[@ChrisWillx] How To Rewire Your Brain To Take More Risks - Alex Hutchinson

Link: https://youtu.be/WO151nmEl3g

Short Summary

This YouTube video features a conversation with Alex Hutchinson, author of "Why Should We Explore?", discussing the science behind exploration and the human drive for novelty. Hutchinson delves into the genetic predisposition for exploration, the neuroscience of dopamine and uncertainty, and the importance of balancing exploration with exploitation to live a fulfilling life.

Key Quotes

Here are 5 quotes from the transcript that represent valuable insights:

1. "Exploring feels good and it leads us to expand our world and discover better ways of doing things." (Explores the fundamental connection between the pleasurable sensation of exploration and its evolutionary benefits.)

2. "...about 50,000 years ago, things got serious and all of a sudden, humans started to spread everywhere...Another thing that happened about 50,000 years ago is that there was a a random genetic mutation to a dopamine receptor in our brains...[DRD4] it amped up their sensitivity to dopamine such that they got a bigger kick out of discovering something new or unexpected..." (Addresses the genetic roots of exploration and how it may have fueled human expansion.)

3. "I think the biggest misconception let's say about dopamine is that it's like the pleasure chemical that it it's what you get when you feel feel good and in fact this has been known for 20 or 30 years that it's actually you you don't get a hit of dopamine again when something is good you get it something when it's better than expected so it's about expectation..." (Debunks common misunderstanding of dopamine's role, emphasizing its connection to prediction error and expectation, not just pleasure.)

4. "I think I would go back to that distinction I made before between exploring can lead you to learn about the world and exploring can make you feel good. And I would say the dopamine part, like I think when we talk about dopamine, we're using it as a shorthand for saying let's do the things that give us a rush that feel good. And often that's mediated by dopamine. I think it's worth being thoughtful about is this good feeling does it does it align with also teaching me about the world or teaching me about myself taking me in somewhere that's worth going?..." (Presents the idea of having more intention behind what exploration you choose to engage in.)

5. "the problem is as as the world gets more and more optimized, as I can get into my car and just press a button and I never even have to know my own neighborhood, then we're not using our hypoc campuses as much. And that leads them to them being smaller. And there there is research and it's it's a chain of logic that isn't you know uh nobody has shown that turning on your GPS is going to make you get dementia but there is a chain of logic that people who rely mo most on stimulus response navigation have smaller hypocampus people have smaller hippocampuses are that is a known risk factor of conditions like Alzheimer's uh PTSD uh depression..." (Suggests even small choices like GPS use can affect brain structure and health, reinforcing the importance of active exploration.)

Detailed Summary

Here's a detailed summary of the YouTube video transcript, presented in bullet points:

I. Introduction & Initial Pleasantries:

• The host and Alex Hutchinson acknowledge their previous interview in 2018 and how things have changed for both of them since.
• The host praises Hutchinson's interview abilities.

II. The Genesis of the Book on Exploration:

• Hutchinson has been fascinated by the idea of exploration since childhood.
• The book idea started after the success of his previous book on endurance in 2018.
• He felt a pull to do something new, not just focus solely on endurance research.
• He wondered why he was drawn to the unknown and vacations off the beaten track, leading him to research and write about exploration.
• The second book was difficult, a year late due to the vastness of the topic.
• Exploration connects to various aspects of life (restaurants, career, dating).
• The topic kept expanding as he pulled more threads.

III. The Drive to Explore:

• Two reasons humans explore:
  • Utilitarian: exploration leads to good things (better opportunities, etc.).
  • Intrinsic: exploration feels good (exciting, novel).
• These two reasons are linked (exploration feels good because it evolutionarily led to good things).
• Analogy to sugar (sweet and calorie-seeking), exploring is satisfying and a route to meaning.
• There's a distribution in exploratory tendencies; some need to stay back and consolidate.

IV. The Genetics of Exploration (DRD4):

• About 50,000 years ago, humans began spreading across the globe.
• Around the same time, a random genetic mutation occurred in a dopamine receptor (DRD4).
• This mutation increased sensitivity to dopamine, giving people a bigger "kick" from novelty.
• Populations that migrated farther have a higher proportion of this "explorer gene."
• Everyone has the DRD4 gene, just some have a greater sensitivity.
• The host shares his DNA analysis results indicating a variant of the DRD4 gene.

V. Dopamine: Truth and Misconceptions:

• Dopamine hit occurs when something is better than expected, not just when something is good.
• This "prediction error" drives exploration and also addictive behaviors.
• Addictive behavior is described: First drug experience, way better than expected. The tenth time, you know what to expect, no dopamine hit. Only way to get the high is to up the dose.
• The biggest misconception is that dopamine is solely a "pleasure chemical."
• Scientists aren't entirely sure of the full story of dopamine.
• The "dopamine fasting" idea may lack solid scientific underpinnings.
• Be thoughtful about how you get your dopamine, make sure it aligns with teaching you about the world or yourself and taking you somewhere worthwhile rather than being empty calories.

