Why Brainwashing Yourself Keeps You Stuck in Life

Summary

This video script delves into the concept of self-brainwashing through social media echo chambers, where repeated exposure to similar ideas can reduce cognitive flexibility and BDNF levels, leading to increased stress, anxiety, and mental health issues. It discusses the correlation between internet addiction, depression, and a lack of diverse mental stimuli, urging viewers to engage with contrary opinions to enhance cognitive flexibility and improve overall mental well-being.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The script discusses the concept of self-brainwashing through the reinforcement of existing beliefs, which can lead to a decrease in cognitive flexibility and negatively impact mental health.
• 📉 The speaker highlights the correlation between brainwashing, a decrease in BDNF levels, and the rise in mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and loneliness.
• 🤯 The internet and social media platforms are creating echo chambers that reinforce users' beliefs, potentially leading to a narrow-mindedness and a lack of cognitive flexibility.
• 🔬 Research is cited to show that extreme political partisanship is linked to lower cognitive flexibility, indicating that radicalized individuals have more rigid thinking patterns.
• 🧬 BDNF, or Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, is essential for neuron growth, particularly in areas of the brain related to learning and memory, and its levels can be affected by internet addiction.
• 💡 Cognitive flexibility is crucial for learning, adapting to new information, and being resilient to stress and setbacks.
• 📉 Internet addiction in adolescents is associated with lower BDNF and neuropeptide Y levels, suggesting a link between mental health and online behavior.
• 🌐 The script suggests that the algorithms of social media platforms are not only creating echo chambers of content but also of comments, further reinforcing users' existing beliefs.
• 🧘 The importance of psychological flexibility and mindfulness is emphasized, as they are predictors of better individual outcomes, including the ability to accept setbacks and continue pursuing goals.
• 🤝 Engaging with contrary opinions and avoiding echo chambers can increase cognitive flexibility, which is associated with a range of positive mental health outcomes.
• 🚨 The rapid implementation of algorithms on social media without understanding their mental health impact is likened to a societal experiment that could be contributing to the current mental health crisis.

Q & A

What is the main concern discussed in the video script about our current mental health?

The main concern is that mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, social isolation, and stress are on the rise, and the script suggests that this may be linked to the brainwashing effect of the internet, where people are continually exposed to the same ideas, leading to decreased cognitive flexibility and reduced BDNF levels.

What is the term 'brainwashing' used to describe in this context?

In this context, 'brainwashing' refers to the process of being continually exposed to the same ideas and beliefs, which can be self-inflicted through the use of social media algorithms that reinforce our existing views, creating an echo chamber effect.

How does cognitive flexibility relate to mental health as discussed in the script?

Cognitive flexibility is presented as a critical component of mental health. A decrease in cognitive flexibility is associated with a rise in mental health issues, as it is linked to the ability to adapt to new information, change perspectives, and learn from mistakes.

What role does BDNF play in the brain and how is it affected by cognitive flexibility?

BDNF, or Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, is a chemical released by the brain that stimulates the growth of neurons and brain cells, particularly in areas like the hippocampus, which governs learning and memory. Higher cognitive flexibility is associated with higher BDNF levels, suggesting a connection between cognitive flexibility and brain health.

How do social media algorithms potentially contribute to mental health issues?

Social media algorithms contribute by creating echo chambers that reinforce users' existing beliefs and preferences, limiting exposure to diverse perspectives. This lack of cognitive challenge and variety can lead to reduced cognitive flexibility and potentially contribute to mental health issues.

What is the connection between cognitive flexibility and the ability to cope with stress?

Cognitive flexibility allows individuals to adapt their mindset and responses to stress, viewing it as a challenge rather than a threat. This adaptability can lead to increased resilience, better emotional regulation, and a more positive outlook on life's challenges.

How does the script relate cognitive flexibility to addiction and internet usage?

The script suggests that individuals with lower cognitive flexibility may be more prone to internet addiction, as they are less able to break away from repetitive behaviors and seek out new experiences or ideas. This can lead to excessive internet use and a reliance on digital platforms for validation and stimulation.

What is the significance of the 'growth mindset' in relation to cognitive flexibility?

A growth mindset, which involves viewing challenges as opportunities for learning and growth, requires cognitive flexibility. It allows individuals to adapt to setbacks and continue pursuing their goals, rather than being overwhelmed by failure or stress.

How does the script suggest we can counteract the negative effects of brainwashing on our cognitive flexibility?

The script suggests engaging with contrary opinions, seeking out diverse perspectives, and challenging our own beliefs to increase cognitive flexibility. It also warns against the dangers of echo chambers and the importance of a varied 'mental diet'.

What is the potential impact of the internet on our cognitive abilities according to the script?

