Can we condition ourselves to be heroes? | Robert Sapolsky
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- Neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky on the science of temptation, and the limitations of your brain’s frontal cortex.
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Ever hear the expression "it's all in your mind"? Well, according to Robert Sapolsky all the negativity in the world might all be coming from one part of the brain: the frontal cortex. The science of temptation runs parallel to the science of why people make "bad" decisions.
Sapolsky explains how active the frontal cortex can be in some people when they have the opportunity to do a bad thing... and how calm it can be in other people when presented with a similar situation.
Performing full-frontal lobotomies on the world's population to rid the world of negativity isn't exactly in the cards-but understanding the basis of the world's problems on a scientific (not to mention cranial level) might help make future generations much more adept at stopping humanity's biggest mistakes.
Read the full video transcript: bigthink.com/v...
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Dr. Sapolsky is awesome, always enjoy his videos.
Living in grace. A higher spirituality fostered by the sober awareness that we are not our thoughts and emotions, but instead, we are merely the awareness of them. The SELF is the awareness of our thoughts, not our thoughts themselves. Being present in the true SELF, in the eternal moment, allows all temptation to be revealed for what it truly is: irrelevant.
Thank you for sharing
I agree with all but the irrevelant part. Im not quite sure what you mean. Thoughts of thirst, hunger, and to comfort someone have a purpose.
between two ferns has changed so much
Lmao😂😂😂
I just laughed out loud. Thanks!
I don't understand how people can be that funny. It's really funny
Spit out my tea 😂
This fellow has a great lecture series on behavioral biology that you can find here on youtube.
Link: th-cam.com/video/NNnIGh9g6fA/w-d-xo.html
@@The-Well
Literally the best series of videos i have ever watched, thanks
@@The-Well Very Kind of You.
To those with a time constraint, Behave by Sapolsky covers most of the same material.
This reminds me of my friend ive known since a kid. He was always great at school, never struggled he always went home after school and the first thing he did was eat something then do his homework. Then go out and play with us or log online for games. Its been these recent few years where i have kept wondering and asking him how he does it so easily? When for me, if i know im supposed to study for the SATs i just have it infront of me and say like, ahh il do it after these 2 episodes of hunterxhunter..
So struggling w that ive kept asking him and his answe has always been " what do you mean? I. Just. do. it. If i know its meant to be done and its something i prioritize, then i just do it. before anything else"
And this video kinda touches exactly on that. Having principles. JUST DOING IT shia labeouf style
Your friend should star in a Nike commercial.
@@kuyab9122 Dawg, he is training for a marathon now aswell hahah. He really is always doing his best
hunter x hunter is amazing can't blame you
Watch the episode after you reach an attainable-but-not-stupidly-easy goal
You can start with stupidly easy goals to get yourself going on it, then slowly ramp up your goals to where they need to be, then you'll be rewarded after
@bonquva One has to prioritize what one is doing. If the SAT doesn't really matter to you, then you'll never reach your full potential on the test.
The idea of conditioning oneself to be a hero is both inspiring and complex. Heroism often evokes images of grand, selfless acts of courage or extraordinary feats, but in reality, heroism can take many forms, from everyday acts of kindness and standing up for others to larger, risk-taking actions that benefit society. While certain traits associated with heroism, such as bravery, resilience, and compassion, may be in part influenced by our biology and upbringing, they can also be nurtured and developed through intentional practices and mindset shifts.
Conditioning oneself to be a hero starts with cultivating the right mindset. This means embracing values such as empathy, integrity, and the willingness to act despite fear or uncertainty. It involves challenging oneself to step outside of comfort zones, to practice moral courage, and to seek opportunities to help others, even when it may not be convenient or immediately rewarding. Through habits of self-reflection, continuous learning, and deliberate acts of kindness, we can train our minds and behaviors to prioritize the well-being of others and act in the face of adversity.
