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A brain researcher says most people would choose this shortcut
"Our brains are almost programmed to take shortcuts," says a researcher.
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Chances are, you would have chosen the shortcut shown in the photo above.
“It only saves us about one calorie,” says brain researcher Marte Roa Syvertsen.
But that is apparently enough.
“Our brains are almost programmed to take shortcuts. It's as if we're in energy-saving mode all the time,” she says.
Why is that? And is it something we should try to change?
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The brain is to blame
A long time ago, humans lived in a world where food had to be earned. People hunted mammoths and gathered berries.
Both those activities required energy.
“That's why it made sense to conserve your strength,” says Syvertsen.
If you had the chance to rest before a mammoth hunt, you took it.
Those who wasted their energy had a lower chance of surviving.
“The world is completely different today,” says the researcher.
Old habits remain
We take the lift instead of the stairs and order food through apps instead of hunting for it.
“But the old habits in our brain remain,” says Syvertsen. “We are simply built to choose the path of least resistance."
Perhaps you've slipped on oversized shoes when taking out the trash?
“That way you don't have to bend down. It feels wonderfully convenient,” says Syvertsen.
Not beneficial in the long run
Our brains continue to act as though energy is scarce. In reality, the opposite is true:
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"We have easy access to food and convenient solutions at all times. The mammoth world is long gone," says Syvertsen.
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And that's where the problem lies.
"The easiest option is rarely the best option over time," she says.
A sedentary lifestyle leads to illness. Ready meals provide poor nutrition.
A reason for optimism
But Syvertsen has some good news:
"We are not doomed to follow our brain's energy-saving instincts" says the researcher.
We all have the opportunity to train our brains out of lazy and unhealthy patterns.
Syvertsen refers to these habits as 'paths' in the brain. Just think about how we follow the easiest trail or a shortcut through the grass.
"Our brains do the same thing. They prefer routes they already know well. Fortunately, our brains are also very good at creating new paths," she says.
We can deliberately choose actions that require a little more effort but benefit us in the long run. Each time we take the harder path, it becomes more established and easier to follow.
That's why it can be helpful to pause and consciously redirect your thoughts and actions.
“It simply gets easier and easier over time,” says Syvertsen.
Young people get some leeway
Syvertsen says teenagers have an excuse:
The part of the brain responsible for self-control and decision-making is still developing during adolescence.
“That's why choosing the easiest option is especially common among young people,” she says.
It may even help explain the state of many teenage bedrooms.
“Tossing clothes on the floor takes less effort than putting them away in the wardrobe,” she says.
“Is it good to be a little lazy now and then? Don't we all need to relax?”
“Yes, relaxing is absolutely fine. But then you actually have to relax,” she says.
For instance, lying on the couch scrolling on your phone isn't really relaxing.
“Many people probably see it as relaxation,” she says.
But scrolling is actually a constant stream of impressions that keeps the brain working at full speed.
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Translated by Alette Bjordal Gjellesvik
Read the Norwegian version of this article on ung.forskning.no
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