“The Neurons That Fire Together, Wire Together” Finally Made Sense to Me.

🧠 I finally found an analogy that helped me understand what neurons actually do.

When I first came across statements like:

"The neurons that fire together, wire together."

"Learning strengthens the connections between neurons."

...I understood the words.

I didn't really understand the idea.

So while studying Clark Quinn's Learning Science, I tried translating it into a world I already understood.

An office.

Instead of thinking of neurons as tiny biological cells, I imagined them as employees inside a company.

Some employees are actively working.

Others are inactive until they're needed.

Similarly, when we think, we're activating networks of neurons to "go to work."

The more those same neurons work together...

The stronger their connection becomes.

That's what helped the phrase finally click for me:

"The neurons that fire together, wire together."

Of course, every analogy has its limits.

Neurons aren't literally employees.

But as instructional designers, one of our jobs is turning complex ideas into familiar ones.

So I challenged myself to create a short animation that explains this mental model in plain language.

I'd love to know:

Did this analogy make the concept easier to understand?

I'm always looking to improve how I explain learning science.

🎥👇

Day 26 of Instructional Design

Where this comes from

Learning Science by Clark Quinn — If you design learning, teach, or train people, you need to understand what is actually happening when someone learns. Learning happens at the neural level, but we design for it at the cognitive level. There’s a lot more in Clark Quinn’s book that I can’t share because of **intellectual property**. Get the book and experience the learning yourself. 📚You Would Love It!
To Learn More Join the "Learning Development Accelerator" — Click the link to join the Amazing Learning Development Accelerator Group Where practice meets evidence