SELF | Deep Dives
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SELF | Deep Dives
The Key for Any Lock: Unlocking Dexterity | Ep. 08
Dexterity isn't just physical skill but a form of intelligence expressed through movement, what Nikolai Bernstein calls "motor wits." We explore how motor skills develop through qualitative changes in the nervous system rather than simple repetition.
• Dexterity defined as "motor wits" - the ability to find movement solutions in any situation
• Motor skills develop through stages with sudden "clicks" when the nervous system figures something out
• Skills aren't fixed formulas but adaptive responses requiring constant sensory feedback
• Automatisms are background corrections that happen without conscious thought
• Skill transfer occurs when different activities share similar background corrections
• The "creative pause" or plateau in learning is actually your nervous system recalibrating
• Real-world examples show dexterity saving lives in unexpected situations
• Developing varied movement experiences builds a richer library of motor adaptations
Challenge yourself with new activities and movement patterns to develop greater adaptability and motor intelligence. See what you're capable of!
All right diving in this week and, wow, some really fascinating stuff you sent over.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, this Bernstein Dexterity Motor Control, this is right up your alley right, oh, absolutely yeah. So you guys listeners always want to get to the core. No fluff.
Speaker 2:Right to it.
Speaker 1:So we're going to try to do that Distill this down, really figure out what is dexterity.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Why does it matter? Why should you care?
Speaker 2:why is it important?
Speaker 1:and, most importantly, how can we cultivate it? How do we get more of this dexterity? How do we get better? So you flagged this one. I know this is something you're personally interested in huge, yeah. So let's unpack it let's get into it. So, first things first. When you hear dexterity, what comes to mind?
Speaker 2:I mean, I think a lot of people. They think like nimble fingers, right Okay, you think like a pianist or a surgeon or you know an athlete, like incredibly coordinated.
Speaker 1:Right, so like physical skill. Yeah exactly Okay. So just pure physical skill.
Speaker 2:Well, that's what we initially think, but Bernstein's work kind of pushes us a little further than that.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, because the material you sent over it suggests a much broader definition right Way broader.
Speaker 2:Yeah so Bernstein initially defines it as and I'm going to quote here a motor ability to quickly find a correct solution for a problem in any situation, that is, to exhibit motor wits in any conditions.
Speaker 1:Motor wits, I like that.
Speaker 2:So there you go.
Speaker 1:That's, it right there so it's like intelligence, it's problem solving, but through movement, through movement.
Speaker 2:Yeah, not just, like you know, a pre-programmed sequence of movements, but like responding to something in real time right right and so to really understand what human motor skill is, because that's what we're talking about here right bernstein contrasts it with like simple reflexes, and he uses pavlov's dog.
Speaker 1:I have left dog?
Speaker 2:yeah, it's like a prime example right so the dog?
Speaker 1:you ring a bell.
Speaker 2:The dog salivates because you've associated it with food exactly an automatic response right a conditioned reflex right and he says that like equating that to human motor skill is a huge error. Huge error, yeah, and he says it actually had negative consequences, you know, medically for a time, because it made it seem like skill development is just, you know, like this passive stamping in. You know just this response, this automatic response.
Speaker 1:So, like the dog and the bell, it's not just a stimulus response.
Speaker 2:No, no, no no.
Speaker 1:Like I'm playing the piano.
Speaker 2:It's so much deeper.
Speaker 1:It's not just a stimulus response no, no, no, no, like I'm playing the piano. It's so much deeper, it's not just. Oh, I hit this key and this happens.
Speaker 2:It's an active process in the nervous system, constantly building, constantly refining so it's not just beating a path, so to speak no, it's way more nuanced than that okay, okay, interesting and he says that each motor skill is intricate and it unfolds through stages. Stages, okay, right, and like you think about riding a bike, it doesn't just happen.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's like at first it's impossible and then all of a sudden boom.
Speaker 2:You get it.
Speaker 1:You're riding and you never forget.
Speaker 2:And you never forget. How does that happen?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's amazing.
Speaker 2:So, and then you know, floating swimming.
Speaker 1:Swimming same thing All of a sudden, it just clicks. Clicks yeah.
Speaker 2:So what is that clicking? Right? That clicking is the nervous system figuring something out. Right, it's building a control mechanism. And those shifts, those are like qualitative changes, not just, like you know, quantitative. Oh, I just got better at repeating this motion.
Speaker 1:So it's not just a groove getting deeper in my brain.
Speaker 2:Not at all. It's like rebuilding.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Right, and he says that a motor skill isn't a fixed motor formula. He calls it, okay, you know, like it's not just an imprint, you know, and the reason for that is because you know, like the world is constantly changing around us.
Speaker 1:Right right.
