Mind over Manner: Explorations in Neuroscience, Current Events and Philosophy

  Our lives are made of habits. They’re our daily routines, our behaviors, our way of living. Whether we are aware of them or not, habits encompass all of our lives. Understanding how habits are formed and broken is an essential first step for us to improve ourselves! Let’s explore the science behind habits, the types of habits, and various strategies for building and breaking them. Habits are not hardwired reflexes, but learned behaviors that are stored in our nervous system. They can be both consciously and unconsciously acquired at all stages of our lives. Neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to rewire itself, lets us form new pathways for habits to occur. This plasticity decreases as we age, thus it’s crucial for us to get our habits into order early in life. Habits can be broadly categorized into two types: goal-based habits and identity-based habits. Goal-based habits are designed to achieve specific outcomes, such as a fitness goal, while identity-based habits involve attach...

  Everything in our lives requires motivation. From getting out of bed to getting to work to going to the gym, we need motivation to accomplish all aspects of our lives. Motivation, indirectly, also drives our pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain. Not going to work, for example, would eventually cause emotional pain from either not making money or being fired. Going to the gym, while painful in the moment, brings pleasure from improved physiological health and strength gains. The balance of pleasure and pain in our brains is very delicate, primarily underpinned in the brain by a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Contrary to popular belief, though, dopamine doesn’t directly cause our feelings of pleasure. It is related to motivation, which in turn affects our reactions to events in our lives. Dopamine’s influence on personal drive is key to enhancing motivation and achieving goals, so let’s look at its functions in the brain related to addiction, procrastination, and maintain...