Why Your Choices Aren't Really Yours

Summary

This script delves into the fascinating concept of shaping behavior without conscious choice, exploring the idea that free will may be an illusion. It discusses neuroscientific evidence suggesting our actions are predetermined by brain activity, and consciousness is merely an afterthought. The speaker proposes that by understanding and manipulating these brain mechanisms, we can program ourselves to act more effectively. The video outlines several strategies, including leveraging the 'Readiness Potential', utilizing avoidance, performing postmortems on actions, and increasing 'Intentional Binding' through choices and predictions, to potentially improve behavior and success. It challenges the traditional notions of motivation and willpower, offering a fresh perspective on self-improvement.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The concept of free will may be an illusion, with decisions made by the brain before conscious awareness.
• 🔧 The idea of shaping behavior without personal choice by understanding and manipulating the brain's deterministic nature is explored.
• ⏱️ The 'Readiness potential' (RP) begins before a movement and is a neuroscientific indicator of the brain's pre-conscious decision-making process.
• 🕒 Research suggests that the brain can make decisions up to 10 seconds before we are consciously aware of them.
• 💡 Successful individuals often utilize subconscious mechanisms without realizing it, which can be observed in their behaviors and thought patterns.
• 🚫 Avoidance is a natural part of the brain's function; high performers channel it effectively, while low performers do not.
• 🛒 High performers tend to avoid future tasks by completing them promptly, whereas low performers procrastinate and avoid immediate action.
• 🤔 The act of making choices and predictions, rather than the outcome, is what reinforces behavior and increases 'intentional binding'.
• 🔮 Superstitions are a result of our brain's tendency to create associations between actions and outcomes, which can be harnessed for positive behaviors.
• 🔄 Taking time for transitions between actions allows the brain to build up the 'Readiness potential', making action more likely.
• 🤝 The combination of choice, prediction, and postmortem analysis of actions can shape behavior and improve performance.

Q & A

What is the core problem discussed in the script regarding human behavior?

The core problem discussed is the discrepancy between what we think we should do and the choices we actually make, which often get in the way of achieving our goals, desires, and ambitions.

What does the script suggest about the concept of free will in decision-making?

The script suggests that free will may be an illusion, as many neuroscientific theories propose that our actions are deterministic and decisions are calculations made by our neurons before we are consciously aware of them.

How does the script relate the concept of 'Readiness Potential' to successful behavior?

The script relates 'Readiness Potential' (RP) to successful behavior by explaining that successful people tend to give themselves time to build up the RP, which is the neuroscientific correlate of 'working oneself up to an action'.

What is the significance of transitions between actions according to the script?

Transitions between actions are significant because they are the moments when the brain decides what actions to take next. Successful people are said to focus on these transitions, while less successful people tend to focus on the actions themselves.

How does the script define 'avoidance' in the context of high and low performers?

In the script, 'avoidance' is defined as a natural part of the brain's function. The difference between high and low performers is the direction in which they channel their avoidance — high performers tend to avoid negative outcomes in the future, while low performers avoid tasks in the present.

What role does 'superstition' play in shaping behavior according to the script?

The script suggests that 'superstition' can be harnessed to shape behavior. Even though superstitions are known to be false, they are a part of human existence and can be used to reinforce positive behaviors through the brain's perceptual association between actions and outcomes.

How does the script connect the concept of 'postmortem' to the formation of superstitions and volition?

The script connects 'postmortem' to the formation of superstitions and volition by explaining that spending time dwelling on an action and its outcome after it has been completed can reinforce the behavior, similar to how superstitions are formed.

What is 'intentional binding' and how does it relate to behavior reinforcement?

Intentional binding is the concept where the timing between an action and its predicted outcome influences the likelihood of the action being repeated. It relates to behavior reinforcement by suggesting that making choices and predictions, rather than the outcome itself, increases the likelihood of repeating the behavior.

How does the script suggest we can program our brains to shape our behavior?

The script suggests programming our brains by taking advantage of the 'Readiness Potential', harnessing avoidance, spending time in postmortems, and increasing intentional binding through making choices and predictions.

What are some practical steps the script recommends to improve one's behavior?

The script recommends practical steps such as giving oneself time during transitions between actions, using avoidance to prevent future negative outcomes, conducting postmortems to monitor the outcomes of actions, and increasing intentional binding by considering choices and making predictions.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Shaping Behavior and Free Will

The script introduces the concept of shaping one's behavior without personal involvement, challenging the idea of free will. It discusses how our choices may not be as free as we think, with actions being deterministic outcomes of neuronal calculations. The speaker proposes that by understanding and potentially altering these neural processes, we could program our brains to exhibit desired behaviors. The video promises to delve into neuroscientific research supporting the absence of free will and how successful individuals may unconsciously utilize these deterministic principles.

