What's different about the brains of the super-rich?
What's different about the brains of the super-rich? - YouTube
Let me start explaining myself. I am just a regular guy who wants to be as rich as my audience, you. I am not wealthy yet, so I listen to the experiences of wealthy individuals from this YouTube video in Korean. I liked the ideas they are saying, and I also want English users to hear this information. It might not be suitable or you might think otherwise, but you can hear one another's experiences and you might learn something. It only takes 20 minutes of your time.
If you work hard, you'll succeed. If you do more, you'll succeed. Honestly, that's a misguided idea. One day, I began experiencing serious issues with my body and ended up unable to move. I was diagnosed with a chronic pain condition called CLPS. I remember thinking, "How did this happen to me?" Then a chilling thought struck me: I had often said that to become a famous speaker, one needs to experience something challenging, perhaps even an incurable illness. I used to say this all the time. It's hard, but if you hang in there, good things will eventually come. But isn't that just programming your brain? I keep telling myself that I want to feel the struggle—that I want to see, hear, and experience it all the time. It's like I'm conditioning my mind!
There is a scientific concept known as neuroplasticity, which means that adult brains can change. Once I learned about that, I began to understand what was happening.
Hi there, I’m Kang Bong-gu, the author of "The Paradox of Fatigue." Nice to meet you! Our brains experience things based on where we focus our thoughts. Most people continually push themselves, reaching their limits.
I lived fiercely with the belief that if I pushed through, I’d eventually find success. Instead, I encountered more demanding challenges, got hit with a terminal illness diagnosis, and felt like my life was completely falling apart. I experienced deep frustration, but then I learned that neuroplasticity means our brains can change, and this is a scientifically proven fact. I realized that real change doesn't come from forcing physical actions but from altering our thoughts. This shift in thinking can alter how our brains function, which in turn affects our physical well-being. Therefore, the notion that hard work equates to success or that doing more will inevitably lead to success is entirely misguided. The harder I tried to live this way, the more my brain showed me environments where I had to struggle. Despite the hardships, I convinced myself that I could endure and just pushed through. I got up every morning to go to the spring, feeling super sleepy and tired, but I always had a book in hand.
I tried just to get by, and even though I was working hard to overcome tough times, one day I started feeling weird and couldn’t move. I discovered I had this chronic pain condition called CLPS—the kind where even a breeze can make you collapse. It was a diagnosis of an incurable disease. Amidst all that pain, I wondered, "What should I do? This is so hard." I remember feeling like I wanted to die, but the thought of actually doing it scared me. I lacked the courage to keep living. The life I truly desired was to be a famous instructor and help many people. I kept asking myself, "How did I end up like this?" Then a chilling thought hit me: I used to believe that if I wanted to be a famous instructor, I probably needed to overcome some rare illness or serious condition. I realized how our brains can shape our experiences based on our thoughts, whether we like it or not.
If my illness were a result of what I wanted, then it might be possible to become a famous instructor. When I first learned about NLP, I came across a technique called the light-cleaning method, which involved filling one's body with a light energy stronger than sunlight to heal ailments. I tried it on myself, and honestly, I’m not exaggerating—tears flowed endlessly, and I felt my body healing at that moment. Afterward, I went to the hospital, and I was fine. This experience made me realize that by changing our mindset, we can change our bodies and achieve our goals.
After that, I became an instructor and, within five years, was earning a six-figure salary and doing well. However, after about ten years of teaching, I realized I wasn’t wealthy. I felt stressed about it and often thought, "I just want to live a simple life fishing." Then COVID hit, and with nothing else to do, I spent a lot of time fishing. But before I knew it, I was running out of money and going back into debt.
I had to return my car, and while doing that, I realized I wanted to go fishing and travel while giving lectures. Although many of the things I wanted, like my own car, came true, I still didn’t become rich. I never prioritized wealth, and with everything collapsing during the COVID-19 pandemic, I started driving for others and making deliveries, which opened my eyes. When they say our thoughts become our reality, the most crucial thing might be awakening the ability to make money, especially since we live in a capitalist society. I described having a "poor mindset" as being overly focused on working hard; it's always about who works the hardest, and those conversations often revolve around what people are doing. Just because someone is poor doesn’t mean they aren’t trying hard. Usually, it’s the hardworking people who still find themselves broke.
