Wishing and hoping will not lead to neurons firing, axons being wrapped by myelin, synapses being activated, or neuronal assemblies being formed. This required biological formation will not be achieved without self-motivated action (repeatedly and unrelentingly undertaken) to develop and advance the brain and the mind to develop the required skills and knowledge in all disciplines.
This self-motivated action must also be constant, and in terms of skills and development, it is a forever process. The universal fact is that without self-motivated action, there is only one outcome: the neurobiological cascade of events will not take place, and neither will the development of skills and knowledge.
Neurons
A neuron is a specialised cell in the nervous system that processes and transmits information through electrical and chemical signals. It consists of a cell body with a nucleus, dendrites for receiving signals, and an axon for sending them. Neurons communicate via action potentials, which are brief electrical events that travel along the axon to the synapse. There, they trigger the release of neurotransmitters into the gap between neurons, allowing the signal to be passed to the next neuron via the synapse.
The Synapse
Synapses allow for chemical communication between neurons and other cells through neurotransmitters. When an electrical signal reaches a synapse, this electrical transmission converts to a chemical signal, and there is a release of neurotransmitters that travel across the synaptic cleft, where the signalling continues.
“It’s the brain’s electrical ‘chatter’, or axon-to-dendrite communication, that is the basis for all the brain does” (Suzuki, 2015). Neurons also have the inherent biological capacity to draw closer together to form large collective working groups, known as neuronal assemblies.
Neuronal assemblies
The point of these neuronal assemblies is to bring about a combined amplification of each neuron's power to the neuronal assembly, which is then distributed to all of the other neuronal assemblies distributed throughout the brain.
An important point to note here is that these neuronal assemblies are not fixed or stable. “These networks are constantly reforming themselves into new neuronal assemblies” (Suzuki, 2015). This constant neurological reforming adds to the brain’s plasticity and functioning potential, which is referred to as combined biological and associated cognitive amplification.
Cognitive amplification
These neuronal assemblies bring about a combined amplification of each neutron's power to the neuronal assembly, which is then distributed to all of the other neuronal assemblies distributed throughout the brain.
Cognitive application is about expanding the mind. The brain's collective biology amplifies the brain's neurological power, which leads to the amplification of the mind. This constant neurological reforming adds to the brain’s plasticity and cognitive functioning potential, which brings skills and knowledge into existence. Associated with this is myelin.
Myelin
Myelin is a white fatty dielectric (electronically insulating) material mainly composed of lipids and lipoproteins that wrap around axons. These axons can also be referred to as neurological pathways or nerves. Myelin forms an insulating layer around these axons, the purpose of which is to allow electrical impulses to transmit both efficiently and as rapidly as possible along the nerve cells.
Myelin only cares about what you do
Regarding its value, “myelin doesn’t care about who you are. It only cares about what you do” (Coyle, 2009). Myelin only cares about how the individual practiced, how many times and for how long the individual practiced; nothing else matters!
Wishing and hoping, is all well and good. However, it is not until self-motivated action is taken that the brain advances the mind, which then brings into conscious existence the development of skills and knowledge. All of this equates with the famous statement of the French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist René Descartes: “I think, therefore I am.” As such, it is you who must do the thinking and undertake the action.
Dr Ragnar Purje is the author of Responsibility Theory and an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at CQUniversity.