05:00

🧐 The Illusion of Free Will and Neuroscientific Evidence

This paragraph delves into the scientific research that suggests the absence of free will, referencing studies from 1983 and 2008 that indicate decisions are made by the brain before conscious awareness. The concept of 'Readiness potential' (RP) is introduced, which is a neuroscientific measure that precedes voluntary actions. The speaker suggests that successful individuals may be more adept at harnessing the RP to their advantage, whereas less successful individuals struggle with this aspect, often leading to procrastination and avoidance.

10:02

🕒 Harnessing the Power of Transitions and Avoidance

The speaker discusses the importance of transitions between actions and how successful people utilize the time to build up their 'Readiness potential' (RP). It's suggested that giving oneself time to mentally prepare for an action can increase the likelihood of performing it. Additionally, the paragraph explores the idea of using avoidance as a tool rather than trying to overcome it. High performers tend to avoid negative outcomes in the future, while low performers avoid less effectively, leading to different behavioral outcomes.

15:02

🎯 The Role of Superstition and Post-Action Reflection

The script examines the role of superstition in shaping behavior, despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting such beliefs. It suggests that the human brain forms associations between actions and outcomes, which can be harnessed to encourage positive behaviors. The paragraph also introduces the concept of post-action reflection, or 'postmortem,' as a way to reinforce actions. Successful individuals are more likely to engage in this reflection, which can lead to the strengthening of certain behaviors.

20:04

🔗 Intentional Binding and the Neuroscience of Behavior Reinforcement

This section explores the concept of 'intentional binding,' which is the brain's process of linking actions to outcomes. It discusses how the ability to choose among several possible actions increases intentional binding, regardless of the outcome. The speaker emphasizes that the act of making a choice and predicting outcomes, rather than the outcomes themselves, reinforces behavior. This concept is key to understanding how successful individuals may unconsciously reinforce their behaviors.

25:05

🤔 The Impact of Predictions and Choices on Behavior

The final paragraph focuses on how making predictions and considering choices can increase intentional binding and, in turn, reinforce behaviors. It challenges the traditional notion that only positive outcomes can reinforce actions. The speaker summarizes the research findings that suggest successful individuals often engage in behaviors that increase intentional binding, such as taking time to make choices and reflecting on outcomes, which can lead to more consistent and successful behavior patterns.

Keywords

💡Free Will

Free Will refers to the power of making choices that are neither determined by natural causality nor predestined by fate or divine will. In the video's context, it is suggested that free will may be an illusion, with actions being deterministic and influenced by calculations performed by neurons. The script discusses how the idea of free will is challenged by modern neuroscience, which posits that decisions are made unconsciously before they enter our conscious awareness.

💡Neuroscience

Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system and brain functions. It is central to the video's theme as it explores the deterministic nature of human behavior based on neuroscientific research. The script cites studies that suggest actions are predetermined by brain activity, challenging the traditional view of free will, and discusses how understanding the brain's 'programming' could potentially shape behavior.

💡Readiness Potential (RP)

Readiness Potential (RP) is a term from the field of neuroscience that refers to a slow negative shift in the electrical potential of the brain that occurs prior to a voluntary movement. The script explains that the RP begins one second or more before the onset of movement and is associated with the preparation for action. It suggests that successful individuals may be better at harnessing the RP to initiate actions, while struggling individuals have difficulty building up this potential.

💡Avoidance

Avoidance, in the context of the video, refers to the tendency to evade or stay away from certain tasks or actions. The script discusses how high performers and low performers differ in their approach to avoidance. High performers use avoidance to motivate themselves to complete tasks promptly to avoid future discomfort, whereas low performers tend to avoid tasks in a way that leads to procrastination and inaction.

💡Superstition

Superstition is a belief or behavior based on irrational or supernatural ideas. The video explores how superstitions, although scientifically unfounded, can influence behavior. It suggests that the cognitive bias associated with superstitions can be harnessed to reinforce positive behaviors, by creating a strong association between an action and a desired outcome.

💡Postmortem

A postmortem is an analysis or evaluation after an event has occurred, often used to identify what went wrong and how to improve. In the video, it is suggested that spending time doing a postmortem on actions can activate certain 'superstitious' neural circuits that may reinforce behaviors. High performers are noted to spend more time in reflection after actions are completed, which could contribute to their success.

💡Intentional Binding

Intentional Binding is a psychological phenomenon where the timing of an intention to act and the actual action are perceived as being closer together in time than they objectively are. The video discusses how increasing intentional binding can reinforce behaviors, suggesting that the act of making choices and predictions, rather than the outcome of the action, is what strengthens the likelihood of repeating the behavior.