Live your own life, right? However, some people can sleep for 7, 8, or even 11 hours and still feel tired. Why is that? When our brains are stressed, they continually use energy to manage that stress. As a result, we often feel the need to protect ourselves, which leads us to seek out more stimulating experiences.
People who are advanced in their thinking tend to become obsessed with one thing. Whether they sleep a lot or not doesn’t bother them as much; they’re often so absorbed in what they’re doing that they don’t even think about basic needs, such as eating. Many people can relate to that. When you examine successful individuals, you’ll find that their minds are consumed with thoughts focused on their goals. That’s the key! They see only what is related to that one thought or goal. Most people would agree that the world appears to be what you focus on.
Two experiments illustrate this: one shows that the brain reacts 0.2 seconds before we do in terms of actions and thoughts. Essentially, we are like puppets controlled by our brains. This raises a considerable debate about whether we even have free will. Are the wealthy and the struggling 'set in stone'? Scientists have debated this topic extensively.
However, one researcher argues that willpower does exist and provides evidence to support this claim. For example, he conducted an experiment where one group was asked to resist eating chocolate placed in front of them, while another group was allowed to eat it freely. When both groups were tested for patience afterward, those who resisted the chocolate gave up much quicker on a subsequent task, as if their willpower had been depleted. In another experiment, two groups watched a video—one was allowed to express their feelings freely, while the other had to suppress their emotions. When tested for grip strength afterward, the group that suppressed their emotions showed much weaker grip strength. So, there is something to this idea of willpower.
Upon reflection, we realize that our willpower has its limits. So even if we are living under stress, when an opportunity arises, there’s a good chance we won’t have the willpower to seize it. The situation might be correct, but if we overlook something or make a mistake at that moment, things may not work out as planned. Sometimes, when everything seems to be going well, we suddenly lose motivation—that’s because our willpower is drained.
This brings us back to the topic of free will. An experiment published in the journal NeuroNature Science found that when a person is trying to choose between left and right, their brain already knows what they are going to pick about 10 seconds before they decide. When asked to push a button to indicate their choice, it turned out that the decision to press "right" occurred approximately 10 seconds before they did so, and the same was true for those who chose "left."
What I’m saying is that the brain develops first. It’s chilling to realize that while we may have free will, the will that drives our actions isn’t always aligned with our conscious thoughts. It’s more accurate to say that our thoughts are where we possess free will. There’s a line in my book that says, “I think, but my brain acts,” and this is scientifically supported. When we continuously focus on what we want, we begin to notice things related to that focus—what we see, hear, and feel. Imagine how incredible it would feel to continually receive ideas and methods to help you achieve your vision! It's truly amazing, and I experience that all the time.
The reality is, it’s not just about struggling to achieve things; when we concentrate our thoughts on what we desire, ideas naturally come to us. When people pursue those ideas, they are less likely to view it as a struggle. Yes, it can be challenging, but if you persist, you begin to think, “Eventually, good things will happen,” which is part of the brain reprogramming itself. It’s like wanting to continue feeling, seeing, and hearing the struggles I’m facing right now.
Isn’t it fascinating when you think about it? Two cells meet, and suddenly a human is formed. Can you believe that? It’s absurd—a miracle in itself. This means we can create ourselves from scratch, without limitations. But then we’re born and learn what we can and cannot do. We’re taught that if we relax and do nothing, we’ll mess up our lives. But that's not how it should be. Simply being yourself and thinking about what you want—saying, "I want to live this way"—can make it happen in that moment. So I thought, “Why didn’t I consider making money my entire life?” What if I aimed to make 1 billion dollars once? The following year, let’s aim for 10 billion, and the year after that, 100 billion. That was my line of thinking. As I studied the brain and trained it, I realized that to my brain, figuring out how to make one billion or one hundred billion is the same thing.
