MYTH #6: YOU CAN’T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS"The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live." ~Mortimer Adler
This is true to a certain extent, because the individual, regardless of age, must want to learn the new tricks. You cannot teach a person who does not want to learn and you definitely cannot change anyone. People essentially learn or acquire new skills when there is an interest in the outcome of the learning or the desire for change is strong enough to push through the discomfort of challenging ineffective patterns. Your brain is designed to allow you to adapt to and learn from your environment and it is this repetition which supports survival, mastering a skill and responding to your milieu. The more comfortable or familiar you are with an approach, the more likely you are to experience something known as cognitive lock-in: a habitual behavior or thought which is performed automatically, not intentionally. Quite often a better option exists, but due to the hard-wired, repetitive behavior, a person reacts to the situation as they always have, despite often less than ideal results. Great news is that you can always learn a new skill or change a behavior because the brain is your organ of behavior and the brain can be changed.
"No matter how one may think himself accomplished, when he sets out to learn a new language, science, or the bicycle, he has entered a new realm as truly as if he were a child newly born into the world." ~Frances Willard
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
You brain is wired up based on the experiences you have in early life and through adolescence. The brain and therefore your behavior develop in response to the environment it is exposed to early in life. In Neuroscience there is a theory called Hebb’s Rule which states that “Nerves that fire together, wire together.” Hebb’s Rule relates to how neurons connect themselves to become patterns of thought, therefore what you are repeatedly focusing on, thinking about and exposed to is strengthening these “patterns” of thought and behavior. This wiring becomes your program or information source when faced with similar situations in the future. This can be utilized in positive ways to enforce beneficial thought patterns and habits or skills. If you have a belief about yourself that says you are efficient and organized, this thought is your “rehearsed thought” and you will therefore behave in ways that support that. When your program contains hard-wired “negative” though patterns such as the kind of man you always attract, fear of flying or belief that money is hard to have, this too will lead to behaviors that conform to this cognitive lock-in. The challenge with learning a new way is that the old pattern is ingrained, safe and comfortable and happens automatically. In order to learn a new “trick”, skill or reaction, you must challenge the old thought patterns and replace them with an updated pattern. This of course requires an awareness of the belief and the ability to embrace discomfort as you think differently. The longer you have used this roadway, this neural pathway, “the program,” the more habitual and automatic it becomes, therefore it can feel quite challenging to change.
You brain is wired up based on the experiences you have in early life and through adolescence. The brain and therefore your behavior develop in response to the environment it is exposed to early in life. In Neuroscience there is a theory called Hebb’s Rule which states that “Nerves that fire together, wire together.” Hebb’s Rule relates to how neurons connect themselves to become patterns of thought, therefore what you are repeatedly focusing on, thinking about and exposed to is strengthening these “patterns” of thought and behavior. This wiring becomes your program or information source when faced with similar situations in the future. This can be utilized in positive ways to enforce beneficial thought patterns and habits or skills. If you have a belief about yourself that says you are efficient and organized, this thought is your “rehearsed thought” and you will therefore behave in ways that support that. When your program contains hard-wired “negative” though patterns such as the kind of man you always attract, fear of flying or belief that money is hard to have, this too will lead to behaviors that conform to this cognitive lock-in. The challenge with learning a new way is that the old pattern is ingrained, safe and comfortable and happens automatically. In order to learn a new “trick”, skill or reaction, you must challenge the old thought patterns and replace them with an updated pattern. This of course requires an awareness of the belief and the ability to embrace discomfort as you think differently. The longer you have used this roadway, this neural pathway, “the program,” the more habitual and automatic it becomes, therefore it can feel quite challenging to change.
"It is not hard to learn more. What is hard is to unlearn when you discover yourself wrong." ~Martin H. Fischer
MIND YOUR BRAIN
Here is what is exciting – you are not lazy or incapable of learning or growing or improving your life – you are simply automatically responding in ways that are comfortable and familiar – albeit unhelpful at times! It is possible, at any age, to unlearn and relearn more helpful patterns in order to create the life you desire.
CHALLENGE THE MYTH
Be kind to yourself. This is not about blaming parents, yourself or your brain! Begin to notice “patterns” where the same issues, people and challenges appear in your life and challenge this myth by understanding how the brain can work for you or against you. In my practice this is the essential step when making changes to behavior; recognizing the beliefs (the thoughts you have again and again) that may be blocking the success, health and happiness you covet. By using EFT and other tools we are able to restore energy and to challenge outmoded beliefs, allowing you to learn all the "new tricks" you desire!
CHALLENGE THE MYTH
Be kind to yourself. This is not about blaming parents, yourself or your brain! Begin to notice “patterns” where the same issues, people and challenges appear in your life and challenge this myth by understanding how the brain can work for you or against you. In my practice this is the essential step when making changes to behavior; recognizing the beliefs (the thoughts you have again and again) that may be blocking the success, health and happiness you covet. By using EFT and other tools we are able to restore energy and to challenge outmoded beliefs, allowing you to learn all the "new tricks" you desire!
Please contact me at, onpurposelifecoaching@hotmail.com and we will begin to create your life On Purpose.
3 comments:
Pavlov's Theory comes to mind as does Newton's Law "For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction." This is my dilemma. I know what my flawed beliefs are. I know how I react but it is taking that minute to breath before I react that catches me. My stomach clenches and I go into what has been my survival mode. How do I learn to capture that breath?
Love the Blog ...... Love the picture of the Dog better. lol. Dogs always steal the show.
That is a great question. The first step is to be kind to yourself and to know that you can change the reaction. This is really a process of moving through the discomfort and trying a completely new and often opposite thought and action. The first few times can be quite challenging, the key is not to do anything, do not react – instead reflect. Address the belief that leads to the reaction. Ask yourself, “How will I benefit by changing this pattern?” It is important to give your brain an alternative, a reason that you want to travel down a new pathway.
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