deepstash
Beta
Dopamine and rewards
MORE IDEAS FROM THE ARTICLE
We associate this process with some sort of "will" or "willpower", though what these really mean is not that obvious.
The difficulty thus lies in delaying gratification.
But the most immediate cause of any of our actions can be traced back to our brain activity.
Some specific cues found in our environment hint to a potential reward and dopamine starts to raise anticipation. So dopamine is the one responsible to make us take action towards a specific goal.
To change a habit, both we and the environment have to change, and that's why self-discipline is so hard.
An individual can be changed through education.
We have so little control over the biology that determines our desires. But the part of our biology that is more malleable is our brain.
By acknowledging this, we can start finding alternative opportunities for learning and for satisfying our needs.
RELATED IDEAS
Thinking from first principles is not a new idea. It's actually the single most consistent factor among great thinkers.
For example, Aristotle believed that you could not possess true knowledge without first understanding the first principles. He thought that everything could be divided into categories and sub-categories (the smallest of them being the equivalent for first principles).
Fear only exists to you in your mind and it is protecting you from the unknown.
As human being, it's going to be normal to feel fear. It's going to happen for the rest of your life, but you do now want to let your fear control you. That is the choice that you get to make.
Change is the only constant, this means that life never stays the same and is always going thorugh cycles or seasons.
"This too shall pass"
Whatever you're going through know that it will pass. Just stay patient and persevere through this season.
If you only knew day but never knew night you would take the sun for granted. It's because you know night that you can appreciate the day, same with your emotions ( Highs and lows)