Learning Happens Only When There is a Prediction Error!  

Have you ever found yourself suppressing the scenario that your brain has created about your loved one’s death? Happens to everyone. Tho, I have always been curious about why this happens and finally, this time when it happened I quickly googled it.

Found out that it’s normal because our brains are constantly processing information and creating scenarios. Sometimes, these scenarios might involve negative events like death, even if we don’t consciously want them to happen.

But then I had another question. Why do we even anticipate/predict in the first place?

There are two core reasons why our brains make predictions;

• Imagine having to process every single piece of sensory information from scratch every moment. It would be incredibly slow and overwhelming. Our brains prioritize efficiency in processing information. Predictions act like shortcuts, allowing us to focus on the unexpected and make quicker decisions.

• Another reason would be our brain wants to always feel like it has control over our lives. By anticipating what might happen, we can prepare and (to some extent) influence the outcome, fostering a sense of agency.

Now your gurl had another question and it was; “If we always have anticipations(multiple alter situations), then when does the learning happen?”

We know that dopamine stimulation generates learning and approach behavior. Our brain releases dopamine when there is a surprise/prediction error.

When rewards surprise us (either better or worse than expected), we adjust our predictions and change our behavior to seek the good and avoid the bad. No surprise (reward matches prediction), no learning happens.

So, in short, openness (YES, WHY NOT, LET’S TRY) leads to growth (formative experiences).

But we are not good at recognizing what’s going to be a great learning experience when we’re “in the thick of it” At that moment, we’re mostly focused on navigating the situation at hand, not necessarily analyzing its long-term significance.

In Chess, we say, “You play, you win, you play, you lose. You play. It’s the playing that’s going to make you better at it.”

So, now we have the answer to another question, “Why should we leave our comfort zone?”

Okay bye!

Ps, I’d love to know your stance on this blog, just text me on my Instagram, and let’s chat!