Speaker 2:Our movements need to adapt.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:So we need what he calls maneuverability in our sensory systems. Do you like, make adjustments on the fly based on what we're experiencing.
Speaker 1:So it's like our senses are informing our movement and also allowing us to course correct.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and this adaptation it relies on and this is a mouthful the deciphering of neural impulses which is basically the brain translating incoming sensory information into motor demands and sending them back out to the muscles.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:So it's like if I'm on the bike and I start to wobble, my brain instantly registers that and knows which muscles to engage, to stay up Right, and so within this, there's a leading level of control which is focused on the main goal.
Speaker 1:Okay. So, like in the bike, the leading level is stay upright, keep moving forward.
Speaker 2:Exactly. And then there's background corrections which are happening simultaneously supporting that main goal.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And he uses examples, like you know filing metal or mowing the lawn.
Speaker 1:Mowing the lawn, yeah.
Speaker 2:And he says at first you're very visually focused, you're watching your hand, you're watching the mower.
Speaker 1:Right, I remember trying to get that straight line eyes glued to the mower.
Speaker 2:Glued. Yeah, so that visual input is acting as a primary guide.
Speaker 1:OK.
Speaker 2:Almost like a wooden scaffolding, he calls it.
Speaker 1:OK, OK.
Speaker 2:But then as you gain experience, you know the feel, the proprioceptive sensitivity.
Speaker 1:Perceptive is a good word.
Speaker 2:It takes over Right, like how does the tool feel in your hand? Where is your body in space? You don't have to look anymore.
Speaker 1:So eventually I can mow and look around and enjoy the scenery.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and those are the background corrections.
Speaker 1:Right Happening without me even knowing it.
Speaker 2:Without you even knowing it, yeah, and this brings us to automatisms.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Which are those background corrections that control movement, but they don't need your conscious attention.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:So, like you know, when you're riding a bike, those subtle adjustments to stay balanced, you're not thinking about it Right, right, you just do it, you just do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it's like that aha moment I had with the bike. It wasn't that I finally remembered the sequence.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:It's that my body just knew how to balance.
Speaker 2:You activated the correct automatism.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's so cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and he says these secrets. They're embedded in those sensations and corrections.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:So they're hard to teach by just showing.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And they're impossible to forget.
Speaker 1:Once you got it.
Speaker 2:Once you have it. Yeah.
Speaker 1:You got it.
Speaker 2:So have you ever tried to explain to someone how to balance on a bike?
Speaker 1:It's impossible.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You're like, well, you just do it. Yeah, yeah, you feel it yeah.
Speaker 2:And then this idea of automatisms. It explains what's called skill transfer.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:So it's not just about like movements, looking similar Right. It's movements looking similar it's about. Do they rely on the same background corrections? Okay, that makes sense. So, like cycling and ice skating, you know very different all the different muscles for different muscles, but they both rely on, you know, dynamic equilibrium balance over a narrow base.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that's why people who are good at one can pick up the other much easier yeah, it's not just that they're good at balance in general, it's that-.
Speaker 2:It's the specific-.
Speaker 1:It's specific automatisms that transfer over.
Speaker 2:And then we have automatization, which is the continuous process of developing new background automatisms and shifting control to lower levels, often cortical levels. Cortical okay, which frees up your higher levels to do the more complex strategic stuff.
Speaker 1:But he says, you know, you might experience these creative pauses.
Speaker 2:Creative pauses.
Speaker 1:Yeah, or even like temporary setbacks.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Before you know you get better.
Speaker 2:So like you're on a plateau.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Working on it. Working on it doesn't seem to be getting better.
Speaker 1:You're getting worse Almost.
Speaker 2:Yeah, almost.
Speaker 1:And he says that's actually your nervous system working out the kinks.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:It's resolving interference between different background corrections, maybe even developing a new automatism.
Speaker 2:So it's like my body's resisting, trying to hold on to the old way.
Speaker 1:It's recalibrating.
Speaker 2:But it needs that time to recalibrate.
Speaker 1:And then there's this idea of movement standardization. Ok, so as a skill develops, the brain wants to make the movement more efficient.
Speaker 2:OK.
Speaker 1:More uniform. Right right develops. The brain wants to make the movement more efficient, okay, more uniform, right right.
Speaker 2:So like a young child learning to walk. Every step is different, wobbly, a lot of effort, a lot of effort, yeah, but then as they practice, it gets smoother it gets smoother, more efficient, less thought involved and then there's this idea of dynamically stable movements, where the forces generated by the movement itself support the action, so, like a ball rolling in a gutter, it's naturally stable. So, you don't need as many sensory corrections. You can relax.
Speaker 1:So like a really good runner.
