There are people who accept challenges for which they are not prepared and instead pass up opportunities that do suit their abilities. They insist on maintaining ties with people with whom they are incompatible and do not understand why, in the long run, their relationships do not prosper.
This dynamic does not necessarily reflect intrinsic limitations, but rather a lack of knowledge about one's own potential. Any advice or recommendation offered by another person, no matter how empathetic, carries with it a great deal of subjective bias. If we don't know ourselves, following the advice of those who think they know us will be difficult. The first person we should turn to for guidance is “that stranger who lives in our brain. “He knows us better than anyone,” explains scientific communicator, Elías Azulay.
Once we understand that both our brain and ourselves are in tune with a purpose, we stop searching for happiness and open ourselves to the possibility that it will find us. “Knowing how my brain works helped me understand who I am,” Azulay reveals. In his book, I'm Your Brain, Nice to Meet You (Oberon), the researcher offers an accessible guide to delving into the depths of the mind. “The brain is not an element foreign to ourselves, but an integral part of our identity.” Understanding how the brain constructs emotions is the first step to begin managing them effectively. “It is not that we are slaves to our limitations, but that we are often unaware of our potential.”
To what extent are our virtues and limitations influenced by biological factors?
It is evident that genetics influence our abilities and limitations, although this perspective can be interpreted negatively by some people. I have brown eyes and others have blue eyes. That is a genetic consequence. We cannot overcome these barriers, but we can learn to develop our potential. It is not about being better or worse, but about making the most of our resources. People know each other in certain facets, in certain faces, but throughout life we discover other facets that were always within us: what happens is that we had not developed them or we had not had the opportunity to do so. It is a long process. We would need fourteen lives to make the most of our potential. Throughout this journey, we have the opportunity to develop ourselves, enjoy new experiences and ultimately discover who we really are.
And what factors can we change?
Who we are is not a static thing, there is a long way to go. Not only in a straight line, but at a very wide angle. Everyone is the owner of their destiny, but by knowing a little more about yourself, you can choose better. Sometimes, someone who believes they have changed may actually be discovering and harnessing new facets of their personality that were already present but had not been fully developed.
In the book he explains that to discover how we are and how we can enhance our way of being, it is essential to understand our psychogenic code. What is this code and what does it consist of?
The psychogenic code is an individual's natural intensity in the seven neurofactors. This code is not repeated, it is like the identity card, passport or DNA. Neurofactors measure the most organized and sensible behavior, the protection and generosity factor, analytical capacity, creativity, fantasy, submission, rebellion and, finally, the ability to adapt. Depending on the intensity that each person has in the combination of the seven neurofactors, it tells us how they will respond, what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are, what they could do and even what they should study. In selection processes it is widely used to know if a person is suitable or not for a specific function. The code at the end is a mathematical translation of how neurofactors work.
What happens when what the psychogenetic code projects conflicts with a person's desires or aspirations?
Usually what we want is in the code. Our brain does not work in real time, it works in advance, in milliseconds. What we want is already inside our brain and it has already activated what we want in a non-conscious way. The desires we have are within the code, they are not desires that come externally, we already possess them. Another thing is whether they are evident or not according to the stimuli we receive. It is worth thinking that if something is going to happen or we believe it is going to happen, we act as if it were happening, because our brain is always ahead.
How often do people apply for jobs that don't align with their skills because they aren't clear about their strengths and weaknesses?
People are very confused. When people go to a selection process, regardless of their age, and are asked how they would define themselves, they already know the key words which are leadership, empathy, resilience and others. Everybody says the same. In theory we all promote ourselves with the same concepts, but in reality we are not like that. Sometimes the search for a job and the opportunity you are given to have a position can make both you and the corporation that hires you unhappy, because you do not have the right capabilities or the right skills for that development. You have to be very careful. When we say that a person is not suitable, we do not say that they are bad or that they are of no use. It is not suitable for that specific position, for that specific corporation that has specific values and purposes. Yes, it will be useful and suitable for another position.
Today, are we seeing a greater focus on the pursuit of self-knowledge as a path to happiness, or are we simply being bombarded with common formulas that may be effective for some but not all?
Psychology exploded at the beginning of the 20th century and that has been fantastic. But since then we have been more concerned with giving opinions about others than with self-knowledge. There are many people who are dedicated to this. We are not talking about scientists but about coaches or mentors who believe they know others, and in fact specialize in that. But the primary effect is to know yourself. When one knows oneself, he knows what he can accept and what he cannot accept; he knows if he has breadth or he has no breadth; and, above all, it is more difficult to fall into manipulations.
Where does the path of self-knowledge begin?
To understand the secret of emotions you have to understand how the brain works, because the brain is the origin of everything. We have started the other way around, believing that the mind is everything. Let's start the path again, it's not a matter of time or years. Let's see how our brain works, how our synapses, our neurons work. After that, let's get to the rest. To get to know others, to relate, to highlight our strengths. There are more imaginative people, there are more creative people, there are others who are more fanciful. In the book we see how the intensities of the codes can lead us to be saturated, to be extreme or radical. It is important that society understands that more is not always better. The best thing is the search for balance. When we experience emotions such as excitement or anger, our brain responds by quickly generating inhibition processes. This means that chemical changes occur that help regulate and counteract those emotions. Our brain is an almost perfect machine, so we have to make an effort to get to know it a little better.
