(14:20-19:00) Dopamine Prediction Error is explained by Andrew Huberman in the following way: When we anticipate something exciting dopamine levels rise and rise, but when we fail it drops below baseline, decreasing motivation and drive immensely, sometimes even causing us to get sad. However, when we succeed, dopamine rises even higher, increasing our drive and motivation significantly... This is the idea that successes build upon each other, and why celebrating the "marginal gains" is a very powerful tool to build momentum and actually make progress. Surprise increases this effect even more: big dopamine hit, when you don't anticipate it.

Social Media algorithms make heavy use of this principle, therefore enslaving its user, in particular infinite scrolling platforms such as TikTok... Your dopamine levels rise as you're looking for that one thing you like, but it drops because you don't always have that one golden nugget. Then it rises once in a while when you find it. This contrast creates an illusion of enjoyment and traps the user in an infinite search of great content, especially when it's shortform. It makes you waste time so effectively. This is related to getting the success mindset of preferring delayed gratification over instant gratification.

It would be useful to reflect and introspect on your dopaminic baseline, and see what actually increases and decreases your dopamine, in addition to whether or not these things help to achieve your ambitions. As a high dopaminic baseline (which means your dopamine circuit is getting used to high hits from things as playing games, watching shortform content, watching porn) decreases your ability to focus for long amounts of time (attention span), and by extent your ability to learn and eventually reach success. Studying and learning can actually be fun, if your dopamine levels are managed properly, meaning you don't often engage in very high-dopamine emitting activities. You want your brain to be used to the low amounts of dopamine that studying gives. A framework to help with this reflection would be Kolb's.

A short-term dopamine reset is to not use the tool or device for about half an hour to an hour (or do NSDR). However, this is not a long-term solution.

The 4 (behavioral) keypoints for great physical and mental as well as cognitive health:

One) (2:00-4:05) View sunlight early in the day. The light needs to reach the eyes--increasing alertness, mood, and focus, through certain receptors. Also increases sleep quality at night, according to Huberman. Ideally five to ten minutes on a clear day, and ten to twenty minutes on an overcast day. No sunglasses, and certainly not through windows and windshields. If no sun is out yet, use artificial bright light. Do this daily.

Two) (4:05-6:10) Do physical exercise each and every day. Doesn't have to be super intense. Huberman recommends zone two cardiovascular exercise. Walking very fast, running, cycling, rowing, swimming are examples. He says to get at least between 150 and 200 minutes of this exercise per week. Some resistance training as well for longevity and wellbeing, increases metabolism as well. Do this at least every other day, according to Huberman. Huberman alternates each day between cardiovascular exercise and resistance training.

Three) (6:20-9:10) People should have access to a rapid de-stress protocol or tools. This should be able to do quickly and instantly, without friction. You can just do one breath for destress. ( Deep long breath through nose, one quick breath in nose to completely fill the longs, and then breathe out through mouth long.)

Four) (9:12-14:00) To have a deliberate rewiring nervous system protocol to use. A thing that can be done is NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest protocol), this is specifically to increase energy.

Ideally the NSDR should be done after each learning session as well to imitate deep sleep (REM) and therefore accelerate neuroplasticity and thus rewire the nervous system; increasing the strength of connections between neurons and therefore increase retention significantly.

NSDR is also a process of autonomity and control, it allows one to find that they are in control of their body and brain. It makes one realize that external factors don't necessarily have influence. According to Huberman, NSDR even replenishes dopamine when it is depleted, making it also suitable for increasing motivation.