Motivations Behind Human Behaviour

In this blog, I aim to delve deeper and expand upon the content presented in my two preceding blogs. I’ll offer additional insights into the motivations behind human behaviour and shed more light on why individuals act the way they do.

Allow me also to reiterate the assertion: “Life is not an illness”. While life can present hardships, unfairness, and unkindness to many individuals, it is important to recognise that life itself is not synonymous with an illness. I’m deeply troubled when I think about the significant number of individuals in New Zealand alone who rely on anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication: approximately, 600,000 in 2020. Even more troubling is the worrying trend and rise of anti-depressant prescriptions for teens and children.

The Chemical Imbalance Hypothesis is a Myth. I see the pervasive and subtle medicalisation of various aspects of human life as a grave offence against humanity, committed by the very professions that claim to prioritise the public’s best interests and overall welfare.

If we accept the claims presented in my preceding blog post, it becomes crucial to recognise that our brain is not a solitary entity but, rather, an intricate combination comprising both a primitive brain and the more sophisticated structures that facilitate higher cognitive functions. Henceforth, I will use the term “adult brain” to refer to the brain’s advanced componentry. The primitive brain, characterised by its constant vigilance and rapid responsiveness, operates at a swifter pace than our other cognitive faculties.

In contemporary times, when genuine threats to our survival are largely absent, the primitive brain tends to occupy itself with fostering self-pity, amplifying trivial matters, dwelling excessively on the past, instilling self-doubt and limitations, and even leading us to believe that something profoundly wrong such as a mental illness, afflicts us.

Understanding the reasons behind the behaviours exhibited by adults and their inclination towards self-sabotage, unhealthy choices, impulsive actions and more, necessitates an acknowledgement of the profound influence the primitive brain holds over our thoughts and decisions. In any attempt to decipher these actions, it is crucial to appreciate that the adult brain remains significantly susceptible to the impulsive tendencies of its primitive counterpart, which tends to override our rational thinking processes.

As elucidated in my preceding blog post, people often act in accordance to their beliefs, regarding them as undeniable truths. Furthermore, an important attribute of the amygdala, is its tendency to retain and form beliefs based on past experiences that were perceived as threats to our survival.

Any experiences carrying even a hint of anxiety, were firmly imprinted into the amygdala’s data bank and marked as exceptionally sensitive. This is when the real culprit, Psychological Avoidance kicks in.

Embarking on a journey of personal change or confronting a significant challenge often entails encountering pain and discomfort, either physical or emotional. Humans, in general, struggle to effectively manage and endure such painful or uncomfortable experiences. This is where the amygdala undoubtedly possesses the winning hand, with the cards stacked in its favour. Yet, it’s only when you learn to welcome the discomfort that is going to accompany the change process, to make it a buddy, make peace with it, shake its hand, dance with it, that you can truly break free of issues holding you back.

Psychological avoidance serves as a temporary quick-fix to cope with distressing emotions. It provides a momentary sense of relief, but this respite is short-lived and often comes with significant consequences. Similar to an ostrich burying its head in the sand, psychological avoidance is opting for ignorance rather than facing challenges head-on; all the while a brewing storm remains in the background.

The Mindeasy program places significant importance on comprehending the role of anxiety and its underlying mechanisms. It acknowledges that anxiety not only initiates problematic issues, but also sustains them through the power of avoidance. Anxiety avoidance is recognized as a core element that underlies and fuels various dysfunctional behaviours, serving as a fundamental common thread. Moreover, in the program, individuals who aspire to overcome depressive thoughts and feelings, or those who aim to address their struggles with anxiety, are approached and treated with the same methodology as individuals seeking to achieve weight loss, quit smoking, or reduce alcohol consumption. The personal struggle and the underlying dynamics are the same.

Consider the difficulty of intervening when an insatiable, obese individual is devouring a hamburger, an alcoholic is midway through consuming a drink, or a chronic gambler is halfway through squandering their pay cheque. In each scenario, the powerful impulses and deeply ingrained habits of the primitive brain make it challenging to intervene and put a stop to the behaviour.