According to the script, the internet has the potential to negatively impact our cognitive abilities by promoting a narrow and repetitive exposure to ideas, which can lead to decreased cognitive flexibility, reduced BDNF levels, and a range of mental health issues.

What does the script suggest about the importance of studying and understanding the effects of technology on our brains?

The script emphasizes the importance of studying and understanding the effects of technology, particularly social media algorithms, on our brains. It warns that the rapid implementation of these technologies without sufficient research could be contributing to the current mental health crisis.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 The Dangers of Self-Brainwashing and Echo Chambers

The paragraph discusses the concept of self-brainwashing, where individuals reinforce their existing beliefs through continuous exposure, leading to a decrease in cognitive flexibility and BDNF levels. It highlights the psychological harm of this process, such as increased depression, anxiety, and social issues. The speaker uses the example of differing comment sections on social media to illustrate the formation of echo chambers, which further exacerbate these issues. The paragraph concludes with a promotion of Dr. K's guide to mental health, suggesting it as a tool to counteract the negative effects of self-brainwashing.

05:01

📚 The Impact of Internet Echo Chambers on Cognitive Flexibility

This section delves into the effects of internet algorithms creating echo chambers, which serve users content they agree with, thereby limiting exposure to diverse ideas. It discusses the importance of cognitive flexibility for mental health and how the internet's homogenizing effect can lead to a decrease in BDNF levels, affecting learning and memory. The paragraph cites various studies that link cognitive inflexibility with political radicalization, stress response, and the potential for internet addiction, suggesting a correlation between these factors and the mental health crisis.

10:02

🧬 BDNF, Cognitive Flexibility, and the Neurological Effects of Internet Addiction

The focus shifts to the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in cognitive flexibility and how it is affected by internet addiction. The paragraph presents research indicating that lower BDNF levels are associated with internet addiction in adolescents. It also explores the impact of cognitive flexibility on resilience to stress and the ability to learn from mistakes. The speaker emphasizes the importance of a varied mental diet for a healthy mind, drawing parallels to the need for a varied physical diet for a healthy body.

15:03

🌐 The Internet's Role in Reducing Cognitive Flexibility and BDNF

This paragraph examines the hypothesis that the internet, by reinforcing existing beliefs and not providing a diverse range of ideas, is damaging to cognitive flexibility and BDNF levels. It discusses the consequences of this, such as an inability to learn from mistakes, increased stress, and a lack of resilience. The speaker suggests that the rapid implementation of internet algorithms without understanding their mental health impact is contributing to societal issues and a mental health crisis.

20:03

🤔 The Connection Between Cognitive Flexibility and Emotional Regulation

The speaker explores the relationship between cognitive flexibility and the ability to regulate emotions, suggesting that a flexible mind is better equipped to manage emotional responses. The paragraph discusses the importance of cognitive flexibility in various aspects of mental health, including therapy outcomes, the development of PTSD, and the ability to cope with stress. It emphasizes that a lack of cognitive flexibility can lead to poor emotional regulation and worse mental health outcomes.

25:04

🌱 The Importance of Cognitive Flexibility for Personal Growth and Mental Health

In this paragraph, the speaker underscores the critical role of cognitive flexibility in personal growth, emotional regulation, and the ability to adopt a growth mindset. It discusses how cognitive inflexibility can lead to a cycle of self-reinforcing beliefs that are detrimental to mental health. The speaker encourages engaging with contrary opinions to increase cognitive flexibility and improve various aspects of life, positioning it as a form of intelligence that can mitigate the negative impacts of the internet on mental health.

Keywords

💡Brainwashing

Brainwashing refers to the process where an individual is exposed to the same ideas repeatedly, leading to a change in their beliefs and attitudes. In the context of the video, it is used to describe how people are reinforcing their existing beliefs through continuous exposure to similar content on the internet, which is likened to a form of self-brainwashing. The script discusses the psychological harm of this process, such as reduced cognitive flexibility and increased stress.

💡Cognitive Flexibility

Cognitive flexibility is the ability to switch between thinking about two different concepts or to think about multiple concepts simultaneously. The video emphasizes its importance for mental health, suggesting that a lack of cognitive flexibility is linked to increased stress, anxiety, and depression. The script mentions that repetitive exposure to similar ideas on the internet can reduce cognitive flexibility, leading to a less adaptable mindset.

💡BDNF

BDNF, or Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, is a protein that supports the growth and survival of neurons in the brain. In the video, it is highlighted as a chemical crucial for learning and memory. The script explains that lower levels of BDNF are associated with reduced cognitive flexibility and are indicative of the negative impact of brainwashing through the internet, which can lead to mental health issues.

