LITMIR.BIZ

      Fig 3.1 The triune brain

      So the left hemisphere is “in charge” and here rests the ego which is filled with fear – primarily fear that it may become redundant. So it is always worrying, on the basis that if there is something to worry about it is still needed – illusory though this may be.

      So what of the right hemisphere? Here we have the home of the 3 I’s: Inspiration, Intuition, and Imagination (and perhaps also Insight). Some say the power of the right hemisphere is infinite, that it is a direct link to the “God Force” (call it what you will).

      In Bill Williams’ model, (which in many ways is a far more appealing concept – thus we may find ourselves believing it more because we believe what we want to believe) there is access to vast resource and we just have to use it by transcending our current state.

      The concept of the “triune” brain fits within Bill Williams’ model and subdivides, in the main, the core and the left hemisphere, although the third part of the triune brain, incorporates the right hemisphere as well. But the focus of Plummer’s writing is on the problems presented by the structure of our brains and not how these problems may be transcended.

      Personally I feel that the concept of the triune brain and its problems in trading are self evident. Those who have traded know these problems all too well. We do not need to discuss whether or not the concept is right, because we have been there.

      We could perhaps say that it is only a model and as such is merely a representation of the true reality. As such perhaps it is merely a useful lie – a concept which we can use but which is not the “truth.” Indeed, yes, but then so is everything, including the chair you are sitting on and the book you are holding in your hands. Everything within your mind is only a representation of the truth.

      Bill William’s three part brain is perhaps a little more complex, but there is plenty of evidence for its existence and its usefulness. When we learn to ride a bicycle we go through the process of trying to ride it with the idiot left hemisphere and falling off. Eventually the core becomes trained and after that it is plain sailing. Actually I managed to fall off my bicycle the other day, but we will ignore that as a red herring. We have all experienced, I expect, driving up the motorway and being unable to remember the last few miles. This is because the core has been doing it all for us. Less common is the experience of the right hemisphere taking control.

      Bill Williams explains how we know which part is in control:

      One of the most interesting characteristics of your intrapersonal inhabitants (the three parts of the brain) is that you can always tell in an instant which one is in command. The way the world looks to you at this moment will tell you exactly which one is in charge. If your life at this instant is a struggle, you are concerned about time and language, you dearly want to do the right thing, and/or you aren’t having fun, your left hemisphere is definitely in charge. If, on the other hand, life is a series of ups and downs, you feel good physically, and you are having a good time, you are operating from your core. If life is absolutely a bowl of cherries and everything in the world seems to be geared to giving you exactly what you want, you are in the right hemisphere.

      An illustration of how these three parts interact in the trading environment described in Trading Chaos is reproduced in Figure 3.2. If you trade with only the right hemisphere you will have bad management, so you will lose. If you trade with only the core you will be reckless, or with only the left hemisphere you will be scared. If you trade without the left hemisphere you don’t have the experience, without the core you don’t have confidence, and without the right hemisphere you don’t have intuition. It is when all three parts are working in harmony you get what Bill Williams calls “profitunity.”