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03-22-2016, 04:12 PM
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2016-03-21-1458585297-8640313-brainGames_newseason-thumb.jpgIn preparation for the new season of National Geographic's Brain Games (http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/brain-games/), their producers asked me to participate in a virtual roundtable around this thought-provoking question:
Do you think individuals can train their brain to respond in a particular way to certain situations, or do you think our brain's innate "startle response" is too hardwired to alter?
My short answer: Yes, we can train our brains.
My long answer: Not only we can, but we SHOULD train our brains to respond in particular ways to certain situations. That's why we have a human brain to begin with...
At the core, the question above goes back to the old "Nature vs. nurture" debate. It's pretty clear by now that both matter. As the growing field of epigenetics has shown, genes and lifestyles interact with each other.
The idea that we are genetically "hardwired" for many behaviors is
Do you think individuals can train their brain to respond in a particular way to certain situations, or do you think our brain's innate "startle response" is too hardwired to alter?
My short answer: Yes, we can train our brains.
My long answer: Not only we can, but we SHOULD train our brains to respond in particular ways to certain situations. That's why we have a human brain to begin with...
At the core, the question above goes back to the old "Nature vs. nurture" debate. It's pretty clear by now that both matter. As the growing field of epigenetics has shown, genes and lifestyles interact with each other.
The idea that we are genetically "hardwired" for many behaviors is