💡Echo Chambers

An echo chamber, in the context of the video, refers to a situation where an individual is exposed primarily to information or opinions that confirm their existing beliefs, with little opportunity for exposure to alternative viewpoints. The script discusses how the internet, particularly social media algorithms, can create echo chambers that reinforce existing beliefs and reduce cognitive flexibility.

💡Stress

Stress is a psychological and physiological response to demanding or threatening situations. The video script mentions that the perception of stress can vary from being a challenge that enhances growth to being overwhelming and debilitating. It suggests that cognitive flexibility plays a role in how individuals cope with stress, with less flexible individuals experiencing more negative outcomes.

💡Internet Addiction

Internet addiction is a behavioral addiction characterized by excessive use of the internet to the extent that it interferes with daily life. The script cites research linking lower BDNF levels and cognitive inflexibility to internet addiction among adolescents, suggesting that the constant exposure to the internet can have detrimental effects on mental health and cognitive abilities.

💡Trauma

Trauma refers to significant emotional shock following the experience or witnessing of a disturbing event. The video discusses the impact of trauma on cognitive flexibility and BDNF levels, indicating that individuals with higher cognitive flexibility and BDNF expression are better equipped to cope with and recover from traumatic events.

💡Mindset

Mindset, in the context of the video, pertains to an individual's perspective on challenges and stress. The script differentiates between a 'growth mindset,' where stress is seen as an opportunity for improvement, and a 'debilitating mindset,' where stress is perceived as overwhelming. Cognitive flexibility is suggested as a factor that enables the adoption of a growth mindset.

💡Emotional Regulation

Emotional regulation is the ability to manage and control one's emotions. The video script connects emotional regulation with cognitive flexibility, suggesting that the ability to change one's emotional state is linked to the flexibility of one's thought processes. It is implied that individuals with higher cognitive flexibility are better at regulating their emotions.

💡Therapy

Therapy, specifically cognitive-behavioral therapy, is discussed in the video as a treatment for mental health issues like anxiety and depression. The script mentions that the effectiveness of therapy can be dependent on an individual's cognitive flexibility, as those with less flexibility may struggle to learn and apply new ways of thinking.

💡Neurogenesis

Neurogenesis is the process by which new neurons are generated in the brain. The video script refers to adult hippocampal neurogenesis, which is the growth of new neurons in the hippocampus of adults. It is linked to cognitive flexibility and the ability to learn and adapt, suggesting that brainwashing through repetitive internet use could inhibit this process.

Highlights

The concept of self-brainwashing through reinforcement of existing beliefs is damaging to cognitive flexibility and mental health.

Depression, social anxiety, and loneliness are on the rise and correlate with brainwashing effects.

The internet and social media create echo chambers that reinforce our beliefs, potentially leading to mental health issues.

Cognitive flexibility is crucial for mental health, and a lack of it can lead to poor learning and adaptation to new information.

BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) is linked to cognitive flexibility and is affected by stress and reinforcement of beliefs.

Political radicalization is associated with lower cognitive flexibility, as shown in a study of over 700 US citizens.

BDNF levels and cognitive flexibility are connected to the ability to cope with stress, as demonstrated in mouse models.

Internet addiction in adolescents is linked to lower BDNF and neuropeptide Y levels, suggesting a correlation with cognitive inflexibility.

Cognitive flexibility can act as a buffer against the negative impacts of traumatic life events.

Therapies aimed at cognitive restructuring for anxiety and depression are more effective with individuals who possess higher cognitive flexibility.

Cognitive flexibility is a predictor of PTSD symptoms, indicating its importance in mental resilience.

Addiction and obsessive-compulsive behaviors are linked to a lack of cognitive flexibility.

The rapid implementation of internet algorithms without understanding their mental health impact is concerning.

Engaging with contrary opinions and avoiding echo chambers can increase cognitive flexibility and improve mental health.

The importance of a varied 'mental diet' is highlighted as a way to prevent the negative impacts of self-brainwashing.

The current mental health crisis may be linked to the homogenization of thought through internet algorithms.

