Page 142 - The Power to Change Anything

Surpass Your Limits 131

Too late—you’re tiger food. Too bad your “know” system had
wrestled control away from your “go” system.
To be honest, calling up our “know” system when it’s our
“go” system that would serve us better isn’t all that common.
It’s the “go” system we call into service every chance we get.
After all, it’s better to run at the first sign of danger than remain
mired in the “know” too long. Consequently, the “go” system
often turns on at the mere hint that you’re about to fall under
attack. Heaven forbid you think complexly and clearly in such
a case.
For example, an accountant who works with you makes fun
of an idea you offer up in a meeting. This ticks you off. How dare
this knuckle-dragging bean counter mock your idea! Of course,
this isn’t exactly a life-threatening circumstance you face; it’s an
accountant, not a tiger. Nevertheless, better safe than sorry. So,
like it or not, your “go” system kicks in. In fact, it does so with-
out your even asking for help. As your blood starts rushing to your
arms and legs where it can do some good, your brain will just have
to run off the amygdala. You’re hot, you’re ready to go, you’re not
the least bit contemplative, and you verbally tear into the poor
fellow from accounting like an early human on a fallen woolly
mammoth. What were you thinking? More to the point, what part
of your brain were you thinking with?
This inappropriate emotional reaction is exactly the same
thing that happens whenever your appetites or cravings kick in
at a moment you would prefer that they remain less active. Your
“go” system isn’t designed merely for fight or flight; it’s also
designed to take charge whenever a quick, reflexive, survival
behavior might suit you. For example, you smell fresh donuts
as you walk by the company cafeteria, and an urge from within
whispers, “Eat now before it’s too late.”
So there you have it. Sometimes we switch into the wrong
version of our two operating systems, and this change causes
us huge problems. That’s why in spite of the fact that we’re
committed to a vital behavior, we often crumble at stressful