VI. Harnessing Dopamine Effectively:

• Focus on exploration that teaches you about the world/yourself, not just "empty calories" (like mindless scrolling).
• There are people addicted to masturbating nine times a day.
• Be aware of getting stuck in social media loops that waste time.

VII. Dopamine & Time Perception:

• The relationship is unclear, but time seems to warp while mindlessly using the internet.

VIII. The Role of Uncertainty:

• Uncertainty is a key element of exploration.
• Humans are wired to pursue uncertainty; it's intrinsically attractive.
• Example of Harvard scientists analyzing Deliveroo orders and figuring out people prefer things they know less about.
• It's not about loving not knowing, but about loving knowing stuff.
• There's a sweet spot for uncertainty; too much feels like chaos.

IX. The Yerkes-Dodson Law/Vont Curve:

• The want curve is a stimulus response curve.
• Wilhelm Wundt proposed stimulus response curve.
• Too little stimulation is boring.
• Too much is overwhelming.
• Kids are really good explorers.

X. Routine vs Serendipity:

• Routine vs serendipity. Reduction in the speed of the passage of time when things are novel and intense.
• Optimizing routines can lead to an efficient but unstimulating life.
• Habits are the antithesis of exploration.
• Example of London Underground strike: Commuters discovered better routes after being forced to adapt.
• Don't want to explore every morning or reinvent the wheel.

XI. The Effort Paradox:

• Exploring can be hard; outcomes are uncertain and often worse than what's known.
• Doing challenging things can be satisfying (the "effort paradox").
• Example of the IKEA effect: People value furniture more if they assemble it themselves.
• Putting in effort is a source of meaning.
• Reframing effort as positive, not negative, is important.

XII. Effort & Resilience:

• Viewing every negative feeling as a disaster leads to quitting earlier.
• The power of your inner monologue. (Marathon example)
• Recognizing effort as something good helps endure longer.

XIII. Avoiding Instrumental View of Life:

• Don't do everything solely for future rewards (delayed gratification in the extreme).
• The explore/exploit dilemma: It's not just about exploring. You also have to take the time to exploit to to take the music that I just discovered and and sit down and listen to it or to to figure out what I I you know or maybe it's not maybe maybe this is a good time to explore
• Have to think about maybe now's the time to exploit what's already been discovered.

XIV. Explore/Exploit Trade-Off:

• There's no magic formula, but some principles can help.
• The "uncertainty bonus": When considering a decision, give a bonus to options you know less about.
• The "upper confidence bound algorithm"/ "optimism in the face of uncertainty": Choose the option with the best realistic upside.
• Relates to career choices: A job with less money but potential for your dream job.
• Over the long term, optimism in the face of uncertainty minimizes regret.

XV. Regret Minimization:

• Regret is the difference between the outcome you got and the best you could have gotten with perfect choices.
• Regret always increases.
• The goal is to minimize regret, not eliminate it.
• Optimism in the face of uncertainty helps minimize regret.

XVI. Cognitive Exploration & Neuroscience:

• Exploration is not just a metaphor, it's a physical process in the brain.
• When you're wandering through a town that you've never been to before, you are mapping it in your hippocampus.
• Hippocampus isn't just for landscapes; it's for mapping ideas too.
• Ideas are mapped in the brain according to their relationship to each other.
• Creativity is tied to exploration and expanding cognitive maps.
• Curiosity is the drive that compels us to explore.

XVII. Intelligence vs Creativity:

• IQ scores are increasing (the Flynn effect).
• Creativity scores are decreasing.
• Fewer "breakthrough" patents and scientific papers.

XVIII. Exercise, Activity, Physical Activity and Mental Health:

• Exercise is very good for mental health.
• Exercise is good for depression but not exactly sure why (more blood pumping to brain or something else.
• Exercise has positive structural effects on the brain.
• The truth is the evidence is not like bulletproof.
• Aerobic exercise likely packs the biggest punch.
• The best exercise is whatever you enjoy and are willing to do.

XIX. Zone 2 Training:

• If using modern buzzwords, champion endurance athletes train 80% zone 2 and 20% V2 max.
• "It's been sometimes prescribed in an overly specific way"
• Zone 2 is a continuum, not a specific magical point.

XX. Practical Changes Made by Hutchinson:

• Tries not to use turn-by-turn directions in car or on phone.
• Worried about relying too much on stimulus-response navigation and shrinking hippocampus.

XXI. Advice for Those Uncomfortable with Novelty & Uncertainty:

• "That's great. You're fine. Like, I'm not going to train."
• Are you doing anything in your life where you don't already know the outcome?
• You don't have to go to the South Pole to be exploring
• "If you've optimized everything to the point of total predictability, consider that you might enjoy a surprise now and then."