Growing
"Don't be satisfied with stories about how it- Rumi
went for others, but write your own
history."
LEARNING
We build knowledge and insight from the day we are born. Our genetic profile contains a reservoir of innate knowledge built up by our ancestors. Throughout our lives, based on our experiences, our genes learn and adapt. We cannot not learn.
Biologically speaking, we are equipped with the curiosity to understand reality. From birth, we possess an innate tendency to explain things. Neural networks in our brains link and interpret small pieces of knowledge. Learning and building knowledge are therefore part of life from day one.
Educational science offers us some insight into the why and how of knowledge building, although no uniform theory exists yet. Nevertheless, there are different perspectives (from behavior, cognition, development, constructivism) that explain the learning process.
Our starting point is that all perspectives are valuable in explaining how and why we learn. We all learn from conditioning, motivation, our environment and our capacities, memories and beliefs.
Learning and building knowledge brings joy to our lives through the positive experience we have when we gain insight, a phenomenon called the eureka effect .
This effect has been extensively studied and documented in neuroscience. During aha experiences, specific frequencies were measured in brain waves. During such an aha experience, the hippocampus in our brain is also stimulated. Interesting to know is that not only humans can have aha experiences.
Insight acquisition and the learning process are therefore important building blocks for a quality life.
EXPLORE
From the time we can walk, we want to explore the world. Our brain has also evolved to handle new, unknown and complicated situations.
Exploring also emphasizes one of the characteristics that distinguishes us from other organisms: imagination. We can mentally create situations that don't exist and adjust our behavior accordingly. We can look ahead and plan.
The regions in our brain responsible for planning our actions are also active while we rest. This is called the default network. This network only activates during moments of mental inactivity. Once we consciously concentrate on a task, this network switches off.
While this network is active, we think about the past, fantasize about the future and view ourselves from the perspective of others. We also dream during REM sleep. Our dreams often contain familiar elements combined in strange ways. It's a way our brain tries to make new connections and test realistic scenarios.
Dreams and daydreams can influence our creativity. They help us make connections that we wouldn't make during conscious effort. Dreams and exploration are therefore two related processes.
EXCEL
We all have the tendency to use our potential in the real world. This gives us purpose and satisfaction.
You could say that evolution is meant to compete with each other. Having the best skills increases our survival chances.
However, life is more than just survival. Social psychologists have developed a theory around 'free will' that provides more insight into the mechanisms behind intrinsic motivation, the urge to do something without external reward. This view builds on self-actualization theory by Abraham Maslow.
Intrinsic motivation and our striving for autonomy are closely connected. A complex neurological interplay that we experience with extrinsic rewards and intrinsic motivation drives us to use our talents and 'reach our full potential'.