Transcripts

so the more we brainwash ourselves into

our existing beliefs including by the

way oh my God everything is so hard

stress is so overwhelming I have ADHD

ADHD cripples me in all of these

thousand different ways I'm so

traumatized I'm so triggered life is

hard life is hard life is hard these are

the beliefs that we have which then get

reinforced as they get reinforced

cognitive flexibility goes down bdnf

goes down and this is the result today

we're going to talk about how we're all

being brainwashed and you may Wonder

brain to believe what right because when

we think about brainwashing we think

about maybe there's a government that is

trying to use some kind of political

propaganda to convince us of something

or there's a cult that is trying to

isolate us from our family but it turns

out that we're all being brainwashed to

believe what we already believe we're

essentially brainwashing ourselves with

our own existing beliefs and that may

sound a little bit weird because you're

saying well what's the problem in that

isn't the harm from brainwash coming

from people in ejecting particular

beliefs into your head and it turns out

that no that's not actually the main

harm it turns out that brainwashing in

and of itself is very damaging

psychologically now you may Wonder

damaging psychologically in what way we

have a society where depression is on

the rise social anxiety is on the rise

we have a loneliness epidemic people are

more triggered and traumatized than ever

before we're all more stressed out which

of these things correlate with

brainwashing and it turns out that the

answer is yes

they all correlate with brainwashing so

I got curious about this when I watched

this particular Tik Tok this is the most

insane example of how everyone is

experiencing completely different social

medias at the exact same time like this

video my boyfriend said he'd be over by

3 after golfing and like it's just her

every half an hour taking a video saying

oh he's still not here and it gets to

like 500 or 6 p.m. and he's still not

here okay I open the comments of this

video and kind of as I expected everyone

was saying saying oh that's really rude

it's the disregard of her time I don't

like him um did he communicate with you

if not then that's a red flag okay fair

enough you know I send this video to my

boyfriend who was sat next to me and

then I said to my boyfriend LOL look at

the comments bear in mind these comments

were coming up at the top of the list so

as soon as you open the comments these

are the ones that came up for me tell me

[ __ ] why my boyfriend opens the

comments on his phone again it's the

first list of comments that come up it's

the same time on the same video or you

could get your own hobby instead of w

around for him like God forbid he has a

good time he me before 3:00 a.m. he's

ahead of schedule no [ __ ] Wonder

we're all so divided hey all if you're

interested in applying some of the

principles that we share to actually

create change in your life check out Dr

K's guide to mental health it combines

over two decades of my experience of

both being a monk and a psychiatrist and

distills all of the most important

things I've learned into a Choose Your

Own Adventure format so check out the

link in the bio and start your journey

today so I saw this video wondered what

is the mental health impact of

essentially being exposed to our beliefs

over and over and over again because

that's what the internet is doing we

have these algorithms that figure out

what you like and it used to be that

they would just serve you up videos of

things that you already like things that

you agree with we all know that there

are Echo Chambers on the internet but

now things have moved to the next step

which is that we're now being fed

algorithmic comments so not only are we

seeing a particular video that we agree

with but we're seeing a lot of other

people also agree with that video and

what this is essentially doing is

creating an echo chamber for our mind

and then the question kind of becomes

what is the mental health impact of

creating an echo chamber of our own mind

because this is essentially a form of

brainwashing right so when we think

about brainwashing it is continual

exposure to the same ideas over and over

and over again until you get programmed

and we think about the problem with

brainwashing being that okay some

nefarious organization like a government

or a cult is going to inject a

particular set of beliefs into our mind

and so we think that the damage from

brainwashing comes from this nefarious

thing that is being implanted in our

mind but if we look at the science of it

it's actually way scarier than that

brainwashing ourself with our own

beliefs is very psychologically damaging

and you may Wonder In what way is it

psychologically damaging because in the

world today we're seeing rises in

depression we're seeing rises in anxiety

social anxiety loneliness epidemic

people are having problems dating people

are less empathic people are more

stressed people are more traumatized so

which of these correlates with

brainwashing all of them correlate with

brainwashing and this is what's super

scary so I want youall to understand

this in order for our mind to be healthy

it requires a variety of inputs okay so

if you just think about like your gut

right what is my diet what what is my

body need to be healthy I can't just eat

one thing over and over and over again

if I just eat one thing over and over

and over again I will get sick and the

same is true of our mind it turns out

that exposing our mind to a variety of

stimuli is very important for mental

health but right now what's going on in

the internet is the exact opposite we

are just being fed the same stuff over

and over and over again so let's take a

look at a couple of the papers that

really like explore this so this is a

paper from the partisan mind is Extreme

political partisanship related to

cognitive inflexibility and this paper

is looking at a sample of over 700 US

citizens and partisan extremity was

related to lower levels of cognitive

flexibility regardless of political

orientation so this is not very

surprising right we're basically saying