💡Pavlovian Reinforcement

Pavlovian Reinforcement refers to the conditioning process where a stimulus comes to trigger a response after being associated with that response through repeated pairings. The script challenges the traditional understanding of Pavlovian reinforcement by stating that the mere act of choosing and predicting, not necessarily the rewarding outcome, reinforces behavior according to the research on intentional binding.

💡Behavioral Reinforcement

Behavioral Reinforcement is the strengthening of a behavior through the association of a consequence with that behavior. The video suggests that while positive outcomes can reinforce behaviors, the research on intentional binding shows that the act of making choices and predictions plays a significant role in reinforcing behaviors, independent of the outcomes.

💡Volition

Volition is the act of making a choice or decision. The script explores the concept of volition in the context of deterministic behavior, suggesting that volitional actions are often made as a means of avoidance. It implies that understanding and utilizing volition can help shape behavior, even if the concept of free will is challenged.

Highlights

The core issue is the gap between our ideas of what we should do and the choices we actually make.

Neuroscience suggests that free will may be an illusion, with actions being deterministic and choices pre-determined by neuronal calculations.

Successful individuals often unconsciously utilize neuroscientific mechanisms that shape their behavior, unlike those struggling with success.

Coaching can provide an external perspective to help individuals improve aspects of their life, such as motivation and goal achievement.

The concept of 'Readiness Potential' indicates that the decision to act occurs before conscious awareness, suggesting a lack of free will.

High performers tend to give themselves time to build up to an action, unlike low performers who have shorter transitions.

Avoidance is a natural part of the brain; the key is what one chooses to avoid, which differentiates high from low performers.

Successful people often use avoidance as a strategy to complete tasks promptly, to avoid future complications.

Superstitions, though irrational, can be harnessed to shape behavior by creating a strong association between actions and outcomes.

The brain's action selection, motor output, and monitoring mechanisms are essential for goal-directed behavior and can be influenced by superstition.

High performers spend more time in post-action reflection, or 'postmortems', which can reinforce behavior through increased intentional binding.

Intentional binding is increased by having choices, making predictions, and the act of choosing itself, not necessarily by the outcome.

The act of making a choice, regardless of the outcome, reinforces the behavior and can lead to repetition of that behavior.

Unsuccessful individuals often avoid making predictions and considering choices, which contrasts with the behavior of high performers.

The principles of intentional binding can be applied to behaviors like exercise to increase the likelihood of repetition.

The research on intentional binding suggests that considering choices and making predictions are key to reinforcing behavior, not just the outcome.

