitarian to appreciate values and meanings that are profound, interconnected and cosmic in nature. In contrast, when attention is dominated by the left hemisphere's type of attention—narrow, reductive and black-and-white—, we are more inclined to prioritize immediate and practical values.  Importantly, McGilchrist, referring to Max Scheler’s views, posits that values are not merely human constructs, but a fundamental property of the cosmos, alongside time, space and consciousness. They exist independently, though they are recognised and interacted with through human consciousness. The perception of values, or _value-ception_ [4,7](https://www.zotero.org/google-docs/?rkOQyP), involves recognizing these inherent qualities in the world around us, thereby guiding behavior and decision-making. By being exposed to certain values, we develop our ability to perceive them. This is similar to, for instance, how listening to high quality music helps us develop a more refined and accurate ear and appreciation for tone and style. The more time we spend attending to a certain set of values, the more salient these values become, and the more likely these are to guide our behavior. The problem is that today’s culture and educational and economic structures assign high relevance to only a very limited set of utilitarian values, such as efficiency and achievement. This overly promotes the development of the left hemisphere’s narrow type of attention, compared to the right hemisphere’s broad type of attention. While effective for tasks requiring linear detail-oriented thinking, this, over time, leads to a desensitization to broader, more significant values and meanings such as empathy, connectedness, beauty, truth and existential significance.  Desensitization to these more significant values reduces our ability to engage in things that are meaningful to us. This is because meaning emerges from participating in the world as a connected whole, valuing relationships and context. It is about understanding or making sense of something, often by connecting experiences or concepts in a way that resonates personally and universally.  This process is facilitated by an interconnected relationship between value and meaning. Values inform the relevance we assign to different aspects of our world, shaping what we find meaningful. In turn, our sense of meaning influences how we perceive values. For example, if we find deep meaning in relationships and community, we will likely assign high relevance to values such as trust and empathy, making those more salient to us.  ^7moa9s Both value and meaning are thus essential for a fuller, richer understanding of the world. They are interdependent in that values frame the context within which meanings are developed and appreciated. Values direct us to what is meaningful, and meaning deepens our understanding of values. McGilchrist’s views suggest that a holistic engagement with both value and meaning, facilitated by the right hemisphere, allows for a more profound connection with ourselves and the world. Our modern society’s overemphasis on left-hemispheric thinking—analytical, utilitarian, and detached—limits our capacity to perceive the full spectrum of values and meanings available to us. ^h4ggwi By fostering a balance that prioritizes right-hemispheric perspectives, we reclaim our sense of relevance and connectedness, enhance our ability to live in a way that recognizes and upholds the deeper values and meanings inherent in our lives and the cosmos.