like oh like people who are extremely

political radicalized are not very

cognitively inflexible really simple

right we also know that they're Echo

Chambers on the internet that sort of

reinforce a set of political beliefs so

not a big deal but we we still need to

establish scientifically what we sort of

intuitively know which is that cognitive

and flexibility is important for radical

beliefs now this is where things get

really interesting the role of bdnf and

npy levels effects of Behavioral Systems

and emotion regulation on internet

addiction in adolescence so before we go

further we need to kind of take a step

back and understand what's going on in

the brain bdnf is brain derived

neurotrophic Factor brain derived means

that it's made by the brain neuro is

referring to the brain and trophic means

growth so this is a chemical that is

released by the brain that stimulates

growth of neurons and brain cells bdnf

is incredibly important in parts of the

brain like the hippocampus which is

which governs things like learning and

memory so if we sort of think a little

bit about what is learning learning is

essentially being cognitively flexible

right so I think 11 * 11

is and in order to recognize my mistake

I have to I have an existing belief and

I have to be flexible from that belief

and start to look at other things I have

to realize hey I could be wrong so if we

look at the process of learning it

requires essentially abandoning old

incorrect beliefs for newer more correct

beliefs and so as we get brainwashed by

the internet we stop doing that so now

what I'm going to start to do is walk

yall through a chain of research that

sort of connects how getting exposed to

very few things will sort of impact our

cognitive flexib ability impact our bdnf

levels and what are the health outcomes

that are caused by this the partisan

mind is Extreme political partisanship

related to cognitive inflexibility so

this is a paper that's basically looking

at if we look at people who are

politically radicalized are they

cognitively flexible or cognitively

inflexible and if you've got you know an

ounce of common sense in your head

you're going to realize that in a sample

of over 700 US citizens partisan

extremity was related to lower levels of

cognitive flexibility regardless of

political orientation across three

independent cognitive assessments of

flexibility now this basically says the

more radicalized you are the less

cognitively flexible you are but I still

have to share this because we don't want

to make any assumptions here right we

want to really sort of connect all of

these dots in a very very like valid way

okay so this is we kind of know this duh

but let's move on effects of delatine

treatment on cognitive flexibility and

bdnf expression in adult male mice

exposed to social stress so this is a

paper that's looking at a mouse model

right so these are not humans but we'll

get most of these studies are on humans

but we're just going to sort of show the

basic science here that when I have bdnf

when bdnf goes up my cognitive

flexibility goes up and the cool thing

is when bdnf and cognitive flexibility

are high adult male mice exposed to

social stress are able to cope with that

stress better so in order to cope with

our stress we need the ability to be

cognitively flexible here's another uh

study that sort of shows relatively

similar things so this is a study that's

looking at mice once again but we're

looking at stroke so when a m Mouse has

a stroke the brain tries to heal the

damage and if the M Mouse uh secretes a

lot of bdnf if the after a stroke the

bdnf levels rise then we see an

improvement in cognitive flexibility so

this is another study basically showing

us that bdnf and cognitive flexibility

are like very connected even in mice

even in humans now let's get to more

clinical stuff so what difference does

this make for like our mental health

right let's take a look the role of bdnf

in neuropeptide y levels on internet

addiction and adolesence now this is

really interesting now we're saying okay

what role does bdnf ha have in actually

getting addicted to the internet now

this is fascinating this is in humans

okay this is humans these are

adolescence I don't know about I don't

know if there are any Mouse models of

internet addiction bdnf and neuropeptide

Y levels were found to be lower in

adolescence with internet addiction

compared to healthy controls so we got

to pause here for a second and

understand this okay so when our brain

has lower bdnf and we become cognitively

inflexible we are more likely to become

addicted to the internet okay this is

really this is actually a correlational

study I think so it could be either way

around and that's really important what

this also means is that since this is a

cross-section study what this means is

that people who are addicted to the

internet may may have lower bdnf levels

we just know that those two things are

tied but a lot of people may assume that

if I have low B bdnf levels I'm more

likely to be addicted to the internet

but the opposite could also be true the

more addicted to the internet I am the

more it could reduce my bdnf levels okay

so this is really important to

understand so if we using the internet a

lot there's a good chance that our bdnf

levels will start to drop and how do we

know this it's also because we know that

stimulation from the environment in new

ways challenges to your ways of thinking

exposing yourself to new new ideas

improves cognitive flexibility and

likely improves bdnf as well traumatic

life events in relation to cognitive

flexibility the moderating role of bdnf

Gene variation polymorphism okay so now

I know this is weird I'll explain it

okay when we get traumatized in life our

capacity for cognitive

flexibility protects us from the trauma

or basically screws us up so if you look

at like you know there's a saying that

what doesn't kill you only makes you

stronger but that's not scientifically

true what doesn't kill you can make you

stronger or cripples you for life and it

turns out that one of the key

differences between whether you grow

from trauma or get screwed by trauma is

bdnf expression so this is a study

that's kind of looking at a particular