Resilience, an essential quality for heroism, can also be strengthened through life experiences that test our limits. Facing and overcoming challenges can build inner strength, making it easier to confront difficult situations in the future. For instance, participating in volunteer work or joining social movements that promote justice can be both empowering and transformative, reinforcing the belief that one’s actions can contribute to meaningful change.
However, conditioning ourselves to be heroes is not without its challenges. It requires self-awareness to understand the motives behind our actions and to ensure they are genuinely altruistic rather than driven by the desire for recognition or personal gain. It also demands a readiness to confront personal biases and to stand against social norms that may perpetuate harm. This process involves a commitment to growth, humility, and a readiness to accept that heroism can take many forms not all of which are dramatic or recognized by others.
Ultimately, while not everyone may be called to heroic deeds on a grand scale, it is possible for individuals to cultivate hero-like qualities that make a difference in their own lives and the lives of others. Heroism can be as simple as supporting a friend in need, speaking up against injustice, or dedicating time to community service. Through consistent practice, reflection, and a commitment to values that prioritize the common good, anyone can condition themselves to embody the spirit of a hero, fostering a world where acts of courage and kindness are the norm rather than the exception.
that's so right. Every time I feel the impulse to do some good, my frontal lobe stops me. Works like a charm
😂😂😂
It’s easier for people to have a high level of self control if they’re happy and relaxed. Doing work you’re passionate about that excites you makes life a lot more pleasurable!
im screenwritter, Robert Sapolsky classes, just change my life. Wise man. Loveyou.
1. "If you think about the brain and behavior long enough, you can’t help but conclude that free will is an illusion. Our actions are shaped by our biology, our environment, and our experiences, and all of these are beyond our conscious control."
2. "When you realize that so much of what you do is not under your control, it’s liberating in a way. You can stop beating yourself up for your mistakes. You can recognize that you’re a product of forces far beyond your control, just like everyone else."
3. "One of the kindest things we can do for ourselves is to stop shaming ourselves for things that are beyond our control."
4. "In family relationships, understanding that free will is an illusion can lead to more empathy."
5. "Compassion arises naturally when we recognize that everyone is doing the best they can with the circumstances and biology they’ve been given."
Neurobiologist Dr Robert Sapolsky
Another gem by Sapolsky.
As usual. As expected 👍.
It seems the frontal cortex might be able to be activated through a combination of deep focus, deep breathing (through nose) and radical acceptance, practiced regularly. Hoping other people can try it
People think denying free will is cold and devoid of humanity. What I have learned and intuited from Harris and Sapolsky on that matter is quite the opposite! The idea of free will being an illusion is an invitation to lower our judgments of others and to be ready to behave well. It should prompt people to forgive critically and to influence others positively. It's about nurturing and having compassion.
Instead, people debate whether I say that out of free will or not, as if it mattered! They seem to assume it implies a rejection of responsibility, accountability. Whether free will is true or not, we will pay for our actions! The only difference is how we should judge people and the type of consequence we "inflict".
Really interesting perspective, thanks for sharing!
Totally agree, people seem to think choice is freewill, 90% of the time we run autonomously with no free will
You can both believe in free will and be less judgmental.
"True charity consists in not being surprised at our neighbor's faults and being efified by his least virtues." St. Therese of Lisieux
She came from a millieu that understands charity and love as an act of the will.
@@benhudson4014
Might actually be 100%😊
@@angelahull9064 And she was insane.
I have just discover Professor Sapolsky. It is so interesting. It is never too late !
Nice to find Sapolsky who doesn’t attribute our outcomes to magical thinking or free will. Some are lucky and some aren’t. Surviving ptsd, I knew my whole brain got rewired in that moment ,, there was no free will in that moment or in the aftermath. You just get thrown a completely different brain and try to learn to live with it. I know I have lack of reasoning now and lack of self preservation, I can’t make any decisions, really have no clue how I’d respond in those situations although my freeze response is really strong now.
RS is a genius.
and one of the most powerful way to do it automatic is through discipline: eat the right thing + exercise the right thing. In this way the willpower will become easy, or in other words will become automatic.
