# Why the brain resists change

- **Episode:** [116](https://agents.truthliesandwork.com/episodes/116.md) (2024-07-20)
- **Type:** interview
- **Tags:** change-management, brain-resistance, neuroscience-of-change
- **Time:** 5:41–8:14 (start 341s)
- **Listen:** [https://truthliesandwork.com/116?t=341](https://truthliesandwork.com/116?t=341)

---

[5:41] Al Elliott: Why does the brain naturally seem to resist change?
[5:46] Hilary Scarlet: I mean, some change we do like, but I think organizational change can be particularly difficult because it takes away some of the key things our brains look for. So one of the things our brains look for is certainty and prediction. They want to know what's coming up so they can better protect us. And change obviously takes away the brain's ability to predict. I don't know what's coming up. I don't know what might happen. Another thing change takes away way is often it means we know we're going to have to do something differently. And on the whole, our brains like habits. Our brains tend to like to be quite lazy if they can, in a sense. And so they like habits. They quite like doing things the same old way because it feels less effortful to the brain. It also— research also shows it feels less stressful to the brain when we're kind of in habit mode. So change does take away Things that the brain wants. Also, a sense of autonomy, control is really important to the brain as well. I think quite often, especially when people are lower down in the organization, people might lack that sense of control over what's coming up, what's going to happen, and that too is difficult for the brain. So various key factors that change takes away from the brain, the brain wants
[7:01] Al Elliott: There are some people who seem to enjoy change, particularly like the entrepreneurial people or people who like challenges. So do they genuinely, on a neuroscience level, enjoy change? Or is there just something broken about them? What makes them different?
[7:15] Hilary Scarlet: People do have different levels of tolerance, for sure. Some people do enjoy change. And all of our brains like a bit of novelty, because boredom also is a stress to the brain. So all our brains like a bit of novelty. But I think we do have different thresholds. I also think there's a big difference between change that we can control and that we have chosen, as opposed to change that's imposed upon us. One of the— I think this is one of the examples in the book— when I was working with the technology team in one of the big investment banks, and they were saying to me, how come everyone wants the latest iPhone, the latest gadget, the latest device? And yet, when it comes to changing the technology system at work, everybody hates it. I said, well, a big difference there is choice. If I choose to get the latest phone or whatever it might be. I've chosen that, it's my choice. Technology at work often is imposed upon us and we find it more difficult. So I think that bit about choice is really important. Change that we have chosen makes a big difference to us