“I can’t” and “I don’t want to” exist on a continuum in the brain—motivation isn’t an on/off switch. Motivation and motor control are part of a single unified process driven by the neurotransmitter dopamine. Examining how dopamine works provides an opportunity to question our assumptions about reward, anticipation, and self-control.

In week five, we talk about basal ganglia and dopamine. We discuss task initiation and multi-step directions, reframing procrastination and persistent demand avoidance (or passionate drive for autonomy). We read Prerna Tolani and Sathyaraj Venkatesan’s “The Time We See: ADHD, Neuroqueer Temporality, and Graphic Medicine” and watch Bluey, season 2, episode 16 “Army”.