Stanford neuroscientist Dr. David Eagleman reveals how your brain operates as competing neural networks that trick you in different ways—and why understanding brain plasticity is essential for changing who you become. You're not one person making rational decisions; you're a team of rivals constantly battling for control, but this knowledge offers a practical blueprint for rewiring your brain through challenge, effort, and strategic friction. Your brain is composed of competing neural networks with different drives; understanding this 'team of rivals' model explains why you experience internal conflict and allows you to design systems (Ulysses contracts) that lock future behavior into alignment with your goals.