Many individuals sincerely aspire to make positive changes in their lives. Nonetheless, despite their earnest motivation, they often face obstacles when attempting to enact those changes. The underlying cause of this obstacles can be traced back to the complex mechanism of pain and fear avoidance ingrained within the amygdala. The reality is that your aspirations for personal growth and the challenges you aim to overcome may often clash with the innate tendencies of your amygdala, which is wired to avoid anxiety. If I were a betting person, I would lean towards the amygdala prevailing in such situations.

On numerous occasions, individuals have expressed to me that the brain is a formidable and highly intricate entity. In response, I have consistently maintained that while the brain possesses immense power, its mode of operation can be deceptively simplistic and even amusingly straightforward.

In my book, Dirty Tricks of the Brain, I assert that across different domains of human endeavour, the mature adult brain has not yet fully recognised and countered the simple and predictable operations or “tricks”, of the primitive infantile brain.

Mindeasy demonstrates that the amygdala – much like animals, children, or even adult partners in relationships – simply gets away with what we allow it to get away with. Regrettably, due to the lack of awareness and education about this uncomplicated yet influential structure, the amygdala manages to employ various tactics that undermine your ability to realise your full potential and fully enjoy life.

It’s improbable, though googling or reading about the amygdala will equip you with the comprehensive set of strategies necessary to address and conquer your challenges. In fact, this approach may even evoke feelings of anxiety or hopelessness in the reader.

The Mindeasy program offers a straightforward, captivating, and innovative step-by-step approach to comprehending the workings of the amygdala, regardless of an individual’s age or educational background. It not only explains the amygdala’s crucial role in our survival against adversity it personifies it, making it easier for individuals to interact with it as a distinct entity with character. This approach allows individuals to engage with their amygdala on its terms, effectively navigating its self-sabotaging influence.

Many of my clients have previously sought help from other psychologists, counsellors, and therapists before coming to me. Unsurprisingly, quite a few of them have shared their experiences of being in therapy for several years without experiencing any noticeable or tangible progress.

In most cases, these therapeutic approaches focus on prescribing cognitive strategies that target the adult brain, aiming to promote “appropriate” adult behaviour and choices. These prescriptions often include practices like mindfulness, positive affirmations, and a wide range of cognitive restructuring techniques, among others, which are presented in various forms.

Despite sounding rational, well-planned, and empirically, or subjectively tested, these approaches often fall short because they involve employing “adult-type” strategies to mentally equip the adult brain in a battle against itself. It’s almost as if the adult brain is being armed to resolve its issues, as if it is tasked with sorting itself out.

In my view, these approaches are fundamentally flawed because either:

1. they completely disregard the dynamic influence of the amygdala, or
2. they prescribe adult-oriented strategies that aim to counteract the impact of the primitive operations of the amygdala in an “adult manner”.

As I’ve stated previously, the amygdala does not function as an “adult” entity. It operates independently, distinct from the conscious endeavours of an individual. While the individual engages in techniques such as mindfulness, positive affirmations, or cognitive restructuring, the amygdala continues to function on a frequency of assured scepticism, adopting a “yeah, ha ha ha, we shall see about that” attitude.

Drawing a parallel with child-rearing practices, it would be unrealistic and ineffective to expect two-to-five-year-olds to have the same level of understanding as adults. Instead, it is more appropriate for parents to meet the child at their developmental stage, considering their unique needs and capabilities. By doing so, parents can establish relevant and nurturing strategies that promote healthy behavioural and emotional growth in the child.

It’s a reality that, as adults, many of us are aware of the types and amounts of food we should be consuming to achieve our weight loss goals, yet we struggle to follow through. We are also well aware of our limits when it comes to alcohol consumption, whether socially or at home. However, for many, these limits seem to magically vanish into thin air. The examples of such scenarios are abundant and varied.

To put it plainly, the amygdala, which is not governed by adult-like thinking, does not respond favourably to adult-oriented strategies. No matter how much you believe you have mastered control over the primary challenging aspect of your life, it will cunningly entertain itself by exerting its influence in other areas, biding its time until it can once again ensnare you with the initial problem.

The amygdala employs a clever strategy that serves a dual purpose: it not only serves as the primary instigator of our self-sabotaging tendencies but also assumes a pivotal role in the ensuing harsh self-criticism we inflict upon ourselves.