Transcripts

today we're going to talk about

something super cool how to shape your

behavior without involving

you so the core problem that we have is

that we have ideas of what we should do

but we keep on getting in the way so you

have certain goals you have certain

desires you have certain Ambitions but

the problem of choice enters the picture

right because you would rather do

something else and so the question is

can we remove you from the equation

because if we removed you from the

equation would you act in the right way

so this may sound kind of weird but if

we stop and sort of think about it a lot

of the problems that we have in life are

because of the choices we make so

there's like thing a that I should do

this is maybe study or work or work out

or eat healthy or something like that

and instead what happens is my mind or I

make a choice to do something else and

so a lot of our problems in life come

from the choices that we make and so if

we look at improving Our Lives can we

actually improve our lives by actually

removing ourselves from the

decisionmaking process and that may

sound like a weird goal to have but if

we look at some Modern theories of

Neuroscience basically a lot of

Neuroscience tells us that we don't have

free will that actions are deterministic

that the choices we make aren't real

choices but they're actually

calculations that are performed by our

neurons and if our neurons decide to do

something then we end up doing it that

Free Will is essentially an illusion so

I started thinking about this concept

quite a bit and started to realize okay

hold on a second if there is no Free

Will and everything is just neurons

making calculations can we change the

calculations that our neurons make can

we essentially program our brains in a

particular way to shape our Behavior

because there's no such thing as free

will there's no such thing as choice

which means everything is like levers

being pulled if I if I flick the light

switch on let's say the lights turn off

and if I hit another button the lights

turn back on can we basically do that in

our brain because that's what a lot of

neuroscientists claim so I started

looking into the research of the absence

of Free Will and what are the

neuroscientific mechanisms because

people must be making that conclusion

based on certain experiments we must

have learned certain things about the

brain and behavior

that allow us to conclude or hypothesize

that there's no such thing as free will

and if we understand the programming

inside the brain can we then utilize

that programming in the same way that we

can kind of program a computer to create

the correct actions so this is sort of

what I investigated and what I found was

absolutely fascinating because as I was

going through the literature and there's

a ton of it we'll share a couple papers

with y'all today but as I was going

through the the literature I started to

stumble upon realization so I work with

a lot of very successful people and I

also work with a lot of very

unsuccessful people and as I was looking

through this literature about

deterministic behavior from the brain I

started to realize that holy crap a lot

of my very successful clients patients

utilize these mechanisms and they don't

even realize it a lot of my very

unsuccessful clients and patients these

are people who are like degenerate

Gamers Failure to Launch even people who

are homeless do not utilize these

mechanisms and it was crazy how clear

this was because once I read it in the

literature I hadn't even realized that

my successful like my high performers

that I work with these are people like

CEOs like heads of billion dooll

companies content creators with millions

and millions of followers they all do

this stuff so today what we're going to

do is share those deterministic

principles and the crazy thing is that

this is not usually where we focus it's

not about motivation it's it's not about

convincing yourself it's not about logic

or anything like that they're actually

discret things that these people do that

aren't really things even we'll get to

it in a second I know it sounds kind of

weird that I see very commonly in people

who are very successful and we're going

to outline some of those principles for

you today when people hear that we offer

coaching at HG their first question is

like what on Earth even is that so

here's the basic problem when you

struggle with something in your life you

don't see the problem from the outside

you see it from the inside the value of

a coach is that they can look at your

life from the outside they can

understand what's going on and they can

help guide you to improve things like

motivation accomplish short-term goals

and even increase a sense of purpose in

life and over the long term we also see

improvements in feelings of depression

and anxiety and the best part is we've

had over 100,000 coaching sessions and

we incorporate that feedback to

continually improve our program so if

yall are interested in actually making a

change in your life check out the link

in the description below so just a quick

disclaimer that this is sort of a

combination of very basic science basic

science research and then also like

clinical experience and what I've tried

to do is tie the the two together so

let's start with this concept that there

is no such thing as free will so this

may sound kind of shocking but this is

actually an old idea so back in

1983 liet liet and colleagues made the

assertion that the conscious experience

of volition cannot trigger the

initiation of action it further suggests

that conscious volition is an

afterthought and not any part of the

action generating process at all so

people did a series of an experiments

and we'll show you what that is in 1983

and they basically concluded that the

the decision to act happens before any

conscious decision is made or any

awareness of a decision is made so that

the brain decides ahead of time what

you're going to do and then later your

Consciousness is thinks that it

basically makes a decision but this is

essentially an illusion of the mind so

what people were sort of looking at they

they were doing a uh this is a schematic

of liit findings and so this is um the

case of like some kind of motor movement

they were making and what they basically

noticed was that there's this thing

called a Readiness potential so like the

decision in your brain gets made between

one and two seconds before you act and

then they ask people okay like tell us

when you decide to move and the the the

decision to move was about 200

milliseconds before you move so

