具體描述
內容簡介
What makes a winner? Why do some people succeed both in life and in business, and others fail? Why do a few individuals end up supremely powerful, while many remain powerless?
The “winner effect” is a term used in biology to describe how an animal that has won a few fights against weak opponents is much more likely to win later bouts against stronger contenders. As Ian Robertson reveals, it applies to humans, too. Success changes the chemistry of the brain, making you more focused, smarter, more confident, and more aggressive. The effect is as strong as any drug. And the more you win, the more you will go on to win. But the downside is that winning can become physically addictive.
By understanding what the mental and physical changes are that take place in the brain of a “winner,” how they happen, and why they affect some people more than others, Robertson answers the question of why some people attain and then handle success better than others. He explains what makes a winner—or a loser—and how we can use the answers to these questions to understand better the behavior of our business colleagues, family, friends, and ourselves. 作者簡介
A neuroscientist and trained clinical psychologist, Ian Robertson is an international expert on neuropsychology. Currently Professor of Psychology at Trinity College Dublin, and formerly Fellow of Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge, he holds visiting professorships at University College London and Bangor University in the United Kingdom, and is a visiting scientist at the Rotman Research Institute in Toronto, Canada. He is a member of the Royal Irish Academy and has published over 250 scientific articles in leading journals. He is also author and editor of ten scientific books, including the leading international textbook on cognitive rehabilitation, and three books for the general reader including Mind Sculpture: Your Brain’s Untapped Potential. He is a regular keynote speaker at conferences on brain function throughout the world. He lives in Dublin, Ireland. 精彩書評
“A book that will help you understand what makes winners, and what paths to avoid when you get power.”
—MindYourDecisions
"Compelling stories combine with cutting-edge science to show why coming first is not the same as being a real winner -- engrossing."
—Oliver James, author of They F*** You Up
“Like a masterful detective, Dr. Robertson provides a captivating and insightful journey into understanding the mystery of the effects of power on human behavior and thinking.”
—Mike Hawkins, award-winning author of Activating Your Ambition: A Guide to Coaching the Best Out of Yourself and Others
“He tells a compelling, vivid and instructive story of how we are empowered and how we are disempowered and how we succeed and how we fail. I really enjoyed it -- it is a must read.”
—Raymond Tallis, author of Aping Mankind
“A fascinating topic dealt with in a fascinating way. … I love the book.”
—Matt Cooper, author of How Ireland Really Went Bust
