Why human brains aren’t cut out for modern workplaces

Here’s an evolutionary explanation for why human brains aren’t cut out for modern workplaces
Credit: Pixabay/ Mohamed Hassan

Why does a glove have five fingers? The answer seems obvious, maybe too obvious. You’re probably thinking it’s some kind of riddle… In fact, there is no trick. A glove has five fingers because people’s hands have five fingers. Gloves are ergonomically designed to fit us.

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John Medina, developmental molecular biologist and affiliate professor of the department of bioengineering at the University of Washington School of Medicine, opens his book Brain Rules for Work with this question to hint at a vital rule of design: Tools need to be tailored for people using them if they are to be advantageous. Yet, the modern workplace is jam-packed with tools, practices, and procedures that have not been designed for the part of humans that our work is most dependent upon: our brains.

We force our brains to spend hours inside boxed cubicles, try to build relationships over Zoom, and pretend that spreadsheets are more important than whatever is going on at home. None of which our brains have evolved to do — all of which takes its toll on our well-being and ability to engage.

This is an excerpt. Read the original article here

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