But if you have enough willpower for consistent practice, then you clearly don't have weak willpower. And if you do have weak willpower due to bad genes, the you will fail at your attempts of discipline. Instead I think, that probably the answer lies in cultivation of our stronge sense of particular identity. Like we need to start viewing oneselves as people for whom doing X (like eating sweets) is not matter of resisting temptation, but just unthinkable. Like you don't resist temptation to drink from a puddle even when you are thirsty, such behaviour is just unthinkable for your identity as a civilized person. You don't even bother to think "this puddle likely contains pure water, it is likely to safe to drink from". This is just completely unacceptable for you, period
Seems like the more we bring thought into it, the more effortful it gets and the more the chance of giving in, so to speak. But if we let the mind clear and let a choice come to us instead of trying to make one appear, we automatically choose the good, right thing.
looking into myself, it seems like the hard, prefrontal cortex thinking is not about morality, but trying to figure out how to get away with it, or how to have it both ways, or how to make excuses for not doing the right thing. It's not the superego trying to get me to do the right thing, it's the selfish part trying to not do it. So yea: The more I think, the more likely I am to find the excuse, rationalization, or otherwise clever solution that I'm looking for rather than doing the obvious right thing. Which is fine, because sometimes there really is a third option that's better overall
Wish more could truly grasp the significance of this. Instead of expecting ppl to do amazing things against their desire not to it’s more effective to just make it an automatic response. It’s less heroic and glamorous to do the hard but right thing not because you chose to but because it was just automatic bit it’s more reliable. Instead of being self disciplined through understanding the significance of it or having lots of motivation you need the right environment and habits set up. Instead of expecting people to choose not to do harmful drugs or treat each other well out of wanting the benefits of that, just get them conditioned with the right habits to avoid going off the path they need to be on.
Ikr , it's conditioned from the very beginning , so is it too late now :( , i will always have to rely on willpower.
If only it were that simple. To build up that habit, you need to want to do the right thing in that situation in the first place. Not everyone really wants to jump into the dangerous water and risk their life to save someone -- and even if they did, I'm not sure how they would build up that habit. How do you build a habit of risking your life? No, you have to start with a person's values, which starts when they are a child or even before
To an extent, willpower can change us in the changing of our exterior habits. What overcoming temptation really does is prime us to be more docile to the transformative power of grace.
finally I understant what they meant by Just Do It !
I think it's deep rooted values.
I volunteer at a certain "heroic" organization. Mentally it wasn't a difficult decision to make. I wanted to do something where I'm not the beneficiary, so I signed up and took the role.
When my help is required, it's just automatic to respond. Exceptions can be made, sometimes I have very important things that can't be disturbed, but most of the time it's automatic to let go of what I'm doing and respond.
imo there will be a point in someone's life, when one feels secure enough, mentally and physically, that they start to think about what they could contribute beyond just for themselves.
Also, I very rarely ( can't say I don't or never ) cheat. It's just not something I do and I still want to have my integrity intact.
That makes sense. When you have, in essence, already made the decision in advance it makes it more automatic when the situation arises.
In other words 'practice'.
I don't even think you need to say "deep rooted", or maybe values are deep rooted by definition. In any case, we all have a code that we just go by automatically, even if we've never consciously constructed our code. It's necessary to have one, because things happen fast. Sometimes we encounter an new kind of situation not covered by our code. Then we usually freeze. I think that's most of the people just standing there when an accident happens.
You “very rarely cheat”? Seems to go against the whole automatic “we just don’t do that” thing he’s talking about…
one of my favorite lecturers 🙏🙏👍👍
Glad to hear that!
Here's my resolution of Free Will. When I was a teenager, I was accepted to UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Florida. I chose the Gators because 2 of my friends were going there. If I'd chosen either of the others, my life would have been totally different. But not really, I've decided. The circumstances would have been different, but at age 67 I'd be in pretty much the same place whichever choice I made. That's also my argument against Hugh Everett. Branches fan out but then converge so it doesn't matter too much which choices you made.
