The Unpower of Resistance
My case to turn a right brain movement to a whole brain movement
My first deep dive into the language and behavior of resistance began with parenthood.
I started to notice how often my son would rebuff what he perceived as my unjust authority over his domain. In return, I often reacted emotionally, indignantly digging in my heels for him to comply with my demands.
I soon learned that I was not only in the throes of parenting, I was also participating in the most ancient of all battles — the war of resistance.
According to “The Whole-Brain Child” by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson, the brain has two hemispheres that play different roles in our thinking and behavior: left and right.
The left brain is logical and linear, while the right brain is emotional and non-verbal.
When parents and children frequently react to each other in resistance, it may indicate an over-reliance on the right brain.
For instance, my right brain takes over when I reactively scold my son into changing his behavior. Instead of using my left brain’s reasoning skills, I breathe negativity and blame into the situation and impulsively yell, “No!” or “Stop!” without providing positive guidance and redirecting his actions.
