Scientific Saturday / Sunday: the neuroscience of doing things you don’t want to do

Hey Everyone,

Hope you’re all having a great weekend thus far!

I’ve been a fan of neuroscience / biopsychology ever since taking a course on it in university, and am especially interested in how we can apply it to ourselves for our own benefit.

Incidentally, a year or two ago I listened to an interesting podcast (see resources below) featuring Dr. Andrew Huberman and David Goggins (perhaps known more than anyone for being relentless in his training and doing things he really doesn’t want to do).

They were discussing the role of the anterior mid cingulate cortex (let’s just be easy on ourselves and refer to it as the AMCC) in doing things you don’t want to do / tenacity / persistence / etc.

Science seems to suggest that the size of this brain region correlates with one’s ability to do things they do not want to do / tenacity. Furthermore, forcing yourself to do things that you do not want to do, especially those that take you out of your comfort zone, increases the size of the AMCC, which leads to stronger will power over time!

Furthermore, according to Dr. Huberman: “Leaning into challenges, whether physical or intellectual, promotes brain health and helps maintain cognitive function as you age. This kind of practice is associated with ‘super agers’, people who maintain their cognitive abilities well into later life by consistently engaging in challenging activities. Through consistent effort and facing challenges head-on, we can strengthen our minds without relying on shortcuts or hacks.”

Who else wants to be a ‘super ager’? I am going to add that one to my list of long-term goals!😁

Of course, the path towards increased AMCC size and health is not easy. It takes a lot of consistent effort to grow this region, and the journey is unpleasant because, after all, we have to do things we don’t want to do on a consistent basis. The more we detest them, the better!

Yet, I think it is worth trying. Here are two quotes from a research article (see below) on the AMCC and tenacity:

“Tenacity is a powerful predictor of health and achievement and research on its neural basis could offer greater understanding of the qualities that promote exceptional achievement. The preceding evidence suggests a central role for the AMCC in subserving tenacity.”

“One intriguing possibility is that the structure and function of AMCC could be altered with sufficient behavioral training. Indeed, as a flexible hub, the AMCC may be better equipped than other brain regions to reshape its connectivity in response to learning.”

So, let’s all get as ‘tenacious’ as we can, not only for our goals, but for our own brain health!

Or, as David Goggins would say:

“Do something you hate everyday!”💪

Hope this was interesting and useful. Looking forward to reading your thoughts on it!

Specifically, what can YOU do, starting now, for your own AMCC growth?😎

Some resources on this:

Doing things you don’t want to do | Ask Huberman Lab

“Do Something You Hate EVERYDAY”- David Goggins | by Samir Dave | Medium

The Tenacious Brain: How the Anterior Mid-Cingulate Contributes to Achieving Goals - PMC

Huberman – Goggins interview: How to Build Immense Inner Strength | David Goggins

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