The world is changing rapidly. Modern schools in developed countries are beginning to teach not only mathematics and biology but also how our minds work. With the growth of online education, knowledge about consciousness, thought processes, and personal development is becoming increasingly accessible. Today, anyone with internet access can study mindfulness, cognitive processes, neuropsychology, and even techniques for managing their perception of reality.
And this is just the beginning.
Imagine a future fifty years from now, where every child by the age of 12–14 understands:
Mind education will become as fundamental as the ability to read and write.
But why wait half a century?
Let's bring this future into the present and explore how our minds work, using the power of metaphor and game mechanics.
Imagine a conversation with an alien being studying human nature:
"At what age do you start teaching children how their brains work?" the alien asks.
You ponder and reply: "We rarely study this even in adulthood."
"But isn't that the center of all human activity—the key to learning and happiness?" the alien wonders.
Indeed. Isn't it strange that we study mathematics, history, and physics but know so little about our own minds?
To understand how our brain works, let's use a metaphor familiar to everyone...
Before we delve into this topic, it's important to understand: what we'll discuss in this chapter is not secret knowledge.
You are the bearer of your own mind. You don't need a degree in psychology or neurobiology to explore how your brain works.
You can independently observe, analyze, and test everything we'll discuss. That's the uniqueness: you are the explorer of your own mind.
The modern world is already moving toward conscious study of consciousness. Online education, access to books, intellectual communities, and artificial intelligence allow everyone to deepen their understanding of how their mind is structured.
Let's look at our mind using the game mechanic of "metaphor." This will allow you to clearly see how metaphor helps to better understand hidden processes that usually remain beyond our perception.
Imagine your mind as a smartphone. This simple comparison will help us understand the basic principles of how our consciousness works:
Just as a smartphone needs a good battery and quality components, your mind needs a healthy body. Good sleep, nutrition, and physical activity are the basic conditions for clear thinking.
Just as iOS or Android manage the phone's operation, your subconscious determines how you perceive the world and react to it. This is your basic "operating system."
Your habits, skills, and behaviors are like applications—they can be installed, updated, and, if necessary, "reinstalled."
Just like in a smartphone, our brain runs various "programs" that manage behavior, emotions, and decisions. Each performs its function—some help, others are outdated and hinder. The main thing is—they can be updated and improved.
All these "mental applications" have been formed over millions of years, helping us adapt and survive.
🔹 Communication program (Contacts, Messages, Social Networks)
How do we interact with people? What communication strategies do we use?
🔹 Food selection program (Menu, Food delivery)
Why do we crave sweets and fats? How are eating habits formed?
🔹 Language center (Translator, Voice assistant)
Why does a child learn a language easily, but it's harder for an adult?
🔹 Alliance formation program (Friends, Family, Team)
How do we build trust and social connections? Why is group belonging important?
🔹 Partner search program (Tinder, DNA search)
What criteria for choosing a partner are embedded in us by evolution?
🔹 Threat filtering system (Antivirus, Maps, Danger locator)
Why are we afraid of dark streets? How does the brain determine who is dangerous?
🔹 EGO program (Personality defender, Antivirus)
Why do we defend our point of view? How do we react to criticism? Why are we afraid of mistakes?
🔹 Learning program (Courses, Online lessons, Gamification)
Why do some learn faster? How to make the learning process more effective?
🔹 Attention management program (Focus, "Do not disturb" mode)
Why is it hard to concentrate? How not to be distracted by the useless?
🔹 Financial thinking program (Budget, Investments, Online banking)
Why do some people accumulate money, while others "let it slip through their fingers"?
🔹 Pleasure program (Dopamine manager, Entertainment)
Why are we drawn to social networks and series? How to manage sources of pleasure?
We've already discussed that our brain is like a smartphone with a set of programs. These programs manage our thinking, behavior, reactions, and habits.
But, like any device, some programs become outdated. Some continue to work because they were once useful, but in the modern world, they can be obstructive.
Sometimes it seems to us that we act of our own free will, but in reality, we are governed by automatic mind algorithms that we don't even realize.
Imagine this: you’re using a phone with an operating system from 2005. It still works, but many modern apps simply won’t launch on it.
That’s exactly what happens with our mental programs. Many of them were designed by evolution millions of years ago to help our ancestors survive.
Our instincts are still inside us, but the environment has changed dramatically. We no longer live in tribes, yet our minds still follow ancient algorithms.
Looking at the history of technology, one thing is clear: new devices are built upon old ones but with improved functionality.
