Behavior mismatch based on rate of change

From Relevance Realization, Cerebral Hemispheres, and the Reconciliation of Science and Mythology by Brett Andersen.  The subheading is Integrating the work of John Vervaeke, Iain McGilchrist, and Jordan Peterson.  I stipulate that there is speculation and that the degree of certainty is debatable.  But if . . . 

Cognitive neuroscientist Joseph Dien’s Janus model of hemispheric differences is so named because he believes that the brain has a dual nature similar to that of the Roman god Janus. In Dien’s words, the Janus model “proposes that the left hemisphere is generally specialized to anticipate multiple possible futures while the right hemisphere is generally specialized to integrate ongoing strands of information into a single unitary view of the past that it can then use to respond to events as they occur” (p. 305). The left hemisphere wants to make plans and execute them. The right hemisphere builds a unitary model based on past experience so that it can react to stimuli in the present. This means that the left hemisphere tends to be “proactive” while the right hemisphere tends to be “reactive”. Each of these strategies can be useful, of course, and we need both of them. Their utility will depend on context in ways I will discuss later. 

[snip]

According to MacNeilage and colleagues, the fundamental difference between the hemispheres in all vertebrates is that the left hemisphere “must determine whether the stimulus fits some familiar category, so as to make whatever well-established response, if any, is called for” while the right hemisphere “must estimate the overall novelty of the stimulus and take decisive emergency action if needed” (MacNeilage et al., 2009 p. 66). In other words, the left hemisphere applies well-established responses to routine situations while the right hemisphere estimates and reacts to novelty. 

The Janus model does not contradict the novelty-routinization theory, but incorporates it. Being predictive and proactive (i.e., future-facing) is more useful when dealing with predictable, routine situations. Thus, the left hemisphere is expected to deal more with routine situations according to the Janus model. Being reactive, on the other hand, is more useful in novel and unpredictable situations. You cannot plan ahead if you have no idea what’s going to happen next. In radically novel situations you therefore need a more generalizable model of the world (which is created through incorporating general principles from past experiences) that can be applied to almost anything. That is the job of the right hemisphere according to the Janus model.

If the predicates are true, this ties to an entirely separate but related reality.  Kids that grow up in poor and dysfunctional families tend to experience chaotic childhoods with a lot of unanticipated and difficult  changes.  There are a variety of behavioral consequences to this sort of environment such as very high time discounting.  And this makes sense.  If there is a lot of relationship churn, uncertainty, etc. then making a deal for something more than a few days away becomes very risky.  You don't do it.  Everything gets squeezed into the present.

If you live in a high functioning environment, you can afford to take a low discounting approach.  You can invest today and expect payment in five years.  A stable environment allows you to behave in a stable fashion which in turn is very remunerative.  

The high discount person, dominated by the reactive right brain, squanders long term more remunerative opportunities because their behaviors have been honed in the dysfunctional, chaotic, high discount environment.  Their behavior is learned but self-defeating if they are not actually in a chaotic environment.  Hence, the difficulty of escaping the behaviors which are fostered in a high chaos environment.

Not because they are stupid or ignorant.  Not because they are a willfully bad person.  But because they have learned one set of behaviors in one environment and their brain has become wired to that environment and it is hard to rewire it.