Speaker 2:A really good runner. Looks effortless. Effortless yeah because they're using those reactive forces. Wow, that's good but important note even those really automatized movements, they can become de-automatized if the task changes or the environment changes, and he gives the example from Anna Karenina of murring. So Tit the peasant, he could mow over anything. Hummocks, no problem. But, but levin the landowner.
Speaker 1:He struggled right, because he was trying to force that perfect motion he was relying on the established pattern, the rhythm right, right, and the ground wasn't cooperating.
Speaker 2:The ground wasn't cooperating yet interesting and then there's the toad and the centipede story boat in the centipede, oh yeah where you know if you think too much about a skill you've already mastered, it falls apart oh, I do that all the time, all the time. Like how do I tie my shoes?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2:You can't remember.
Speaker 1:It's like wait what comes next.
Speaker 2:So you have to trust those lower level automatic corrections.
Speaker 1:Let the body do its. Thing.
Speaker 2:And finally, he cautions against developing a skill at the wrong leading level.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:So if your initial focus is wrong, it can be very hard to correct later.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so give me an example.
Speaker 2:Like a piano student who only focuses on finger movements.
Speaker 1:OK.
Speaker 2:But doesn't understand the musical phrasing.
Speaker 1:They're missing the big picture.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they're missing the big picture, so they might have to relearn from a more holistic perspective.
Speaker 1:So really understanding like, what is that leading level? What am I actually trying to achieve here?
Speaker 2:What are you actually trying to achieve?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that's a lot on what dexterity is.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we went deep.
Speaker 1:We went deep from this motor control standpoint, but it's so much more than just physical skill.
Speaker 2:It's about adaptation.
Speaker 1:It's about intelligence problem solving through movement Motor wits. Motor wits, yeah. So why does this matter? Why is this so important for our development?
Speaker 2:Well, you know, Bernstein said it in the beginning it's about being able to adapt to changes in the environment.
Speaker 1:Right, the unexpected, the curveballs.
Speaker 2:Exactly those motor wits, in any conditions.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And you know the stuff you sent over, those real world examples.
Speaker 1:Oh man yeah, oh man yeah.
Speaker 2:Really bring this home. Those were powerful, yeah, like that runner, seraphims Nobenski, injured during a race.
Speaker 1:Yeah, painful injury.
Speaker 2:Painful injury, but he adjusts his technique.
Speaker 1:And finishes.
Speaker 2:And finishes for his team.
Speaker 1:Incredible. So it wasn't just willpower, no it was skill he had to adapt, figure out a new way to run.
Speaker 2:His running formula was disrupted.
Speaker 1:Right, right, he had to come up with a new one. On the spot, on the spot. That's amazing Dexterity in action. And then the pole vaulter, the pole breaks midair, oh yeah, and he just like does a somersault.
Speaker 2:Somersault landing yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, that's motor, wits right there.
Speaker 2:Pure instinct and it probably came from you know some acrobatic training he had.
Speaker 1:Yeah, something totally unrelated.
Speaker 2:Un unrelated, unrelated, but his nervous system knew accessed it, instantly accessed it, pulled it out to save himself, essentially, yeah. And then there's the circus rider in the cavalry oh yeah, yeah, uses their skills to escape. Think on their feet, you know literally, literally.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, that's what it's all about, right? That's resourcefulness, it's not just about doing the thing you practice perfectly it's about adapting it's about applying those skills. In a new situation when you don't know what's going to happen.
Speaker 2:Bernstein called it having the perfect key for any emerging lock.
Speaker 1:I love that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's dexterity.
Speaker 1:And then that last one, the Soviet soldier. Oh yeah, I mean, that's life or death.
Speaker 2:Grenade and acrobatics.
Speaker 1:Talk about thinking outside the box. Yeah, he had to. I mean those stories, they're not just amazing feats.
Speaker 2:They're examples of what's possible.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they're showing us that dexterity is essential when things go wrong.
Speaker 2:When the plan falls apart.
Speaker 1:When you have to improvise. Exactly so it's not about being perfect. It's about being resourceful. Being adaptable.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And this ties into what Bernstein calls motor resourcefulness.
Speaker 2:Yes, which is the ability to predict, to anticipate what might happen and plan your movements accordingly.
Speaker 1:So like a long distance runner.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they're not just running, they're looking at the terrain, they're looking at their opponent.
Speaker 1:They're thinking ahead.
Speaker 2:Thinking ahead and a goalkeeper anticipating where the ball's going to go.
Speaker 1:So it's almost like a higher level of awareness.
Speaker 2:It's like having a broader toolkit of movement.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and being able to select the right tool at the right time.
Speaker 2:And Bernstein also talked about psychological dexterity.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Which is that mental quickness, the decision making, the reaction time?