Being diagnosed with ADHD, this is where I have the greatest challenges, difficulty in self-regulation.
Use intermittend fasting and keto diet to "cure" your ADHD according to Dr. Chris Palmer.
@@iche9373have ADHD, have tried both for years. They don't "cure" ADHD. If something sounds too good to be true, it most usually is.
@@b3tth0l3 it’s a shoe that doesnt fit anyone. Have you at least overcome obesity?
It's not a disease, it's a neuroatypical developmental process. Don't need a cure, just need to learn how to turn maladaptive behaviors into adaptive behaviors, with the help of therapies and accommodations. This is a skill that serves anyone well, whether they're neuroatypical or neurotypical.
@@iche9373 Yes, that should do it! Lol
Now the interesting question is: Why are these people like that?
We evolved as group creatures. Good for the goose yo.
They were probably raised in an environment where not cheating was ingrained in them.
It's the practice of giving. Being loving so that we feel good, to feel like I'm full of love.
It's as simple as being happy just so others might remember to be happy when they see you. That's one way it can start. Blessed are the meek.
We have our own authority to dictate what is right in any situation. The mind often will persuade you in the opposite direction just for the enjoyment of how X(cheating) feels. Even though it also feels terrible.
If I know it's wrong but I'm thinking, do it anyways, then isn't there a higher authority than the thinking faculty?
If not, why are we not intimate with ourselves?
When they take risks others think WOooOAAh, but when we take risks they think DuMb...
My dad was a World War 2 screaming Eagle. Please survived and general Patton gave him a medal for pulling 3 people from a fire. In beston, when he first arrived general Patten first arrived and saw my dad doing this and my dad said that's not all that I did..
I'm saying that, yeah, and people who are poor have a tendency to have more empathy because they don't have as many choices and can consider themselves better or something like that I don't. I don't understand that consider themselves better because we all have unique qualities within us and we should uplift those qualities and share those qualities and speak on each other's level. And if your level's higher than somebody else, if I happen to be a genius or you're a genius. Who understand that those other kids aren't geniuses. I'm also a teacher, and I realize labeling is one of the worst things you can do, but you have to discern that someone is 1 way and it's not that you put a label on it, you unlabel it and let them be who they are, and it's a fantastic way to. Live, it brings out so much beauty in the human being. So, what I always say. My wife was an endocrinologist that made a clinic. What? I always say and I told them. You can't write a prescription for chicken noodle soup because it needs a double-blind study and he went and started the division of homeopathic. Or alternative medicine a male clinic. All right. It's huge now and then they were so jealous. She divorced me because I was smarter than her. Even took the IQ test and blew her away. So it just shows you how. People judge people and they should be discerned but what? I found out is that for example, borderline personality disorder? Somebody set you up for failure. Well, our brains also set each other up for success. So our brains are functioning the same way. Just the outcomes are different. When I tell that to a psychologist, they just kind of look at me like wow, because they suddenly realized that you can't get the person to change their brain, you have to change the outcome. It's, it's different than saying you're no. Good, you're no good. You're bad. You're a bad person. You gotta be different and they can't change their brain. They have to look at the outcomes and what they're trying to get and have. The more successful event you have in life, the better off you are. That's how rehabilitation works. Real habilitation should be not just talking about it, but going and doing something so that you have successful events. And you see what that success event led to. An example is just washing dishes in a mission so that everyone can eatand getting it all done and ready, and and that is a successful event in a job. It's a little different. You don't feel like you're doing it for the community or other people who are sharing your struggles you feel you're doing it for a paycheck? This is my paycheck.
This man needs to be heard and acted upon those who claim they are educationalists.
So there really is a fine line between bravery and stupidity.