basically they ask people like okay

anytime you're going to like move your

hand just tell us when you've made the

decision tell us when you've decided to

move and so what happened is people

would decide okay like I'm going to move

now and that would happen about 200

milliseconds before they actually move

but what these this experiment showed is

that they could actually detect the

movement the decision to move about one

second before the actual movement and so

this is how they kind of concluded that

we can detect that your brain has made

the decision before you're even aware or

before you believe you've made the

decision now this isn't the only

experiment that has shown this this

experiment has been sort of carried out

in different ways so we'll sort of show

you all a more recent experiment I think

this is from 2008 or 2018 where soon at

Al concluded that the outcome of a

decision can be encoded in the brain

activity of prefrontal and prial cortex

up to 10 10 seconds before it enters

awareness so this is kind of crazy but

more recent research has shown that you

can detect this decision up to 10

seconds before someone thinks that they

made it so the experiment that soon did

was very interesting they just basically

said here's a lever and you can press

the lever with your right hand or your

left hand and then what they did is they

measured blood flow to different parts

of the brain so we have this thing

called the motor cortex which is like

how we move move our fingers and stuff

and so what they were able to do is

predict up to 10 seconds in advance they

would see blood flow go to a certain

part of the brain and they would be able

to predict which hand the person would

choose to push the lever with so they

could see that okay blood flow is going

to the right hand so this person is

going to make a choice that they're

going to press the the lever with the

right hand as opposed to the left hand

and they couldn't predict with 100%

accuracy but if you look at like what

should be the prediction it's basically

a coin flip right it's random whether

you pick right hand or left 10 they were

able to predict with about 60% accuracy

which hand someone would pick before

they even knew which one they were going

to pick and the key thing still remains

that if our brain works like this how

can we program ourselves so that our

neurons move in the right direction and

we can essentially remove free will or

Consciousness or motivation or any of

that crap from the equation so the key

takeaway here is that there does seem to

be some evidence that conscious decision

making is not actually what happens what

a lot of people believe what a lot of

neuroscientists believe is that your

brain makes a decision and the conscious

the the idea of Free Will is essentially

an illusion that happens afterward that

your brain sort of concocts some idea of

choice but the decision is already made

so we're going to start with the

original 1983 experiment and this idea

of something called a Readiness

potential or in the original German the

ber potential okay so this is super cool

so the ber potential or Readiness

potential okay is is this thing that

begins 1 second or more before the onset

of movement and continues to rise up

until just before the onset of muscle

contraction so what this basically means

is that there's this weird thing called

the Readiness potential which is sort of

subjectively I would kind of describe

this as working yourself up to the

action so if we look at people who are

very successful they are able to work

themselves up to the action whereas

people who are struggling with things

like procrastination and delaying things

and not doing the right things they have

difficulty working themselves up to it

so we have a subjective experience of

this and it turns out that there's a

neuroscientific correlate so the first

thing that we want to do is harness the

potential for our benefit and then you

may be wondering how the hell do we do

that and that's where it's cool because

people have figured that out so the more

that the the participant thinks about

the action the earlier and larger is the

RP longer interaction intervals were

were associated with earlier and larger

RPS suggesting that the time available

for the Preparatory buildup may have a

major influence on RP okay so what does

this mean in our brain we have this

thing called the bches potential or the

RP the RP determines whether we act or

not and so what we want to do is

increase the RP because the larger that

the RP is the more likely that we are to

act and this is what I've noticed about

successful versus unsuccessful people

the high performers are the ones who

give themselves a lot of time to work up

to something whereas people who are low

performers less successful have very

small transitions I'll give you all just

a very simple example so if you like

look at like I'm thinking about my life

when I was a degenerate I would bounce

from one form of procrastination to

another I would never sit still during

the day I did nothing all day but I

wasn't actually sitting with myself

right I'd play a game for 4 hours and

then I'd like be like okay this is crazy

it's been too long I'd hop in the shower

right it's hop it's not like move

mindfully and slowly and carefully into

the shower it's hop into the shower

order some food go pick it up jump into

a queue even the language that that we

use suggests that our transitions are

very small and if you pay attention to

your life what you'll find is that there

is a correlation between rapid

Transitions and doing the wrong thing

I'm dating this person and then I just

broke up and instead of spending time

with myself and learning how to be

healthy on my own I'm going to rebound

into another relationship so it's so

crazy that we sort of see this already

in our lives and when I work with people

people who are very successful what I

see is that they give themselves time

and this is going to be a key theme that

we're going to focus on today is that

successful people focus on the

transitions between action and a lot of

people who really struggle to do the

right thing focus on the actions

themselves and that's what's really

crazy is it seems like our brain really

decides the right things in between

actions so that's the first thing is

give yourself time very practically

spend a few minutes before you go from

one activity to another activity now

this may sound kind of weird because you

may be thinking what do I do in those

two minutes do I need to think a

particular thing we'll get to those

things but basically this is the crazy

