Keywords:: PermanentNote makePublic
Reference:: PC: Huberman Lab | | Episode 7
Neuroplasticity is our brain's ability to change through experience. Learning is about changing the brain through making new connections and strengthening existing ones. Therefore, neuroplasticity is a prerequisite to learning, if not equivalent to it.
It turns out that the best way to access neuroplasticity is by making errors. Why? Because whenever you make a mistake your system gets a signal that something isn't working right. As a result, your body is forced to create an environment for neuroplasticity so that it can adapt and survive. Just recall when you've touched a hot stove and burned yourself; you probably haven't touched it again because this error triggered neuroplasticity, which resulted in your learning not to touch a hot stove.
In regards to learning, this environment for neuroplasticity means a 'soup' of chemicals consisting of epinephrine, acetylcholine, and dopamine. The first and second are getting triggered and being active during your working upon the errors—they're responsible for the feeling of alertness and focus respectively; the third gets triggered whenever you're getting a little bit better at the desired behavior, making you feel satisfied. All three are the cause as well as the result of neuroplasticity.
Is this true btw.? Are they the cause? Are they the result? Or are they both? Investigate. Knowledge Todos
This means that you can influence neuroplasticity by optimizing your learning environment for those chemicals to be triggered. E.g., caffeine and good sleep for epinephrine, X for acetylcholine, and clearly defined goals and rewards for dopamine. Create this note something like "Optimizing your learning for neuroplasticity"
Nevertheless, most people are missing out on our mind's beautiful ability to change and learn. Why? Because people don't like to experience errors because they make them feel bad. However, walking away from learning when you experience errors is the worst thing you can do because you're wasting the environment for neuroplasticity that mistakes have triggered. Those that embrace errors perform exceedingly well in our world.
Schools program us to treat errors negatively because we're being punished for making mistakes.
Having that in mind, how can you optimize your learning based on errors? There are three aspects of it.
First, attach dopamine to errors––the frustration must trigger positive emotions. It's called having a growth mindset––more on that here: PN: The growth mindset
Second, learn incrementally, meaning do not try to acquire too much information at once. Your body has to know exactly what it needs to learn. If there’s too much information at once, it gets confused.
And third, keep making errors for 7 to 30 min and shut it down once you feel that frustration is overwhelming you.
Relevant notes (PN: )/questions (Q:):
PN: Error is a key to creativity: errors are crucial for creativity.
P: Problems contain a gem that can help you grow: each problem/mistake/error has within it a potential to be converted into a life principle that makes you smarter.
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P: Errors are fundamental to learning: basically the same mechanism.
P: Errors are fundamental to learning: errors trigger neuroplasticity, which lets you learn.
Why and how it happens is explained by errors here: P: Errors are fundamental to learning
P: Errors are fundamental to learning; PN: Error is a key to creativity: besides, failing is what makes us learn the quickest and aids creativity
The right amount of intensity means making errors but not to the point where you get frustrated and anxious. (P: Errors are fundamental to learning)