I'm in a state of ambivalence. I can definitely see the benefits of having an "automatic" brain. It helps us to do "the right thing" not only more consistently, but also more easily and with less strain as well. But were I think it could possibly fall short is that those automatic configurations are formed from our "beliefs". Our beliefs of the world we live in and our place in it. I believe that assuming a stance of automation would mean that we tend to question our beliefs less and less. I can see that leading to a dark place as they will have no thoughts to balance out their possibly faulty beliefs. For example, if I believe that "human life should be limited to 50 years" for some reason or another, if I carry that belief strongly, then that could make me go around mass genociding every elderly person I could. I believe it is actually those who have the ability to use their automatic wiring, but also step back after every so now and then and check whether they still agree with said belief or wiring. But then, that could lead to having weaker beliefs in the long run which could lead to having a weaker automatic system. Which leads me to my contradiction. It feels almost like the universe values specialization more than broad competency or reason, but specialization seems to tend to lead to discrimination and isolation. With that being said, I think I'll take my chances with a stronger frontal lobe. But I guess in a way, that just means that my automatic system is set to send information to my thinking system instead of just doing something about it because of my belief that thinking about things is important. That seems very inefficient though, however, that might just be when the problem we are facing also comes with a time crunch. So I guess my question is, are some automatic setups/beliefs better suited for the overall health and trajectory of humanity as a whole?
Maybe it's about being able to tell which things need to be quickly and effortlessly decided upon vs which things allow us the time to ponder. I think most of our deeply held beliefs as humanity come from a time when quick decisions were needed for life or death. But being where we are now, we encounter true life or death situations much less frequently, so our belief system has more so now turned into a way to survive socially, to not be left out of the group. Cause back then, being left out of the group probably meant death as humans were strong in numbers. However now, that's not really needed to just survive anymore and now we just seem to use these social skills to manipulate and maneuver our way into power, fame, or money.
great explanation but you kept us hanging here doc, how does the graceful response develop, both emotionally and biologically, and is there a way to guide this development both in ourselves and to nudge the same in others.
This really resonates with how I’ve found some success with not viewing adult online ‘ahem! Content.
When I focused on applying effort or strategy during the moment of temptation, to do the right thing despite, I failed at it.
Once I started doing things to almost erase my awareness of it, live life as if I never knew it existed….I’ve found a lot more success.
Mr. Sapolsky’s presentation really correlated well with addicts experience of powerlessness doesn’t it ?
Aren't you putting effort in convincing yourself that a world without it exists? I honestly did not understand what he was trying to imply.
My impression is that the point is when you’re at the point of temptation , and have to make a choice to indulge or not, your chances aren’t so great?
Walking by the cookie jar and using self control Vs. Threw away the cookie jar two months ago and thinking about something else .
I understand it. Ppl with awareness to count their days, day by day, relapse. The difficulty is when the brain suddenly count it
@@baleshomat7599 It's very different. You are just dropping your awareness of it in that specific moment. It's doing 'nothing' (NOT recognizing something) instead of 'something' (recognizing that thing)
Let's not be a happening, a lucky chap who by inheritance got a brain that let's you passive to higher willpower and rest of us simply admire it.
I have been the most vulnerable to stress type of personality and the water signns by spirituality and most viable to any kind of addiction and i myself unknowingly caught up into substance and porn addiction like to the severe i spend like 18 hours a day on watching the most unbecoming of me to watch kinda stuffs later to fall into loop of regret and self sabotage.
Being spiritual and enneagram 4 , always tried and tried. Did therapy, did supplements after immense research, from Elliot hulse to mantak chia to kundlinii to even all esoteric methods , and praying to god's and what not. Finally i came out of it by a simple questionare and a diet and constant awareness a method which i by help of my subconscious got it. And now i came out of all addictions. If you want , trust me baby. I am there
giving into instant gratification
Version X, legitimate empirical influences of the Mind-Body manifestation probability, and attribution of memory associations.., that keeps Scientists observing the inside-outside presence of resonant coherence-cohesion universal information In-form-ation.
Great video.
I need to hear more from Robert on this subject please
this is extremely interesting, and the implications of that are significant.
Can you explain it to me? Still a bit confused?
