“Harmful behavior usually isn’t driven by evil intent—it’s driven by unhealed pain that has taken control.”
In a time when public discourse often reduces complex behavior to simple labels of “good” and “evil,” psychiatrist Dr. Fred Schiffer offers a different lens—one rooted in neuroscience, trauma research, and decades of clinical practice. According to Schiffer, many destructive behaviors emerge not from inherent malice, but from a wounded, reactive part of the mind that formed in response to overwhelming experiences.
Schiffer, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and founder of the Dual Brain Psychology Institute, has spent much of his career studying how trauma shapes human behavior. His work centers on a striking observation: people often function as though they have two distinct inner systems—one mature, regulated, and reality-based, and another younger, injured, and driven by fear. Which of these systems is “in charge” at any given moment, he argues, has profound implications for mental health, addiction, and even how individuals and societies define right and wrong.
Trauma, Not Character, as a Driving Force
In Schiffer’s view, what we label as “evil” behavior often reflects the dominance of an unhealed trauma response rather than a fixed moral failing. The reactive self—shaped by experiences such as neglect, humiliation, loss, or chronic insecurity—operates with a single goal: to escape pain. When that system takes over, judgment narrows, emotions intensify, and harmful decisions can follow.
By contrast, the mature self is capable of perspective, empathy, and restraint. It can tolerate discomfort, evaluate context, and choose actions aligned with long-term values. Healing, Schiffer suggests, is less about eliminating the wounded part and more about strengthening the mature system so it can lead consistently.
This framework reframes internal conflict not as a personal flaw, but as a leadership issue within the brain.
Rethinking Addiction and Shame
Schiffer is particularly critical of how addiction is commonly discussed. Labels such as “addict,” he explains, often reinforce shame and obscure the underlying cause of compulsive behavior.
From a dual-brain perspective, substance use is frequently an attempt by the wounded system to regulate unbearable internal states—fear, worthlessness, or despair. While substances may provide temporary relief, they often deepen the original injury over time.
When treatment focuses on understanding and soothing the injured part—rather than condemning it—many people experience a reduction in shame and an increase in agency. Recovery becomes less about resisting urges and more about addressing the emotional pain that drives them.
A Simple Way to Shift Emotional State
One of the more accessible tools associated with Dual Brain Psychology involves lateralized visual attention—changing which hemisphere of the brain is more active by altering how visual information is processed. Research suggests that different emotional states can be associated with dominance in one hemisphere versus the other.
In practice, this can be as simple as briefly covering part of one eye and observing changes in emotional tone or bodily tension. Many people report that one side feels calmer, clearer, or more grounded than the other. From that steadier state, it becomes easier to acknowledge fear, correct distorted beliefs, and respond rather than react.
Schiffer emphasizes that this technique is not a cure or a replacement for therapy, but a doorway into self-regulation—one that can make deeper work more accessible.
When Trauma Is Quiet but Persistent
Not all trauma announces itself dramatically. Schiffer notes that subtle, chronic experiences—such as emotional neglect, persistent comparison, or repeated shaming—can be just as influential as acute events. These experiences often leave no clear memory, but they shape the nervous system’s expectations of safety and belonging.
Over time, those expectations can drive anxiety, perfectionism, overwork, or emotional numbing. Identifying the “original wound” does not require perfect recall, Schiffer says. It requires listening to the body’s signals and approaching them with curiosity rather than judgment.
From Individual Healing to Collective Insight
Schiffer extends the dual-brain framework beyond individual psychology to societal behavior. Groups, like individuals, can operate from fear-driven reactivity or from mature, values-based leadership. Dehumanization, he argues, often arises when collective trauma goes unaddressed.
Understanding this dynamic does not excuse harm, but it does offer a roadmap for reducing it: strengthen regulation, restore perspective, and prioritize leadership that can tolerate complexity without resorting to cruelty.
A Daily Practice for Self-Leadership
For those beginning this work, Schiffer recommends a simple, consistent routine:
- Notice a trigger and the bodily sensations it creates
- Use a grounding or lateralized-attention technique to access a calmer state
- From that state, acknowledge the fear without obeying it
- Take one small, supportive action that aligns with long-term well-being
Over time, these small acts reinforce the mature system’s ability to lead—even under stress.
Choosing Compassion Over Condemnation
At the heart of Schiffer’s work is a hopeful message: harmful behavior is not destiny. When pain is met with accurate compassion and regulation, people can make different choices—again and again.
Healing, he suggests, is not about erasing the past, but about changing who is in charge in the present moment. And from that place, both individuals and societies gain more freedom to choose care over harm.
