Dopamine is a chemical that is released when we experience positive outcomes or when we predict positive outcomes and that this chemical motivates us to engage in new behaviors.
When an unexpected negative outcome occurs, dopamine decreases and this can discourage us from engaging in the behavior again.
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.
In the show, you will how we can use the current understanding of how surprise leads to learning, and how learning depends on interpretation, to improve our lives, and the lives of others