variant of a gene that makes bdnf that

is protective or harmful so we're kind

like this is we don't need to get into

the details of the Val 66 met Gene the

main thing to kind of reinforce here is

even the background of this paper which

is we know that responding to traumatic

life events is better when we have high

levels of bdnf and a higher level of

cognitive flexibility so correlation of

internet addiction disorder with level

of stress in bdnf gene uh polymorphism

among medical students in Malaysia this

is a study that I think is a little bit

more theoretical but it's just sort of

once again pointing out the connection

between internet addiction level of

stress and bdnf gene expression now

let's get to a couple of other things um

so measuring cognitive flexibility with

the flexible item selection task from

MRI adaptation to individual connectone

mapping we don't need to get into the

details of this paper what we're going

to kind of focus on here is that this

paper sort of tells us that cogni

greater cognitive flexibility is

associated with resilience to negative

life events and stress and higher levels

of creativity okay so now what we're

doing is we're sort of really

understanding okay how much does

cognitive inflexibility cost us so we

will be less resilient we will be more

stressed and we will be less creative if

we are cognitively inflexible this is my

favorite study which if you guys have

been watching the channel you've seen me

site over and over and over again even

rank in League of Legends correlates

with one thing which is cognitive

flexibility okay so we're going to be

less resilient we're going to be more

traumatized and we're going to suck at

games if we are cognitively inflexible

let's go dive into hard Neuroscience

baby adult hippocampal neurogenesis and

cognitive flexibility in this review We

primarily discuss data from rodent

studies that have investigated how adult

born neurons contribute to information

encoding in the dentate gyrus blah blah

blah blah we discuss how this regulation

of the Dente gyrus function by adult

neurogenesis affects cognitive process

of reversal learning and cognitive

flexibility now I realize I'm spamming

y'all with lots of stuff what on Earth

is Dr K saying so this is a neuroscience

review that is basically supporting the

argument that I am making what this

paper is basically saying is that the

process of learning involves this

reversal process so what that sort of

means is that I believe thing a and if I

want to be cognitively flexible and if I

literally want new neurons to be born in

my hippocampus

I need to engage in a process of

something called reversal learning which

means I believe this but since I'm

cognitively flexible I don't have to see

things that way I can actually look at

things a different way and make a new

learning on the neuronal level in this

part of our brain this is what this

study is looking at so when we brainwash

ourselves what we are literally doing is

getting rid of that process right I'm

I'm not learning something new I'm

getting reinforced with my existing

belief beliefs over and over and over

again this results in reductions of

cognitive flexibility and reductions in

bdnf so now we're going to get to the

impacts of this what does this cost us

if we brainwash ourselves and we're no

longer cognitively flexible so it turns

out that we stop learning from our

mistakes so let's take a look at how

cognitive flexibility affects this other

thing called reward prediction error

processing okay basically what happens

is if you look at your life you make

predictions okay and then if your

prediction is wrong you have to adjust

your future predictions so I say to

myself oh I don't need to start studying

today I will start studying tomorrow and

it'll be okay and then you start

studying and then the tomorrow rolls

around and you don't study tomorrow and

then tomorrow rolls around and then

eventually you start studying when you

start studying you panic and you're

filled with regret and you're like oh my

God I'm such an idiot I should have

started a long time ago and then some of

us are confused because despite the fact

that we're we said we would start

earlier next time we do not learn from

our mistakes and we're very frustrated

with ourselves it's like you know this

right you know you should start earlier

why the [ __ ] don't you start earlier and

it turns out that there is a part of

your brain which when it makes a

prediction recognizes an error and then

adjusts future predictions hey it's

stupid to wait till the last minute let

me stop waiting till the last minute but

when this part of the brain is impaired

you do not learn from your mistakes this

also correlates with cognitive

flexibility in bdnf which I I know that

now we're really stringing things

together I don't know if this is

scientifically valid we're going to get

to this at the end what this means is

the more we brainwash ourselves the more

cognitively inflexible become the more

the less bdnf we have floating around

and we literally stop learning from our

mistakes and then we do the same damn

[ __ ] over and over and over again the

role of stress mindset in shaping

cognitive emotional and physiological

responses to challenging and threatening

stress so results reveal that both un

under both threat and challenge stress

evaluations a stress is enhancing

mindset stress is a good thing I can

learn I can grow produce sharper

increases in anabolic growth hormones

relative to a stress's debilitating

mindset oh my God stress is crushing me

I'm way too stressed out I'm overwhelmed

I can't do anything furthermore when

stress was evaluated as a challenge

stress is enhancing mindset produced

sharper increases in positive affect

heightened attentional bias towards a

positive stimuli and greater cognitive

flexibility whereas stress is

debilitating produced worse cognitive

and affective outcomes so I want yall to

understand this okay there's two kinds

of people in life there's people who are

like this is a challenge let me work

extra hard let me grow I'm going to I'm

going to be better I'm going to put

forth all my effort I'm going to be

resilient like you know these [ __ ]