Personally I know when I’m being watched I stick to the rule but once I’m left alone (like at home for instance) that’s when I think I can “get away with things”. This ends up creating lack in confidence in ourselves and a sense of shame tho. “You can’t play others, you can only play yourself”
i think that's Freud's 'superego' idea. He thought it was the internalized version of your parents, but I think now we know it's largely innate
When you have God in your life you’re never alone 🫠🤫 (cue creepy church music)
But for real though, don’t waste your energy and esteem feeling ashamed when you don’t deserve that. Respect your privacy, refine your code, and accept your true nature- it makes playing with others much more fun 💯
this is the best channel on youtube for me , underrated
His lectures on sociology are amazing
Sapolsky is the GOAT
What if ALL that we do was automatic? And some entity inside us only told us we were doing it ourselves. What ego is and where it resides is an open question. But mystic traditions tell us it can be overcome. Perfect paradox! And paradoxes seem to pop up at the junction between the finite and the infinite.
Take this bit of wisdom from an older person - in the latter part of your life, It's not so much the things that you did during your life that that bothers and gnaws at your conscience, but rather the things that you didn't do!
Surely it matters on what you did during your life?
How could something I didn't do, gnaw at my conscience?
@@antonyjh1234 Of course I agree with you here, I was talking about someone who led a decent life - not an evil person, but they probably don't have a conscience anyway. Psychopaths and sociopaths rarely do!
@@michaelbartlett6864 it could mean all people, no matter who you are have the things they didn't do that will "gnaw" at them, both decent and evil will always have things they didn't do and feel as though they could do more but I'm not so sure we should use the word gnaw, it promotes FOMO. A person could spend ten years partying and feel bad and another could feel bad because they didn't.
@@antonyjh1234 Yeah, sometimes it's those parties you didn't attend that bother you.
@@michaelbartlett6864 And sometimes it is.
This is exactly what I needed to hear. Thanks
I Love this Guy!
Why am I like this?
people who act like that are doing so because it's part of their value system.
If I had to give up my life for my child I wouldn't think twice. "It's gotta be done", and that's it. That determination isn't something I calculate on the fly; it's something I've decided ahead of time and hard-wired in through my behaviors daily every time I put my children's needs ahead of mine.
By the time some event like that occurs in my life, that neural / behavioral pathway is a well worn path. Making that decision is just an extension of what I've been doing all along; just way more public to others.
so in short, people wire themselves like that through a value system they actively build over time.
Its my understanding also , i think its all about our value, self identity and self concept that we hold in ourselves. But the issue now is how we can build our value again if we comes from enviroment that completely opposite of the value that we trying to build. And not to mention it must take hard work and determination ,thats what makes people fail i guess, the incapable of holding determination. And ironically thats what my situation right now haha.
The Buddhists worked this out by asking what it would mean to be the master of one self.
And the answer is,
"Yes, but why would you want to?"
How to develop that natural sense of willpower or grace?
Genius discussion
Robert Sapolsky
People think doing the right thing is easy but it isn't. It's incredibly difficult and sometimes even puts your life in danger. Virtue isn't without price.
you prefrontal cortex is pulsating like mad right now
sometimes it is easy. but you still pay a price
@ZSd4cT can you elaborate on this actually? I know I have pfc damage.
This is beautiful
Interesting! So.. automatic in the sense of being habitual, or in the sense of being a personality trait they were born with?
Awesome video, thankyou TheWell! Keep up the awesome work. (Longtime Sapolsky fan here)
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed.
I think he's retired from Stanford 😭 it was a dream of mine to do a PhD under him
Great content, " Self human behavior discipline " education and practices are key to making the whole world a seriously much better place to live for all despite everyone's differences, regardless of beliefs political parties etc. We can all do much better daily.
So, you've totally missed the point.
@@RTL2LPlease explain!!!
@@Ra-cx2pn His point and the experiment he mentions are saying that "Self discipline" doesn't work. 4:56
@@RTL2L Untrue.
True discipline is the endeavor of morality, not will power. Most people won't understand this.
so does that mean the ability to automatically jump to save a situation predicts success in life? seem unrelated to me. is the question about being a good human or about achieving ?
