Dopomine - The Neurotransmitter That Keeps You on Task

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Our ability to notice errors in those predictions depends on dopomine, this neuro transmitter crucial for regulating motivation. If the outcome is as predicted, we continue as before. If it isn't, we are biologically driven to eliminate the surprise happening again by making that scenario predictable in the future. Positive surprises change our beliefs, attitudes and values in a way that leads to behaviors that seek out that positive pattern again. And if negatively surprised, we gage in behaviours that avoid that pattern happening again.

Not all surprises trigger change, but almost all change is triggered by surprise. In this episode, Micheal Rousell, author of The Power of Surprise, explains the science of surprise at the level of neurons and brain structures, and then talk about how surprises often lead to the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves, the different personal narratives that guide our behaviors and motivations and goals, and, perhaps most importantly, our willingness to be surprised again so that we can change and grow.

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