people who are like the stress is a good

thing like it gets the best out of me

and then there's the rest of us stress

is overwhelming make it go away the same

stimulus results in a Chad Behavior or a

beta behavior and what is the difference

it is cognitive flexibility being able

to adopt this mindset requires you to be

cognitively flexible so the more we

brainwash ourselves into our existing

beliefs including by the way oh my God

everything is so hard stress is so

overwhelming I have ADHD ad PhD cripples

me in all of these thousand different

ways I'm so traumatized I'm so triggered

life is hard life is hard life is hard

this is what we ingest from the internet

these are the beliefs that we have which

then get reinforced as they get

reinforced cognitive flexibility goes

down bdnf goes down and this is the

result so psychological flexibility and

mindfulness is predictors of individual

outcomes in hospital workers employees

who show psychological flexibility are

more likely to show greater openness to

acceptance of setback in the working

environment and to carry on their valued

living and working path holy crap if

you're a Doomer and if you're like oh my

God this is a failure I'll be alone for

the rest of my life I'm never going to

find a job everything is sucked you are

not able to deal accept setbacks right

and let's think about this what is a

setback some people view it as a failure

some people view it as a setback that

goes back to mindset and people who are

more cognitively flexible are able to

carry on towards their goals I lose hope

I get traumatized I have social stress I

don't learn from my mistakes I keep

doing the same crap over and over and

over again I cannot follow through I

can't commit to a career path every

setback feels like a failure like all of

these things that we see so much today

all correlate with cognitive flexibility

or the lack of cognitive flexibility so

cognitive flexibility and emotion

regulation and acceptance and commitment

therapy so what about regulating my

emotions I feel really angry how do I

stop feeling angry I feel really ashamed

I don't want to go to the gym I feel

ashamed I feel anxious in a social

situation turns out that the reported

relationship between self-report

measures of cognitive flexibility and

psychological flexibility suggest

cognitive flexibility is an additional

treatment Target to augment act

supporting successful development of

psychological flexibility in Emotion

regulation what is it mean to regulate

your emotion I feel one way emotional

regulation means learn to feel another

way DET tilting right I'm so tilted

learning how to un tilt requires a

flexibility of the mind so emotional

regulation is correlated with cognitive

flexibility too intelligence is

cognitive flexibility we're not going to

go into more because I've looked at like

a thousand research articles and we've

got a couple of good ones left tldr

makes you dumber and we're all getting

Dumber like brain rot what impact of

anxiety on the prefrontal uh cortex

encoding of cognitive flexibility it

affects anxiety the influence of

cognitive flexibility on treatment

outcome and cognitive restructuring

skill acquisition during cognitive

behavioral treatment for anxiety and

depression and older results this is

crazy what this means is everyone's like

go to therapy bro are you depressed are

you anxious go to therapy and a lot of

people in our community say therapy

doesn't work it turns out that the

effect of therapy your ability to

utilize therapy depends on cognitive

flexibility if you take a bunch of

people who are cognitively inflexible

and you send them to therapy their

treatment outcomes are worse they cannot

learn to think a different way therapy

doesn't work this paper is crazy okay

I'm going to kind of gloss over this but

this is a paper essentially about

addiction stimulant use disorder and

obsessive dis obsessive compulsive

disorder that is looking at basically

like this principle of cognitive

flexibility and reinforcement learning

like if we look at people who are

addicted okay so I'll just explain this

one and then let's look at this yeah

let's look at this one then we'll talk

about the uh the addiction one okay so

cognitive flexibility predicts PTSD

symptoms like what the [ __ ] dude like

whether you develop P You can predict

whether someone is going to develop PTSD

symptoms based on how cognitively

flexible or inflexible they are so this

addiction paper is a little bit

different it's really not connected and

doesn't support my hypothesis very well

but we'll sort of explain the principle

anyway so this is a paper that's looking

at obsessive behavior in stimulant use

like being an addict right that means

you have obsessive Behavior and then the

other way that we have obsessive

behavior is an OCD and it's actually

looking at the dopamine circuit and it's

sort of examining how if we alter the

dopamine circuit we change our obsessive

behavior and if we look at what is

obsessive Behavior it is not being able

to be flexible I'm I'm thinking about

this and then I can't stop thinking

about this I have a craving I have a

craving I have a craving I can't make

the craving go away I can't start

thinking about something else and that

correlates with cognitive flexibility as

well so I want yall to kind of think

about this I know I've spit a ton of res

Arch at y'all and hopefully it kind of

makes sense but I'm going to make a tldr

for y'all okay and then y'all got to let

me know like whether this is too much so

what's going on in the world right now

is that mental illness is on the rise

and not just mental illness mental

debilitation we lack empathy we can't

form relationships we're socially

anxious we don't learn from our mistakes

we're getting addicted to the internet

we can't adopt this growth mindset we

feel overwhelmed we feel stressed we get

addicted to stimulants we get addicted

to pornography we get addicted to video

games we can't follow through with our

