How many times have you ended your day wondering why accomplishing your personal goals—staying healthy, spending quality time with family, advancing at work—felt like a losing battle against time and old habits? According to the latest neuroscience research shared by a leading professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Communication Neuroscience Lab, the answer may be less about willpower and more about how our brains calculate the value of every daily choice we make. Her insights, summarized in a new book and recently featured by the Next Big Idea Club, are reshaping how experts and the public alike understand decision-making and personal growth (nextbigideaclub.com).
In Thailand’s rapidly urbanizing society, the daily juggling act between family, workplace, and self-care can overwhelm even the best-intentioned individuals. The importance of managing multiple goals resonates locally: the World Health Organization has highlighted the rise in lifestyle-related health issues among Thais trying to balance tradition, career, and social expectations (WHO Thailand). The research by this University of Pennsylvania expert offers practical tools to navigate these everyday dilemmas using discoveries in how the “value system” of our brain operates.
Neuroscientists have established that a network in the brain, dubbed the value system, is constantly involved in ranking our options and steering our choices—often without conscious awareness. Each decision starts with what options your brain brings into consideration, then assigns dynamic “worth” to each option based on memories, immediate context, and future aspirations. For example, after a long workday, a Thai office worker weighing the choice between exercise and answering emails may unconsciously lean toward the latter, as the brain factors in fatigue, workload, and perceived rewards (such as praise from colleagues or supervisors). The same mechanisms are at play whether it’s a school administrator deciding to implement a new curriculum or a Bangkok commuter debating between riding the BTS or calling a motorbike taxi.
The researcher’s work emphasizes how our decisions reinforce our self-identity. If you see yourself as a diligent worker, you’re more likely to choose actions that bolster this self-image—even at the cost of other aspirations. In Thai culture, where concepts of face (“หน้าตา”), familial duty, and social harmony remain potent, such identity-driven patterns are reinforced by societal norms and expectations. These patterns can be both empowering and limiting, as they encourage commitment but can shut out new opportunities. The phenomenon is called the endowment effect: we cling to habits and self-concepts we “own,” sometimes defensively.
“It can be extremely difficult to snap out of our typical decision-making to opt for something else, even if we genuinely care about living differently,” the professor notes in her book. Neuroscience, she insists, shows it’s not just about trying harder, but about understanding—and gently shifting—what options the brain values and how.
Another crucial piece is how other people’s views, real or imagined, shape our behavior. The “social relevance” system in the brain weighs perceived opinions from our peers, family, and social circles. In Thailand, where collective opinion tends to have substantial sway, the feeling of belonging, status, and making parents proud often trumps individual inclinations. Many Thais who have achieved success abroad report feeling torn by these social currents, while high school and university students cite parental wishes as key determinants in career and life choices (“Thai Youth Values Survey”, National Statistical Office, 2022).
Expert commentary suggests these social dynamics can push us to grow, but can also amplify anxieties or cause us to stick with the familiar even when evidence suggests change would be beneficial. The neuroscience expert warns that this “social relevance” system often functions with incomplete or mistaken assumptions about what others want from us—something many Thais may relate to when reflecting on missed opportunities to spend time with elderly relatives, pursue new interests, or advocate for work-life balance.
The emerging scientific consensus is that we can rewire these value and social systems, but it requires specific strategies, not just aspiration. By making future-oriented goals feel rewarding in the present, reframing self-identity, and inviting newer, more diverse influences into our social networks (including what we read or listen to), neuroscience says we can break the habitual cycle of sacrifice and self-denial. Taking the example from the University of Pennsylvania study, a researcher re-imagined quality time with her grandmother not as a tradeoff against work, but as a blend: cycling to grandma’s home provided exercise, personal time, and meaningful connection in a single activity. Thai families might recognize this as akin to “ทำบุญสองต่อ” (making merit in two ways at once), a common value in local culture.
Highlighting the future implications, the author points out that personal choices build collective culture over time. Thais who actively share stories of balancing family, self-care, and duty can help shift societal expectations, promoting healthier and more adaptive norms. As public health challenges grow and the digital era reshapes work and leisure, these insights bodes well for Thailand’s efforts to promote well-being, resilience, and innovation (Department of Mental Health, Thailand).
For Thai readers seeking to put these findings into practice, several practical tips stand out:
- Regularly audit your options: Take time each week to notice the unconscious patterns in your decisions.
- Reframe present-reward calculations: Pair future-oriented actions (like exercise) with immediate gratifications (listening to music or catching up with a friend).
- Include new perspectives: Follow new social media voices or podcasts to diversify the “social relevance” inputs shaping your choices.
- Open up about your value shifts: Share your stories—whether it’s eating healthier or spending time with family—with friends, colleagues, and on social platforms to influence others’ value calculations.
- Practice compassion toward yourself: Understand that resisting change is not a personal failing, but a complex interplay of self-identity and social context that can be adjusted over time.
While the neuroscience of decision-making remains a developing field, these evidence-based strategies empower Thais to shape their daily lives—and, by extension, their society—toward greater fulfillment and well-being. As Thailand looks to future-proof its development, adapting these lessons at both individual and community levels could yield benefits in health, education, and cultural resilience.
Sources include the Next Big Idea Club article summarizing Professor Emily Falk’s book (nextbigideaclub.com), plus background from the World Health Organization (WHO Thailand) and Thai government reports (Department of Mental Health, Thailand, National Statistical Office).