The Benefits and Costs of Hardwiring Skills

Learning is facilitated by forming hardwired connections in the brain, which make skills non-interruptible and non-flexible. This can be beneficial for automating tasks like walking and speaking simultaneously. However, automatic skills are also inflexible, limiting the ability to modify behaviors. To behave flexibly, the brain requires effortful control systems. As people age, they have fewer opportunities to step out of their comfort zones and experience new things, which hampers brain plasticity. Exposing oneself to unfamiliar situations is crucial for maintaining adaptability and flexibility in the brain.