I realize you're joking, but from what I understand is that you would be motivated to avoid waterboarding, not to learn math, and your retention and knowledge would suffer (beyond doing exactly what is necessary to avoid punishment). When people abuse kids [EDIT: as punishment/motivation], what they learn is how to avoid the abuse, by hook or crook.

I don't really know how intrinsic motivation could be controlled in the same fashion. A motivated and euphoric teacher maybe can achieve the same in the other direction, but I guess there will always be a certain kind of predisposition and "talent" to be motivated for a specific field.

Would love to know how I can design those predispositions to change my own behavior. I guess behavioral therapy could work, but that's hellofa lot effort to learn some math.

I would imagine having the tools to shape your own behavior would pay divedends well beyond "learning some math".

‘thinking fast and slow ‘ talks about this

Yes, I've read this book and liked it, although it has a big mistake: Many cited studies can't be replicated. Kahneman even apologized because of that [1].

It's a bummer, but I still believe in many of the listed cognitive biases.

[1]: https://retractionwatch.com/2017/02/20/placed-much-faith-und...