thing is if the brain is deterministic

it's not clear to me that you need to

think any particular thing it's not like

there is a right way of thinking or a

wrong way of thinking it is simply

giving your brain the space to build its

RP and then let's see what happens so

we're now going to dive into something

super cool so if you look at a lot of

people who struggle to be successful or

be high performers they struggle with

avoidance right we do things like

procrastinate I don't want to do this

task this time you know I I I I'll take

care of it tomorrow we all know about

avoidance and procrastination and then

we had this stupid idea we had this idea

that oh my God what I need to do is

overcome avoidance right because then I

can be like these disciplined people who

are not avoiding tasks at all so it

turns out that this is wrong it turns

out that the reason that procrastination

is so uniform is because avoidance is

baked into our brain the difference

between High performers and low

performers is high performers utilize

their avoidance in One Direction and low

performers utilize their avoidance in

the wrong direction the big difference

is what is it that they're choosing to

avoid so someone who is a high performer

or very successful is much more likely

to avoid wanting to do something in the

future so the way that they literally

think is I have this task to do I don't

want this task hanging over my head over

the next week I don't want to have to do

take care of this tomorrow I want to

avoid waiting so this is key what

research shows us is that a huge part of

volition is the avoidance of waiting and

I want you to think think about things

that you've done where you haven't

procrastinated if you really stop and

pay attention sometimes it's passion

sometimes it's inspiration but a lot of

times it's just I don't want to deal

with this [ __ ] tomorrow so I might as

well take it off today take care of it

today right and this is the same idea

behind ripping a Band-Aid right off we

don't want to belabor this over a long

period of time that is extensive pain so

we just want to take care of it just get

it done I don't want to deal with with

it tomorrow and that's literally what

the science shows us that some people do

this so participants made volitional

actions as a means of avoiding random

and potentially long waits for stimulus

onset in a per perceptual

decision-making task so I want youall to

understand this the task isn't really

that important okay the key thing here

is that volitional actions are made as a

means of avoidance this is crazy right

we have have to really stop and think

about this this is not conquering

avoidance this is utilizing avoidance so

if we want to be more successful if we

want our performance to increase we

don't need to conquer avoidance we

actually need to channel it in the

opposite direction so spend a little bit

of time thinking about avoiding this in

the future ask yourself hey wouldn't it

be fantastic if I didn't have to worry

about this crap tomorrow this is a

question that I utilize a lot with my

coaching clients especially not the high

performing ones but the low performing

ones where I ask themselves what is the

world that you want to wake up in

tomorrow right this is a key key

question to ask yourself how do you want

to wake up tomorrow do you want to have

your your fridge stocked with food this

is something that I did a lot so when

when I when my wife and I first had kids

what I sort of noticed is that I had to

go to the grocery store like at 10:00 at

night I was exhausted I didn't want to

go I didn't feel like doing anything

except for playing video games or

falling asleep or whatever but the main

thing that got my ass to the grocery

store is when I wake up tomorrow morning

do I want to have nothing healthy and

nutritious to eat am I just going to

order am I going to go pick up breakfast

tacos which are delicious but are not

very good for me and so is even the

avoidance of the problems tomorrow that

actually got me to get my ass up and go

to the grocery store at 10 p.m. at night

this is something that high performers

do they're just as avoidant as you or me

the big difference is it is what they

choose to avoid so start to choose to

avoid different things and what you'll

find is that it is very easy for you to

do that because you're not trying to

conquer the circuit in your brain the

brain naturally wants to do it and we

want to move in line with that the next

thing we're going to talk about is

superstition and I love this so much

this is what I found so fascinating

about looking at these like research

studies on volition and action and human

choice so Superstition is Dum we all

know that superstitions are false we

have tons of scientific evidence that

show us that if you wear your lucky

scarve a sports team is not going to win

or lose right like we know we know this

this is something that we know 100% And

yet superstitions are a fact of human

existence and we have to understand why

right so what is going on why do human

beings believe in superstitions even

though we know scientifically that

they're false and it turns out that we

can harness this Superstition circuitry

which is actually a CO cognitive bias in

our favor so let's take a quick look at

the science moreover asking people

directly whether they are responsible

for an outcome is notoriously

problematic because of self-serving bias

people routinely report agency over

positive events but deny it over

negative events regardless of whether

they actually cause those events so this

is basically talking about Superstition

this amounts to an enhanced perceptual

association between action and outcome

which presumably highlights the

experience that one's actions cause the

outcomes duh right when I do thing a it

causes thing B so we're going to talk

about like why is Dr K talking about

this so let's understand this so the

goal here is to shape your behavior

right the goal here is to remove Free

Will from the equation so if I go to

someone who is superstitious about

wearing a particular scarf when their

favorite team is playing let's

understand what's going on there's a

particular outcome in the outside world

which then shapes their behavior and

then if I tell this person hey like help

me understand what the science of

wearing the scarf is the person is like

there is no science and then I'll say

okay fine bro so take it off and they're

like no never I will never take it off I

will no no no no and I'll tell me why

why I don't know I just won't do it so

let's just stop and think about this

this is not free will their [ __ ]