“What does it take to be a winner; to be successful and achieve at an optimal level? Professor Robertson has masterfully synthesized cutting edge social, cognitive, and developmental psychology, as well as neuroscience with fascinating stories of notable people in the public eye to answer this question. Thoroughly researched and engagingly written by an international scholar, once you begin reading this book it will be difficult to put down. Whatever your profession, this remarkable book will most assuredly resonate with you.”
—John B. Arden, PhD, author of Rewire Your Brain
"Utterly fascinating."
—Publishers Weekly 前言/序言
《掌控你的心智:通往持久成就的神經科學路徑》 書籍簡介 在高速運轉的現代社會中,成功與挫摺如影隨形。我們渴望突破瓶頸,渴望在競爭中脫穎而齣,但往往感到力不從心,仿佛有一堵無形的牆阻礙著我們邁嚮頂峰。我們深知努力的重要性,卻常常在關鍵時刻因焦慮、自我懷疑或決策失誤而功虧一簣。你是否曾疑惑,那些看似天賦異稟、總能把握住機遇的人,他們的大腦是如何運作的?他們是如何在壓力下保持清晰的判斷力,並在失敗後迅速恢復,將其轉化為前進的動力? 《掌控你的心智:通往持久成就的神經科學路徑》並非又一本空洞的勵誌手冊,它是一份深入探究人類行為核心機製的科學指南。本書的作者,一位在認知神經科學領域享有盛譽的專傢,將帶領讀者穿越大腦深處的復雜迷宮,揭示驅動我們行為、塑造我們命運的生理基礎。 第一部分:認知的基石——構建成功的神經框架 本書開篇即聚焦於人類大腦如何處理信息、學習新技能以及建立穩定的自我認知。成功的起點,並非源於外部的資源或運氣,而是植根於我們內在的神經迴路。 1. 神經可塑性與技能習得的真相: 傳統的觀念認為,某些天賦是與生俱來的。本書將提供顛覆性的視角,闡述大腦驚人的“可塑性”——我們的大腦結構和功能可以被持續的訓練和經驗所重塑。我們將深入解析學習新技能時,大腦皮層中發生的分子和細胞層麵的變化。重點闡述“有意識的練習”(Deliberate Practice)如何精確地重塑特定神經通路,從而實現從新手到專傢的質變。例如,如何通過設計特定的認知訓練任務,增強前額葉皮層(PFC)的功能,從而提高工作記憶和復雜問題的解決能力。 2. 情緒調控的神經環路: 情緒是影響決策和行動效率的關鍵因素。本書將詳細解析杏仁核(Amygdala)與前額葉皮層(PFC)之間的動態平衡。在麵臨挑戰或壓力時,杏仁核的過度活躍往往導緻“戰或逃”反應,阻礙理性思考。我們將介紹一係列經過科學驗證的技巧,幫助讀者建立更強大的PFC控製力,從而在情緒風暴中保持“心靜如水”,做齣符閤長期利益的決策。這些技巧包括基於呼吸和正念的神經反饋訓練,旨在增強連接情感中心和理性決策中心的神經縴維的效率。 3. 動機的生物學密碼:多巴胺係統的精準利用: 動機是驅動一切行動的燃料,而其核心在於多巴胺係統。本書將剖析“預期奬勵”與“實際獲得”之間的關係如何影響多巴胺的釋放模式。很多時候,人們因追求即時滿足感而犧牲瞭長期目標。我們將揭示如何通過“鏈式奬勵”(Chaining Rewards)的策略,重塑多巴胺的釋放機製,使我們的大腦更傾嚮於持續投入到需要長期努力的目標中去。這涉及到如何將一個龐大的目標分解成一係列可即時反饋的小目標,從而維持高水平的內在驅動力。 第二部分:應對挑戰——挫摺、壓力與恢復力 人生不可能一帆風順,真正的贏傢並非從不跌倒,而是擁有卓越的“恢復力”(Resilience)。本書的第二部分專注於解析大腦在麵對逆境時的反應機製,並提供實用的神經科學工具來培養這種關鍵能力。 4. 壓力下的皮質醇與認知衰退: 慢性壓力是現代社會的隱形殺手,它通過持續釋放皮質醇,損害海馬體(Hippocampus)的結構,從而影響記憶力和學習能力。本書將深入探討急性壓力與慢性壓力對大腦的不同影響,並提齣一套旨在調節HPA軸(下丘腦-垂體-腎上腺軸)的生理乾預措施。這些措施不僅僅是簡單的放鬆,而是精確地利用生理反饋機製,如心率變異性(HRV)訓練,來增強自主神經係統的調節能力。 5. 失敗的神經重塑:將挫摺轉化為數據: 失敗帶來的羞恥感和沮喪感會激活大腦的疼痛區域。本書提供瞭一種神經科學框架,指導讀者如何“去情感化”地分析失敗。通過激活前扣帶皮層(ACC)的監控功能,而不是讓杏仁核主導反應,我們可以將失敗視為一個需要解決的認知難題,而非對個人價值的否定。我們將介紹“錯誤監測迴路”的優化方法,確保每一次失誤都能被大腦高效地編碼為未來成功的關鍵數據點。 6. 決策疲勞與認知負荷管理: 我們的精神資源是有限的。決策疲勞(Decision Fatigue)是大腦在一天中進行過多選擇後導緻的能量耗竭。本書將利用神經經濟學的原理,解釋“決策帶寬”如何被日常瑣事過度消耗。為瞭保持在關鍵時刻的判斷力,我們將闡述如何通過建立嚴格的“自動化例程”(Routines)來“卸載”日常決策,從而將寶貴的認知資源保留給高價值的戰略決策。 第三部分:超越自我——優化錶現與長期成功 最後一部分,本書將目光投嚮如何利用對大腦的深刻理解,實現持續的、突破性的成就。 7. 專注力的神經科學與心流狀態的誘發: “心流”(Flow)是錶現達到頂峰的標誌性狀態,此時個體完全沉浸於任務之中,時間感消失。本書將揭示誘發心流狀態所需的特定神經遞質組閤(如去甲腎上腺素、多巴胺和內啡肽)。作者提齣瞭一個“挑戰-技能匹配”模型,並結閤認知負荷的調節技術,指導讀者如何係統性地創造和進入心流通道,從而實現效率的最大化。 8. 睡眠、營養與神經係統的維護: 任何認知錶現的提升都必須以健康的生理基礎為前提。本書不會淺嘗輒止於“多睡覺”,而是深入探討深度睡眠(慢波睡眠)和快速眼動(REM)睡眠在記憶鞏固和情緒處理中的精確作用。我們將探討特定的營養素(如ω-3脂肪酸、B族維生素)如何支持神經元膜的健康和神經遞質的閤成,為讀者提供一個基於最新生物化學研究的“大腦維護”日程錶。 9. 建立自證預言的神經迴路: 最終,我們看待世界的方式塑造瞭我們的現實。本書探討瞭“自我效能感”(Self-Efficacy)的大腦基礎。當我們堅信自己能夠成功時,我們的大腦會主動搜索和解讀信息來支持這種信念,這反過來又提升瞭我們的錶現——形成一個良性循環。我們將指導讀者如何通過“意象訓練”(Imagery Rehearsal)——一種激活與實際執行相同神經區域的強大技術——來刻意構建積極的自我效能感,使成功成為大腦的默認程序。 《掌控你的心智:通往持久成就的神經科學路徑》為你提供瞭一張清晰的、由神經科學背書的地圖,它指導你理解自己大腦的運作模式,優化你的學習策略,管理你的情緒反應,最終,實現你渴望已久的、持久的卓越錶現。這不是關於“想”成功,而是關於“如何構建一個能成功的頭腦”。