work there's an increase in Burnout like

what the [ __ ] right this is all going on

and the question is why so if we look at

the system we can't be doing this unless

something major is screwed up and I want

yall to think about this okay so imagine

a scenario where all human beings on the

planet stopped moving we stopped

exercising at all we all became obese we

all became sedentary what would we see

we'd see failures across all all organ

systems we'd see heart problems liver

problems lung problems endocrine

problems brain problems every dimension

of our life would start to get

negatively impacted once we remove a

basic human function human bodies need

to move so what are we seeing in the

world today we are seeing an

overwhelming amount of problems in the

mind stress anxiety trauma depression

lack of follow-through burnout social

isolation social anxiety what is going

on the only explanation is that

something very fundamental has to be

going on we have to be depriving our

minds of something critical that leads

to all kinds of Downstream problems same

thing that you would see if we started

all randomly eating the same food every

day right so there's this a movie called

Interstellar I think where like all all

things on the planet except for corn

disappear and so now everyone's eating

corn and then you get all kinds of like

nutrient deficiencies our eyes would

stop working our guts would be messed up

every part of our body would be messed

up if we're only eating one thing we

need a very diet to be healthy this is

what we're doing to our mind this is my

hypothesis that what the internet is

doing is incredibly damaging by

brainwashing ourselves to believe what

we already believe and as we don't get a

varied mental diet all of this stuff is

implicated in going wrong and the reason

I believe this stuff is cu I looked at

these papers I only showed youall like

12 right normally I'll show two or three

the reason that I showed youall 12 I

know it's a little bit boring and a a

little bit overwhelming is because this

explains so much as we consume the same

content bdnf levels drop cognitive

flexibility drops and look at all the

problems that are associated with it and

the really scary thing is that in the

past before human beings as a society

started whole scale injecting ourselves

with crap we study it right so before we

would do tests on fluoride before we

started adding it to the drinking water

there are cases in human history where

we don't do that like cigarettes

cigarettes showed up and no one looked

at what was going on or maybe some

people did or they hid it right but

there was some amount of studies going

on that we understood what this is doing

to our body in some way we understood we

scientifically studied stuff before we

started injecting it into our bodies now

what's going on is you have platforms

that are developing these algorithms

that are implementing them it is

injecting crap into our brain and no one

even knows we haven't even started to

study this stuff we have studies that

are being published on Facebook today

right like on Facebook is an

intervention Facebook usage is dropped

so these technological advancements are

happening so rapidly suddenly the

comment sections are changing and every

person who uses Tik Tok is injecting

this change into their brain and we

wonder why there's a mental health

crisis this is why there's a mental

health crisis I'm not blaming Tik Tok

specifically what i'm blaming is a

system that is creating Innovations and

injecting it into our brain without an

understanding of what impact this is

happening so what does this mean for

y'all what do you do about it like I

don't know man it's so overwhelming

right like this is crazy so the first

thing is I could say get off the

internet but that doesn't work right

here we are but now hopefully you

understand the importance of getting off

the internet the importance of avoiding

things like Tik Tok in the comment

section maybe even YouTube shorts or

twitch or whatever just be super careful

about your internet use the most

important thing is engage in contrary

opinions this is what we try to do here

right we don't try to judge ahead of

time someone is allowed to come on and

they're allowed to share their

perspective we're here to listen and

we're here to learn and what we see in

our community is that people get better

is it because Dr K has some magical

advice I don't think so I think it's

because what we try to do here is

encourage people to think in different

ways which in and of itself is such an

Adaptive Advantage so be super careful

about circlejerking yourself into an

echo chamber like even though it feels

really good and that's why the platforms

do it by the way because it keeps you

hooked that's why you go back oh man

like all women are [ __ ] like oh yeah

all men suck man versus Bear right and

then I saw the the male equivalent of

would you rather share your feelings

with a woman or a tree and then we all

like circlejerk ourselves into some kind

of like dangerous frenzy of hatred

towards some other group The ingroup and

the out group but what we're seeing is a

Decay across Society a lack of

understanding and terrible mental health

outcomes so spend less time on the

internet that's a great idea main thing

is even if you're going to spend time on

the internet whatever you spend time on

watch the opposite side try to

understand the opposite side try to

increase your cognitive flexibility and

then there's a decent chance that all of

these dimensions in your life will

improve right cuz cognitive flexibility

is intelligence so I know it's kind of a

doomsday scenario but it really

terrifies me and when I saw this video I

was like what is going on here like this

is insane and the more I looked into it

the more insane it got like this is

crazy all of the problems are correlated

with changes in the com M section good

luck cuz you're going to need it

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