brain is telling them you cannot take

off the scarf and so this is the

beautiful thing about Superstition we

actually know the science through which

superstitions form it is a weird thing

in our brain where we observe a

particular outcome and then we kind of

track it back to a particular action and

the beautiful thing about this is if we

manipulate this Behavior we may be able

to induce the same not discipline the

same

stubbornness of a Superstition for

positive behaviors we can be very very

stubborn about our behaviors and our

behaviors feel very very automatic so

let's understand how to harness this

principle so that we can shape our

behaviors and be stubbornly attached to

something that we actually want to do so

let's take a look at that to produce

goal directed action the brain needs

three essential processes an action

selection mechanism to select an action

a motor output mechanism to execute the

action and the monitoring mechanism to

confirm that the goal has been achieved

now this is the last thing that really

focuses on Superstition so if you if you

look at how a Superstition is formed

after an event happens what people

usually do is a postmortem so one day

I'm wearing a scarf and my team wins and

I don't really think about it the next

time my team plays they lose and then I

spend a lot of time thinking about it

I'm like oh my God they lost oh my oh I

didn't wear my scarf that's why they

lost it's not about the particular

conclusion and this is what I've seen

from my high performers is they spend a

lot of time after an action is completed

doing a postmortem what went wrong with

this relationship how did I screw up

this presentation what do I need to do

to better do perform better in an

interview they spend a lot of time after

the action is complete monitoring and

thinking about the outcome of the action

and what we know from research on

Superstition and volition is that the

more more time we spend dwelling on

something the more likely we are to

re-engage in some kind of action so this

is where very practically what we want

to do is spend time doing a postmortem

and I encourage you all to think about

the times in your life when you screw up

and we may dwell on things in a very

negative way but if you're like me we we

don't really dwell on it's so hard to

describe but we don't really do a

postmortem right we don't really think

about things in a very logical way or

what we tend to do is actually avoid it

so anytime that I would take a test for

example and the test did not go as well

as I wanted I was so frustrated that I

would jump immediately into something

else if you break up with someone and

there's a very very bad breakup let's

get drunk and have a rebound we don't

spend any time doing a postmortem and

what we literally do when I work with

people who are low performers or less

successful what I force them to do in my

office is a postmortem let's

unemotionally look at the situation

let's not jump into a reflexive behavior

let's just spend some time monitoring

the outcome of our actions and what I

tend to find is there's two camps of

people one person who just jumps right

into the next thing once again really

short transition and other people spend

time doing a postmortem so you should

absolutely do that now a lot of people

may be wondering but what is the right

way to do a postmortem and that's the

crazy thing there isn't a right way or

wrong way I mean I guess the right way

is to really think about it as logic as

you can but the research actually shows

that it isn't a particular kind of

postmortem that leads to positive

reinforcement in Behavior it is just the

fact that you do a postmortem and this

is kind of where we tap into this idea

that your neurons are making their

calculations we just need to give them

the space to make the calculations the

last thing that we're going to talk

about is intentional binding so anytime

we take an action there's a particular

outcome and we think that depending on

the outcome the action is reinforced or

not reinforced but now we understand

through this concept of intentional

binding that there are certain things

that you can do to encourage the repeat

of the action so if I go to workout

today so I know this sounds kind of

weird but let's say that there are two

people one both of them go to the gym

for the first time now for one person

this is the first and the last time that

they go to the gym for this year but for

the second person this is the first of

100 times that they go to the gym this

year but at the end of that first day at

the gym both of these people are equal

right but something changes between

these two people one person doesn't ever

go again and the second person decides

okay this is great I'm going to go again

and again but they don't actually decide

that's the whole point there's no free

will there's no decision something

happens in their brain that causes them

to go again and again and again and this

is the concept of intentional binding

the more that we increase our

intentional binding the more that we

will actually repeat behaviors so now

we're going to look at the Neuroscience

of how to increase intentional binding

and the crazy thing is that we all have

these ideas of pavlovian reinforcement

we have all these ideas that the first

person who went to the gym has a

negative experience therefore this is

not rewarded therefore they don't go

again and the first the second person

has some kind of reward that increases

the action this is the crazy thing right

so when we think that we think okay when

I act I need the right reward to

re-engage the behavior dopamine all this

other crap turns out that isn't the case

several studies confirm that the ability

to choose among several possible actions

increases intentional binding so what

does this mean the first thing that

increases intentional and binding is

having lots of choices that's number one

second thing is that interestingly this

effect of free choice was found both

when all possible actions led to the

same outcome and when they led to

different outcomes so we're going to

stop for a second and really digest what

this means because this is very

different so what this research suggests

is that the outcome actually doesn't

matter if I give someone all the same

choices let's say I give them a choice

of do you want this piece of cake this

piece of cake or this piece of cake and

the cakes are all the same we tend to

think that it is the size of the cake

that determines my decision and if there

are all equal outcomes then

there should be no reinforcement but

what the research on intentional binding

shows us is that making a choice

reinforces the behavior it's not even

the outcome of the choice it is the fact

that you stop and make a choice this is

absolutely true for high performers

versus low performers High performers

stop between actions and consider all of

their choices low performers jump from

one thing to another they don't consider

all the options they're just I feel like

doing this so I'm going to do this they

actually try to avoid thinking about all

of the choices and what the research in

intentional binding shows us is that

simply pausing reflecting and selecting

something increases the likelihood of

the behavior so let's apply this to

something like exercise rushing to the

gym is unlikely to result in a repeat of

going to the gym sitting down for 5

minutes and asking yourself okay I want