Speaker 1:So it's not just physical, it's mental too. It's all connected, yeah.
Speaker 2:So dexterity is how skillfully your body moves, but also how quickly your mind can process and respond.
Speaker 1:Wow. So it's really this like mind-body integration.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, at the highest level.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we've talked about what it is why it matters. Now the big question how do we get it?
Speaker 2:How do we develop this dexterity? Well, Bernstein says that dexterity is characteristic of the uppermost cortical levels of motor control and it relies on the lower levels as a background.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we've got to build that foundation. We've got to build the foundation, yeah Right.
Speaker 2:And he says these dexterous levels. They're characterized by exercise ability.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Meaning. They can be improved through practice.
Speaker 1:So it's not just talent, you can actually train for this.
Speaker 2:You can train for it Absolutely Right. And also switchability or maneuverability, the ability to adapt movements as needed.
Speaker 1:Okay, so to adapt movements as needed. Okay, so being able to switch between different Voter programs, Voter programs okay.
Speaker 2:And he talks about the transfer of skills between effectors. So like practicing with your non-dominant hand can actually improve your dominant hand.
Speaker 1:Really.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it's not just about the specific muscles, it's about the underlying control mechanism.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:And he calls this the level of space. It's a higher level that deals with coordinating movements in the environment.
Speaker 1:So training one part of my body can benefit another part, even if they're doing different things.
Speaker 2:Exactly Because it's those background corrections at a lower level, like the muscular articular level.
Speaker 1:Right right.
Speaker 2:That are really contributing to your overall dexterity.
Speaker 1:So it's like the more varied my movement experiences are, the better.
Speaker 2:The richer that library of background corrections.
Speaker 1:Okay, so different sports, different skills, even manual labor.
Speaker 2:All of it contributes.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's cool.
Speaker 2:And he observed that the development of dexterity it goes hand in hand with the maturation of the higher motor systems in the brain.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Which continues through childhood and into adolescence.
Speaker 1:So it's a long game.
Speaker 2:It's a long game.
Speaker 1:You can't just like cram for dexterity. No, it takes time, okay.
Speaker 2:Consistent learning, dedicated practice. That's how you develop those new sensory corrections.
Speaker 1:Right for those more complex movements.
Speaker 2:Yep. Okay, so it's not just about, like, going to the gym and lifting weights no, it's about variety, it's about challenging yourself okay and he talks about how children's motor development naturally progresses okay from basic locomotions like walking running okay which he associates with the level of space okay to more object-oriented actions like manipulating things using tools okay and he links that to an even higher level so like playing with blocks, building things, that's all contributing all of it contributes, yeah,
Speaker 2:wow, it's like every little thing we do yeah, and you can see this progression in how they play and how they gradually learn practical skills so as they grow, they get better at precision coordination. Yeah, adapting to different spaces, which is, all those upper levels of spatial control refining themselves.
Speaker 1:So even just letting kids play, that's crucial.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:And for adults. I guess it's the same principle.
Speaker 2:Same principle. Keep challenging yourself.
Speaker 1:Keep learning new things.
Speaker 2:New things. Yeah, step outside your comfort zone.
Speaker 1:Comfort zone yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, so wow, that was a lot.
Speaker 2:We covered a lot of ground.
Speaker 1:We did so. Let's recap Dexterity it's not just about physical skill.
Speaker 2:It's about motor intelligence.
Speaker 1:Motor wits.
Speaker 2:Motor wits, yeah, problem solving in real time through movement.
Speaker 1:Right, and it's so important because it allows us to deal with the unexpected.
Speaker 2:To adapt, to overcome challenges.
Speaker 1:We develop it through practice, through variety, through challenging ourselves.
Speaker 2:And building that strong foundation of background correction.
Speaker 1:Right. So all those little things we do, they all matter.
Speaker 2:They all contribute.
Speaker 1:Wow, this has been eye-opening.
Speaker 2:It really makes you think, doesn't it?
Speaker 1:It does, it makes you appreciate those everyday movements.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the seemingly mundane.
Speaker 1:And how they're shaping us so for you listening. Think about it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, think about it.
Speaker 1:What new activities can you try?
Speaker 2:What new challenges?
Speaker 1:What new skills can you pick up?
Speaker 2:Step outside your comfort zone.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because it's not just about the skill itself.
Speaker 2:It's about what it does for you. It's about developing that dexterity, that adaptability.
Speaker 1:Yeah, those motor wits, those motor wits, that's what allows us to thrive, you know, in life.
Speaker 2:In any situation.
Speaker 1:So get out there, challenge yourselves and see what you can do.
Speaker 2:See what you're capable of.
Speaker 1:Thanks for joining us for this deep dive.
Speaker 2:Until next time.
Speaker 1:See you next time.