When you are raised to be responsible, it's automatic to do 'heroic' things even though I think it's just something anybody can/should do.
risking your own life? I don't think that is, or at least that's not what most people would include in "being responsible"
@@ChannelMath Being heroic /responsible doesn't always mean you have to risk your life, most of the time it's about being quick and doing the right thing. There are also different levels of risks if you want to go there.
More states of grace and sometimes amazing grace
My pre frontal cortex is rey mysterio. Amygdala is triple h and limbic system batista. There is never when a chance for the poor guy to even have a voice.
Basically, this is intrinsic motivation. It's just what someone does. Only extrinsic motivation requires thought, decision-making, struggle, and choice. But in our society, we train intrinsic motivation out of individuals from a young age.
Children will naturally help others in need, as research shows. The thing is the moment you start paying them to help others they stop wanting to help others. Now consider the entirety of capitalism is built on destroying intrinsic motivation.
amazing loved this video thanks :-)
Once and for all.
What was the main subject of the video? I came here for the "Willpower & Temptation" in the thumbnail, but now it's talking about some good side of impulsivity and examples of heroic deeds from it. Like sure, but where the hell was this video going?
That willpower is not everything, and you can circumvent usage of this precious resource by being conditioned into doing "The Right Thing" like some Chinese in re-educational camp, and it will make your life much easier.
does anyone have a link to the full talk?
kinda funny seeing how this is portrayed as in a black and white scenario (almost literally) like the frontal cortex had a plug or a switch from the rest and viceversa
I wonder if optimism and pessimism have any influence on decision making.
The shirt answer is yes, I've done it😊
So basically the answer is "no, you just do that".
the interesting question is: did the honest people get that way through regularly practicing their principles (eg, like some sort of religious 'training'), or were they just born like that?
Everyone is born like that , we are trained to be the opposite. There is no sum gain otherwise and you will never climb the corporate ladder of life. Humans learn by example.
@@monicagrorud2225 so you think we are wired to compete? if so, are all humans like that, or just those born in the modern, capitalist state?
Awesome
fav!
What should I type to find this in its entirety?
Hi there! We have one other video with Robert, which can be found here: th-cam.com/video/A4_GpSok5VI/w-d-xo.html. Enjoy!
Meditation helps a lot.
So... can we condition ourselves to be heroes?
This is why film and tv with anti-heroes as protagonists are superior to lame hero stories. They actually reflect the human experience and are honest works of art. When you have moral dilemmas as focal climax plot points (Like most stories in general) the character is going to do the selfish BAD thing, while the altruistic GOOD things are just ingrained habits/rules that have become automatic impulses. AKA the opposite of dilemma, tension, peak, climax and so forth.
Maybe. Sometimes it also nice and cool to see people with strong moral principles who don't back down even when whole world, gods and fate against them. Never compromise, even in the face of Armageddon. That's chilling man, I can't do this, and I like seeing people doing badass things that I can't.
I think I was impressed like that twice or thrice total, and last time it was Shirou Emiya, anime/visual novel character from Fate franchise, who decided to be hero even knowing with certainty (from spirit of future self) he will be essentially crucified - betrayed, judged as criminal and left dying by same people he swore to protect, that's some Jesus Christ stuff man, odd type of insanity, alien mindset, you can speculate that such unreasonably heroic and altruistic people are the reason why humanity even worth salvation.
Or, on smaller and down to earth scale, this is maybe why our society isn't imploded yet, just people here and there doing their best for everyone around even if it costs them everything, you maybe see such people everyday and think that they're just useful gullible idiots, not even reflecting that they maybe silently carrying you right now on their shoulders.
So true
This is about a social strategy. Both outcomes have a chance to enhance their reputation amongst their social circle. Thus making either a male OR female more likely to procreate. It's automatic because it's biology.
anyone know the title/link to the study??
Sure! Here's a link to the text and figures published by Joshua Greene himself: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19622733/ and here's an article from Scientific American that summarizes the study in detail: www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-science-temptation/
@@The-Well thank you!!
