The science of success : A Jungian- Neuroscience Approach
In 2014, I was first introduced to Carl Jung’s psychological types theory, the foundation of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a psychometric assessment tool. This sparked a decade-long question: Why do some people use intuition for decision-making while others rely on logic? As someone trying to understand employee behavior, especially during restructuring, and as a person who tends to be stubborn and do things my own way, I also wondered, “Why do we each behave the way we do?”
The spark of curiosity: discovering Carl Jung’s Psychological Types Theory
According to Jung, our perception of the world and decision-making is based on four psychological functions: Extraverted/Introverted, Sensing/ Intuition and Thinking/ Feeling. These are simply preferences. We all possess all six functions, but to varying degrees. Each person has a dominant preference in each category, and while we can switch between preferences, we tend to revert to our dominant one.
Although I am a logical person who makes decisions based on logic, I sometimes experienced what felt like warnings or signals that I didn’t understand, in addition to my ability to visualize my future in detail, which often came to pass. Raised in a logical family, I found it difficult to trust these intuitive insights, and what confused me further was that my MBTI type is INTJ.
In 2020, during the lockdown, I began practicing yoga at home, which led me to meditation, the law of attraction, hypnosis, and exploring universal energy. Despite my friends’ jokes about these topics, I continued to explore them because they frequently advocated for quieting logic to activate intuition—those strange signals we receive but don’t fully understand.
Unveiling Neuroplasticity: How the brain adapts and rewires itself
This new perspective opened my eyes and led to a career breakthrough. I started with a video explaining how neuroscience relates to the law of attraction, manifestation, and the idea that the universe doesn’t really care about us. Thanks to the algorithm, I discovered the concept of “Neuroplasticity” or “Brain Plasticity.” This refers to the brain’s remarkable ability to adapt and change throughout life, not just up to age 25 as once believed. With attention and effort, we can “rewire,” reshape, and change our brains, provided we create the right internal and external environment.
Neuroplasticity involves three mechanisms, depending on whether you are building on an existing skill or learning a new one:
- Myelination: Enhances neuron efficiency and speed by coating them with a fatty layer.
- Synaptic Connections: Strengthens or builds new pathways through the formation of new synapses.
- Neurogenesis: Creates new neurons from embryonic cells, particularly challenging for adults.
Neuroplasticity in Taxi Drivers and New Fathers: Insights from Recent Research
Scientists study London taxi drivers to understand memory and the brain, particularly the hippocampus, and to determine if memory can change with experience. Woollett and Maguire (2011) scanned the brains of 79 London taxi drivers before and after their training. They found that the hippocampus, specifically the area related to navigation and memory, increased in size in those who passed their tests. This study demonstrates that the brain can adapt and enhance memory capacity even in adulthood, supporting the concept of lifelong learning.
In another experiment, research shows that oxytocin, often called the bonding hormone, rises during pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding. However, oxytocin also plays a role in paternal care (Li et al. 2017). Brain scans reveal a caregiving network activated in both mothers and fathers, which is part of the broader social brain network involved in understanding others’ emotions and intentions (Feldman 2015).
Becoming a parent requires forming a strong bond with your baby, which involves changes in the brain. Neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to reorganize itself, supports these changes. For new fathers, oxytocin helps rewire the brain to strengthen the bond with their baby. Additionally, testosterone levels decrease, shifting priorities from competition to nurturing (Krisch 2018). A study by Kim et al. (2014) found that, in the first four months after birth, new fathers showed increased gray matter in areas related to parental motivation and decreased gray matter in areas associated with negative emotions. This indicates that fathers’ brains adapt to better support their role in child development.
Harnessing Neuroplasticity for success: The key to understanding and mastering your brain
Returning to Jung’s theory, the choice between intuition/logic and Sensing/ Intuition and Thinking/ Feeling is influenced by neuroplasticity. The strength and thickness of neural pathways may be innate but are also shaped by one’s environment. Neuroplasticity allows us to develop and enhance our non-dominant areas, meaning that if a person’s preference is Logic or Sensing, brain training can strengthen their Intuition systems or regions involved in intuitive thinking.
Scientifically, decision-making involves the entire brain, debunking the myth that the right hemisphere is solely responsible for intuition and the left for logical thinking. Supported by Hebbian theory—”neurons that fire together, wire together”—we can build and rewire our brains to engage various regions involved in decision-making. This principle underpins the Agility Brain Model, which identifies six thinking styles—logic, intuition, creativity, motivation, emotions, and physicality—distributed across different brain systems that contribute to decision-making.
In the 21st century, the real key to success lies in neuroscience. It’s not just about following your passion or expecting rewards; it’s about understanding and leveraging the science of how your brain functions. You won’t truly take control of your life until you understand how your brain systems make decisions and how to direct them towards achieving your goals. The key is neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reshape and change over time.
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