Early phones were basic — just calls and SMS. Later came cameras, internet, apps.
The brain evolves similarly: old mechanisms remain, but new levels of awareness emerge.
Mental updates are not instant. They occur gradually as we encounter new information, go through new experiences, and shift perspectives.
We don’t “fix errors” in the brain — we expand its capabilities.
Some ancient brain mechanisms seem irrational or illogical today, but from an evolutionary perspective, they make perfect sense.
🔹 Why do we fear criticism?
In ancient times, judgment could lead to exile — and death. Today, criticism is just words, but the brain still treats it as a real threat.
🔹 Why do we procrastinate?
Our ancestors avoided unnecessary energy expenditure — food was scarce. Today, working on a laptop is low-effort, yet the brain still hoards energy.
🔹 Why do we care about others' opinions?
Group status once meant access to food, protection, and mates. Now, social media hijacks this program, making us chase likes and approval.
🔹 Why is it hard to break bad habits?
Habits are automated programs. Their purpose is to make life easier. Changing them means rewriting code, and the brain resists change.
Let’s go deeper: one of the most fascinating discoveries is that “roles” are built into our consciousness. This isn’t a made-up idea — it’s how the mind naturally functions.
The mind creates “spaces” or “rooms” for different roles. In each room, we behave differently:
At home, you’re a caring spouse or parent.
At work, you step into your professional role.
With friends, yet another persona activates.
Each “room” has its own rules, style of communication, and behavior patterns.
Each role is wired to perform a specific function:
Understanding these role mechanics helps us see how naturally our mind switches modes. It’s not artificial — it’s an adaptive feature of how we navigate life.
For a deeper dive into this idea, check out the work of Eric Berne, who explored how role dynamics influence human relationships.
The human brain is not a hard drive with fixed settings. It is a living, self-learning system.
It was once believed that intelligence was fixed from birth. But today we know: a person can learn and grow at any age.
📌 At 40, you can learn a new language.
📌 At 50, you can master music or programming.
📌 At 60, you can change your habits and worldview.
Our mind is not permanently programmed. It can adapt — if we give it the chance.
Games aren’t just entertainment. They contain powerful mechanisms that can be applied to real life.
🎮 Reward principle – drives the desire to achieve goals.
🎮 Overcoming obstacles – makes the process engaging.
🎮 Levels and progress – help visualize growth.
Game mechanics tap into ancient brain systems, helping us feel motivation, engagement, and interest.
Our programs aren’t static — they evolve with us.
In the past, we were unaware of what was programming us. Now we can observe which algorithms are operating within us.
Some programs might still be controlling your life, even though they’re no longer relevant to today’s reality.
We began this chapter with the idea that the brain is like a smartphone full of apps.
But in reality, it’s far more powerful.
A smartphone is limited by its hardware. The brain, however, can grow, adapt, and upgrade itself.
You get to choose which programs to keep and which to replace.
We started with a simple idea: the mind is a system of programs. Through the smartphone metaphor, we saw how mental “apps” work, why some become outdated, and how the brain switches between roles like windows in an operating system.
But it wasn’t just a metaphor. The game mechanic of metaphor allowed us to peek into the inner workings of our thinking — without any advanced tools or brain scans.
🔹 We discovered that the mind is not static but a flexible instrument that can be studied, trained, and expanded.
🔹 We saw that thought follows certain rules — and these can be explored and understood.
🔹 We realized that many of our habits, fears, and beliefs are just outdated programs running on autopilot.
Just like a surgeon has a scalpel, or an engineer has a scanner, we now have the game mechanics of Metaphor and Visualization — tools for seeing how the mind works.
You don’t need complex equipment or an MRI machine to understand your thinking system.
All you need is to observe when programs activate, how your mind reacts to challenges, and what automatic processes are running in your daily life.
Game mechanics offer a new perspective on thinking — and open up vast fields for personal exploration.
This chapter is just the starting point.
We will return to game mechanics again because through them, I discovered a key concept: the Survival Program.
📌 What holds people back from change?
📌 Why does the mind resist growth?
📌 How does our biology get in the way of our potential?
These questions led me to understand the deepest barrier that must be faced if you truly want to take control of your growth, learning, and life.
But we’ll get there step by step — just as I did.
If this topic intrigued you, here are some books that offer deeper insights:
📖 "The Rational Animal: How Evolution Made Us Smarter Than We Think" – by Kenrick and Griskevicius, explaining how ancient instincts still drive our decisions.
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