Ok, I'm lounging around, goofing off, and then the Algorithm guilts me into doing something productive!
So then it applies too to the ‘bad’ things we do ‘automatically’?
It’s the choice of right or wrong. I think someone said that 2000 years ago.
Wait - I thought Sapolsky says there’s no free will. So what’s up with impulse control and temptation? Seems pretty inconsistent - am I wrong?
I don't think this is quite right. I think when one may be initially deliberating whether something may be the right course of action or not can require a lot of thought, but then once determined any subsequent act can be mostly automatic.
see , it does take * TRAININ * since youth to resist the easy temptation
Yeah, like you train your cat not to piss on your shoes.
So how the heck do you find what you can just “do automatically”? That seems pretty close to finding what you were meant for. Imagine if you could just do your job automatically. How do I find something like that?
I was about 7 (I think) when I encountered a situation where I could accumulate massive wealth (a couple cents). I was in the airport of italy, and woman dropped her purse. Several coins fell out, and she had missed a couple that she hadn't seen. For about 10 seconds I was eyeing it and didn't mention anything. I suppose those 10 seconds held my battle with satan, but I relented and told the woman that there were some coins there. For me, it wasn't a gut reaction or anything of that sort. I just thought it was wrong to take the money, probably due to my raising, though I still remember being a bit dissapointed when I pointed it out to the woman. Thinking back, if I had taken the money, my father would have taken it from me and given it to the woman, so the outcome wouldn't have changed
These videos should be longer and more detailed.
The most graceful person has the strongest will power!
Theravada Buddhism is how to retrain the brain. Everything he speaks of is in the training of Theravada Buddhism. No belief system, just relentless investigation and strengthening of the heart mind. In rlthe west the mind and heart are seen as separate.
This is the benefit in Islam of something being "Haram" (Forbidden) or Fardh (Obligatory). You simply either don't do, or must do, the act in question. It's as simple as that.
Indeed, religion has practical reason to exist in society, it simply makes it stable by establishing social rules, it's another layer, on top of law enforcement and general social pressure, to prevent chaos. There is also other reasons, like unification of people and giving them sense of purpose, but they are not related to the topic.
Some will, some won't ...but what underlies that behavioral dichotomy.
And what part of the brain stores these rules about automaticity?
He looks like an ancient greek.
I don't think it is more of a deep rooted valued or pre-defined default behaviour of a person to keep slacking off from the right thing and not doing what needs to be done , i think we can train our mind in certain way with our own understanding by defining the important work/thing to do which is right rather than slacking off and cheat in essence to this mindset we should have some kind of idea values and principles that we follow or person with the same ... this can be seen in armed forces (mostly of course not all) that before they were just like any other slack off kid but after certain period they are different with certain specific priorities , goals , principles , etc to follow , "We can" is the thing i believe so most folks can ...
I recall like seeing a ball about to hit someone in slow motion and I should of acted instantly instead of thinking and observing
When wanting to find out what a person is really like, watch him when he thinks no one is watching him.
guess I’ll become a stalker to know people better
@@turolretarxD
Begs the question "How does it become automatic?"
By constant repetition? By internalizing it? Forcing brain run connection again and again until it will found the shortest way possible, which would be faster then your general consciousness, like how you flinch from flying into your face object faster than you form thought "oh, something is coming very fast to my face, maybe I should perform evasion maneuver?". There is reflexes we have from the very start of our life, there is reflexes we get growing up, and some of those reflexes are purely mental, not motor.
Try it with naked tempting models in front of the participants and you'll see your automatic "you don't cheat" stuff ;)
Interesting it's probably why firemen run into burning buildings and soldiers move towards gun fire. They have all been conditioned that that's the right thing to do.
Good point. There's even a lot of stories about people who spring into action in emergencies (e.g. car accidents) being people who trained for other emergency situations (e.g. as volunteer lifeguards). When someone is trained to be the one acting in a crisis, that can become the reflex when one suddenly arises--even if it's not exactly the same.