Neurosurgeon with 33 years of experience explains why ‘your brain is not built for happiness; it is built for survival’

Neurosurgeon Dr Katakol stresses that your brain is not built for happiness; it is built for survival, as life is imperfect, incomplete, and impermanent.

Your brain is a complex organ. It controls your thoughts, memory, emotions, touch, motor skills, vision, breathing, temperature, hunger and every process that regulates your body. Therefore, it is arguably the most important organ in the human body.

However, according to Dr Prashant Katakola, a neurosurgeon with '33 plus years of experience in neuroscience', who graduated from NIMHANS, the brain is not built for happiness. Here's why:

Why brain is not built for happiness

In an Instagram video shared on October 9, the neurosurgeon said, “Let me tell you this: your brain is not built for happiness; it is built for survival. Let me tell you three things that your brain must learn to be happy.” The expert emphasised that to live peacefully, one's brain must learn three fundamental truths of life.

Here's what the neurosurgeon said: “First, life is imperfect, incomplete, and impermanent.”

1. Imperfect:

“Imperfect because mistakes are a part of learning and not proof that you have failed. Mistakes mean growth, not failure,” Dr Katakol said.

2. Incomplete:

“Incomplete because everybody is in the same state. To gain something, you ought to lose something. Gaining and losing are both parts of balance,” the neurosurgeon pointed out.

3. Impermanent:

“Impermanent because nothing remains the same. That is how the brain adapts and learns. Nothing lasts forever, and that’s what allows change,” Dr Katakol wrote.

Lastly, the neurosurgeon advised one to repeat this to oneself: “I focus on how I respond, not what happens to me. Practice this daily, and you will train your brain to remain calm, clear, clear, and happy, no matter what happens.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

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