○Synapses

     To utilize intuition, physical skills are often required. The human brain and body are filled with many nerve cells, and weak electrical signals flowing through them allow instructions from the brain to reach muscles. Synapses are structures connecting nerves, and the frequently used parts become thicker, while the less-used ones become thinner and eventually disconnect. As synapses connecting nerves thicken, electrical signals from the brain flow more smoothly, allowing for quicker answers in study and smoother, faster movements in sports.

    The way to thicken these synapses is through repetitive practice. Repetitive practice involves performing a learned task repeatedly. It can be painful to practice something uninteresting, but practice becomes relatively enjoyable when it involves something of interest.

    In the medium to long term, repeating practices creates a pathway from the brain to nerves, synapses, and muscles, allowing one to remember learned techniques without practicing for a week or a month. This is called long-term memory. The more synapses there are, the more accurately and quickly electrical signals can be sent from the brain to the muscles. Advanced performers who showcase complex and sophisticated techniques have reached long-term memory through years of repetitive practice, resulting in numerous thick synapses. The only way to improve is through repetitive practice, and there are no shortcuts for engaging in something of interest in the long term.

    Once you understand these concepts, you can see that there is a lot of waste in everyday life. For example, annual tuition fees for language schools range from approximately $1,760 to $8,800 (converted from 200,000 yen and 1,000,000 yen, respectively), and it may seem that paying $8,800 instead of $1,760 provides better education and faster progress. While there is some truth to that, there is no other way to become fluent in a foreign language than to speak it yourself. Paying $8,800 may provide a sense of security with good teachers, but it doesn't make you five times faster at speaking than paying $1,760. The only way is to engage in conversation, thicken and multiply synapses, and repeat until words come out naturally without mental translation. In other words, it all comes down to one's motivation to learn and repetition. It's important to focus and engage daily while curiosity persists, reaching long-term memory. Growth is proportional to the number of repetitions. Individual differences in talent, personality, physical abilities, and environment will affect the areas of improvement and the time it takes to progress.