Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships

“Our warning system for whether we can trust someone has two branches, high and low. The high road operates when we intentionally make a judgment of whether someone might be trustworthy, but a continual amygdala-driven appraisal goes on outside our awareness, regardless of whether we consciously think about the issue. The low road labors to keep us safe.”

This quote defines the fundamental metaphor of “high” and “low” road neural circuitry in Social Intelligence. These terms are used to distinguish the parts of our brains that function immediately and make snap judgments from the parts of our brains that reflect, evaluate, and decide on appropriate courses of action. The dichotomy between the two types of cognition is referred to multiple times throughout the book.

“That special connection […] always entails three elements: mutual attention, shared positive feeling, and a well-coordinated nonverbal duet. As these three arise in tandem, we catalyze rapport.”

Goleman defines the concept of rapport, or warm, friendly attunement and positive feeling between two people. The three elements that “catalyze” rapport also function as essential parts of social cognition, but Goleman recognizes rapport as a unique type of interaction, almost ideal in its promotion of empathy and altruism.

“Unlike other parts of the brain that are specialized for a particular job, this executive center takes a bit more time to do its jobs. But like some all-purpose brain-booster, the prefrontal area is spectacularly flexible, able to engage in a greater range of tasks than any other neural structure.”

This quote defines the aspects of the “high road,” or the neural circuitry governed by the prefrontal cortex, that distinguish it from the “low road.” The slower yet much more specialized and adaptable “high road” circuitry is a vital factor in human social cognition.