to exercise today what are my options if

you go through this cognitive exercise

that cognitive exercise is sufficient to

increase your intentional binding and

make you more likely to go to the gym in

the future so let's look at one other

aspect of intentional binding in another

study uh compared conditions in which

the same action choices either did or

did not predict action outcomes

intentional binding was stronger in the

form mer than in the latter case there

is a element of Behavioral reinforcement

based on outcomes when we go to the gym

if you have a good experience you're

more likely to go again that's

absolutely true the key thing about

intentional binding is that that's not

the only thing involved right which kind

of makes sense because if we sort of

think about it we'll sometimes do things

in life where we do have a positive

outcome I went to the gym and I felt

great and yet we don't go again the next

day so what's missing why why not if

there is that pavlovian reinforcement

that is not sufficient to shape your

behavior so this is where intentional

binding comes into play so making uh

choosing between a lot of options is the

other thing that increases intentional

binding and there's a third thing which

is making a prediction it doesn't matter

what the prediction is but in that

process of making a choice if you stop

and predict the outcomes that process of

making a prediction whether that

prediction is right or wrong seems to

increase intentional binding so once

again what I see between High performers

and low performers is low performers

tend to not really think too much about

the consequences of their actions in

fact if you're like me you avoid making

predictions you try very hard to not

think about what the consequences of

your actions are because you know

they're going to be bad and if you know

they're going to be bad why doesn't your

brain avoid them it's because we're

missing this per this section of

prediction so anytime we make a

prediction about the outcome if I do

this what will happen tomorrow literally

that cognitive

exercise increases intentional binding

so let's take a quick look at one last

bit of research so interestingly doostan

colleagues did not find Reliable

differences in intentional bindings

between rewarded and unrewarded actions

so this is the point that I made earlier

this is very interesting right so

whether the action turns out good or not

does not affect intentional binding the

most important things is considering all

of your choices and making predictions

those are the two things that actually

correlate with an increase in Behavior

now I realize I've made a lot of weird

contradictory statements so I said on

the one hand the reward doesn't matter

the outcome doesn't matter on the other

hand there is pavlovian conditioning so

like what's the deal here Dr K how the

[ __ ] does this work so what I'm pointing

out to y'all is that if we look at

people who are successful or

unsuccessful what's the difference so

what we tend to find is that successful

people it's not the outcome itself which

there may be some degree of

reinforcement and remember that

sometimes studies can have conflicting

uh findings right so how can we make

sense of this so this is what I've

observed when people are very successful

they utilize these principles of

intentional binding without even

realizing it they pause and they think

through things before they act they make

intentional predictions they stop and

think about what the consequences of

their actions are going to be whereas

unsuccessful people don't do that right

what they actually try doing is avoiding

predictions and if we look at this study

and we say that hold on a second the

study is telling us that the important

thing to reinforce behavior is not the

outcome it is the prediction does that

track with your experience does that

track with what I have seen in my office

absolutely because sometimes things go

well for people who who are lazy but

they don't change their behavior and

sometimes things go poorly for people

who are highly successful but they keep

trying so if we stop and think about it

it's not the outcome that is significant

and alone the only thing that reinforces

the behavior there are other factors at

play and it turns out that the research

on intentional binding tells us what

those are and it tracks perfectly some

people make predictions some people make

intentional choices some people follow

whatever the [ __ ] they feel like doing

and try to avoid thinking about the

consequences of their actions and those

are the things that correlate with

success or failure so just to summarize

there's this idea that our behavior is

deterministic there's no choice you

don't get to decide what you do your

brain makes a decision up to 10 seconds

before you even realize it and I also

see this in my patients who have

addictions when I really tunnel down and

I talk to them they know they've made

the decision to relapse before they

consciously make the decision to relapse

their brain is decided for them so does

that mean you're [ __ ] does that mean

you can't control your life at all well

let's see if we can actually program

ourselves in the right way which gets

into some weird Paradox of is this

actually free will or is this

programming is it possible that simply

watching this video has planted a seed

in your mind and that your B potential

is starting already to move in the right

way I don't know we don't have a final

answer but let's hope so there are a

couple of principles which you can

absolutely engage in which will

correlate with improved behaviors the

first is take advantage of

theti which is give yourself time in

transitions the second thing that we

want to do is harness avoidance instead

of conquer it avoid the weight avoid

dealing with it tomorrow try to save

yourself the trouble of dealing with

this crap and just get it done right

like a Band-Aid one movement take it

right off this is what successful people

do the third thing that we really want

to focus on is a monitoring mechanism

for the outcome of our actions the more

time we spend doing a postmortem the

more these

illogical and controlling superstitious

circuits in our brain will activate the

easier it will be to act in a stupid way

in the future so we have to be a little

bit careful there because if you don't

do the postmortem in the right way you

can sort of arrive at the wrong

conclusions but we absolutely do know

that spending more time is better than

spending less time the last thing that

we want to consider is this concept of

intentional binding where if you

consider your choices and make a

prediction the these two things will

reinforce the behavior it is not the

outcome itself so a lot of people will

wonder oh why should I bother doing this

this didn't work this didn't work this

didn't work how do I keep going how do I

keep going how do I motivate myself and

it turns out that the what you need to

do is just have lots of choices and make

predictions and those will increase your

intentional binding so I hope this has

been helpful to you'all I know it's kind

of weird but let's just stop and think

for a second if there's no such thing as

free will we should be able to program

our brains and what I really want youall

to do is try this stuff right maybe it's

not even your choice anymore so go ahead

and implement it do as much of this as

you can and report back

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