“WHAT ARE STATES?”

STATES CREATE “WEATHER” CONDITIONS IN OUR BRAINS AT EVERY MOMENT.

DOES THE STATE YOU ARE IN INFLUENCE YOUR BEHAVIOR? “The bottom line is that states mean so

much to us they are the only (absolutely only) things we ever pay money for!

THINK OF THE LAST TIME YOU SPENT MONEY FOR ANY REASON AT ALL. DID YOU…?

Pay bills? That rid you of a state of anxiety about being in debt or under obligation.

Buy new clothes? That helped you feel better in a new, well-dressed state.

Go out to eat? Food helps you enjoy the state of being “full” and the pleasure of being served a meal is relaxing.

ARE THERE 1,000S OF DIFFERENT STATES OR JUST 6 DIFFERENT STATES?

Anxiety

Hunger Frustration

Depression Hope

Apathy

Confusion Bliss

There primary emotions are joy, fear, anger, disgust, surprise and sadness.

DO STATES VARY BY CULTURE?

States vary by culture with one major exception: emotions.

Emotions are also biological, “hard-wired” responses common to all cultures. (p. 14)

DOES LEARNING ONLY REQUIRE A STATE OF RECEPTIVITY? Learning requires attractor states for

receptivity, understanding and retrieval.

PEOPLE CAN ONLY PROCESS TWO STATES AT A TIME?

Many “potential states“ can occur simultaneously, but we usually pay attention to only the dominant ones.

NEXT STATE

DISGUST

FRUSTRATION

PATIENCE

IS IT TRUE THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE OFTEN ANGRY WILL FIND THAT ANGER IS THEIR ATTRACTOR STATE? True! Anger can be the most stable state

for some people.

People in this position may pick fights with others just to feel like themselves be re-entering a familiar state.

RULE #1Manage states well and the learning will take care of itself.

IN SUMMARY: States are like weather in your brain. States run your lives. States regulate motion. States precede behaviors. States are shifting neural networks. States are self-organized.