Money will come in, right? Nope. If you want to make money, especially aiming for a billion won, you've got to dig deep and discover your value. So, can I create something worth a billion? People often think they need to make the entire billion's worth by themselves, but that's not the case. It's about finding something valued at 100,000 won and selling it for 10,000 won. If you can pocket 1,000 from that, then selling a million of those makes it possible in today's world. If I sell something worth 100,000 won for less than 10,000 won and earn 1,000 won, people would jump at the chance. If you have a solid idea and a clear vision, you could attract an investment of 500 million or even 5 billion won. I always emphasize the importance of setting aside at least an hour a week to reflect honestly on how to make money. However, if your brain isn't accustomed to this, sitting still for an hour can be pretty challenging.
"I made 100 million. What I do is keep pushing myself until I subconsciously believe I have that ability. Then I sit down and think, 'Yes, I can do this.' After jotting down ideas for an hour or even 30 minutes, I realize just how capable I am. It’s funny because more and more people around us are making money this way. It’s everywhere! Take Hikaru Komori, for example. He was hanging out at home in Japan when an idea struck him. He started drawing and eventually launched a YouTube channel, all without showing his face, connecting with people so deeply that he became more famous than some celebrities. This happens all the time! So, regardless of the situation, when people ask me, 'Do I have that ability?' I say, absolutely, 100%! You not only have that ability, but everything you need to succeed is already around you. It all comes down to whether you have the mindset to see those opportunities or if you’re stuck in a mindset that can’t.
The difference is enormous, and I want to emphasize this. When someone asks, "Can I just think about it and not do anything?" most people will say you should at least try to put in some effort. But here’s my take: don’t worry about the effort. Just think about it instead. Why? Because you become obsessed with it, correct? If you sit down and contemplate what you want to do, so many ideas come to mind, and you start to feel passionate about it. At that point, can you ignore it? Not taking action is more arduous. Your brain begins to overflow with desires, and when you focus on that idea, it becomes even more challenging to stay still. When you do this, you end up living life more fully. People often think that if they work hard, they’ll succeed. But it’s not just about hard work; it's about being filled with the right thoughts. Often, when we think about what we want, another thought emerges, suggesting that we should take action, even if we don’t feel like it. This can lead us to avoid thinking about what we truly desire. What you need to do is think it through.
One thing I practice is self-reflection, where I examine myself from a distance. When I was struggling and making only 1,110 won, a multitude of thoughts flooded my mind. I would think, "Is this even possible? Isn’t that a lot of money? Do I need this much? Do I even have the ability to achieve this?" And those doubts just kept coming. The bigger my goals became, the larger those doubts grew. It's as if my brain is wired that way. But I would remind myself, "Wait, I’m having these uncomfortable thoughts. They're all over the place." Then I’d snap back, "No, I know I can do this! I will make 1,110 won! I’ve done it before! I have what it takes; I know I can earn money!" As I continued to think positively about making money, ideas began to flow in. Yet, even then, those uncomfortable thoughts would still creep in, making me question if I could do it. But you know what? Those thoughts aren’t honest; they are just old memories I’ve programmed into my mind.
Every time I express what I want, the language changes. The best experience I had was when I was writing a book—I finished it all in just a week! That’s because I had a ton of materials I’d been collecting for ages. However, the app I was using then started glitching. Usually, if an app isn’t working, you delete it and reinstall it, right? So, that’s what I did. However, when I logged back in, I discovered that almost two years' worth of my work had vanished! I called customer support to see if it could be restored, but they told me it couldn’t be. I had deleted and reinstalled the app, thinking I could save my work, but it was completely unresponsive. I asked if there was any way to recover it, even for a fee, and they replied that there was no option available. Usually, this would upset me greatly, but honestly, I realized that there was still a great deal I could do. I thought, ' Why not just start writing again? ' I booked a hotel for about a week and settled in.