Workout Your Brain

Your brain physically changes based on how you use it. It's called neuroplasticity.

We can use this physical reality to continuously find and strengthen ways of thinking in our head.

Why This Actually Matters

Ever notice how some people are amazing at remembering every detail from a movie, while others can barely recall the plot but somehow are uncanny good at predicting what's going to happen?

Or how your friend can walk into any room and immediately sense the vibe, while you're still figuring out where to sit?

Or why some people seem to be able to just work all day without a break?

I've spent a lot of time thinking about what I think - my opinions on music, whether that person likes me, what I want to do with my life.

I've even spent a lot of time about why you think certain things, aka what I value.

But here's one thing I rarely heard in my experience, but was perhaps the most important: understanding how I think.

Core Mental Workouts

Break down the sequence of your thoughts and feelings: Be able to break down your own and other people's thoughts into a sequence of smaller parts. You can use tools like cognitive stacks from Jungian psychology, or Cognitive Architecture from cognitive science.

Observe without reacting: i.e. meditation. It's like squats, but for your brain. Good for everything.

Mimic others: Helps with both empathy and with unlocking new parts of brain. This can be found at the intersection of acting, being devil's advocate, and improving empathy.

So What Do I Work On?

The approach is simple: learn the different ways humans think, figure out your strengths and blind spots, then deliberately practice the thinking styles you've been neglecting.

Look, this won't turn you into Robin Williams with his lightning-fast wit, nor will it make you some zen meditation master.

But it will make you way more mentally resilient, help you understand why people think so differently, and give you actual tools to tackle problems from angles you never considered before.

Remember to Love Yourself

Like any workout, doing too much can create burnout. And also make sure to practice self care.

The Spectrum of “How People Think” Frameworks

There are tons of different ways people try to categorize and understand thinking styles. Let's break down the landscape from least to most scientifically rigorous:

Pop Culture: Horoscopes, numerology, and social media personality quizzes. These are fun and give people a sense of identity.

Self-Help: Tests like Myers-Briggs (MBTI), StrengthsFinder, and Enneagram. They're useful for career guidance & understanding relationships.

Psychological Sciences: Jungian psychology, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), experimental psychology, and cognitive science - research-based approaches to understanding how thinking works and how to help people.

Medical Sciences: Psychiatry and neuroscience. This covers brain chemistry, how different chemicals trigger different cognitions, and the study of physical brain networks, neurotransmitters, and neural pathways.

Hacking The Framework As A Blueprint For A Cognitive Workout

I picked Jungian Psychology, but it really doesn't matter. The key is to try to use the framework to identify strengths and weaknesses, and then work on both.

Want to use Astrology? Go for it. Are you Pisces? Try thinking like a Virgo once in a while. And maybe Capricorn next time.

Like theater? Try being wildly different personalities from yourself when choosing roles. Are you more quiet? Try being the bombastic one. More emotionally driven? Be the scientist.

The Process

Step 1: Honest Self-Assessment Look through the cognitive functions below and be real with yourself. Which ones feel natural and energizing? Those are your cognitive strengths - the mental muscles you've been training your whole life without realizing it.

Step 2: Meta-Cognitive Awareness Start noticing which cognitive function you're using in different situations. Are you defaulting to the same 2-3 thinking styles? Can you deliberately switch to a different cognitive mode when your default approach isn't working?

Step 3: Identify Your Growth Opportunities Which examples feel difficult, draining, or completely foreign? These aren't character flaws - they're underdeveloped cognitive functions. And here's the thing: for the majority of people, these weak spots are actually your biggest opportunity for mental growth.

Step 4: Strategic Practice Pick ONE weak cognitive function and commit to its development exercises. Watch for examples of when other people use this thinking style and try to copy their approach.

Why This Changes Everything

When you deliberately practice weaker cognitive functions, you're literally strengthening those neural pathways. It's what cognitive scientists call “cognitive flexibility” - the ability to switch between different thinking strategies based on what the situation actually requires.

This translates to:

• Problem-solving from multiple angles instead of getting stuck when your go-to approach fails
• Understanding different types of people by recognizing their natural cognitive preferences
• Making better decisions by having access to more mental tools
• Adapting to different contexts - academic, social, creative, analytical - with appropriate cognitive tools
• Greater mental resilience under stress - being able to access multiple parts of your brain.

Your brain is more adaptable than you think. The cognitive patterns you have now aren't permanent personality traits - they're just your current mental habits. By understanding how you think and deliberately developing weaker cognitive functions, you can literally rewire your thinking to become more versatile, resilient, and effective.

The Jungian Framework To Strengthen Your Mind

Psychologist Carl Jung identified eight core ways humans process information and make decisions.

Think of these as eight different “thinking modes” your brain can operate in. Most people have 2-3 they use constantly and 2-3 they barely touch. The goal isn't to use all eight equally - it's to develop enough strength in each one that you can access them when you actually need them.

Observation Functions: How You Take In Information

These four functions determine how you gather and perceive information from the world around you and from within yourself.

Processing Functions: How You Make Decisions

These four functions determine how you evaluate information and make choices once you've gathered it.