The Tug of War Within: Kegan & Lahey’s “Immunity to Change” and the Dopamine–Serotonin Opponent Model

Introduction: The Inner Tug-of-War

Why do we set ambitious goals, only to sabotage them with old habits? Why do teams and organizations champion change while reinforcing the very behaviors that keep them stuck?

It’s not just a failure of willpower. It’s something deeper—an internal conflict, a silent battle between competing forces within us.

Dr. Robert Kegan and Dr. Lisa Lahey’s Immunity to Change framework offers one explanation: hidden commitments act as an unseen “immune system,” actively resisting transformation to protect us from perceived threats. Their research shows that we don’t just struggle to change; we have an internal defense mechanism working against change, guarding us from potential risks—real or imagined.

Meanwhile, neuroscience tells a parallel story. Researchers Nathaniel Daw, Sham Kakade, and Peter Dayan describe a dynamic tension between two key neuromodulators: dopamine (which fuels motivation and action) and serotonin (which promotes caution and stability). This opponent interaction serves as the brain’s built-in risk-reward system—a biological version of Kegan and Lahey’s competing commitments.

Put simply, dopamine is the gas pedal, urging us forward, while serotonin is the brake, keeping us from reckless action.

These two perspectives—one from developmental psychology, the other from computational neuroscience—may be looking at different levels of human experience, but they describe a strikingly similar process. If we can understand how both mind and brain resist change, we can find better strategies to override these internal roadblocks and achieve meaningful transformation.

Part I: Kegan & Lahey’s “Immunity to Change” – The Psychological Brake System

1. Why We Resist Change

Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey’s work in constructive-developmental psychology suggests that as adults, we don’t just learn—we evolve. Our ways of making sense of the world (what they call “orders of mind”) grow in complexity over time. But growth isn’t automatic. At every stage, we construct hidden mental models that define our reality—and sometimes those models work against us.

The core insight of Immunity to Change is that resistance to transformation isn’t about weakness or laziness. It’s about self-protection. Just as our biological immune system fights off foreign invaders, our psychological immune system fights off perceived threats to our identity and stability.

2. The Gas Pedal vs. the Hidden Brake

At the heart of this framework is a paradox:

• The Gas Pedal → Our stated goal, the change we claim we want.Example: “I want to give more constructive feedback to my team.”

• The Hidden Brake → A competing, unconscious commitment that opposes the goal.Example: “I don’t want to be seen as arrogant or lose my team’s trust.”

If the hidden brake remains unexamined, we stay stuck. No matter how much effort we apply, it feels like spinning our wheels.

3. The Role of Big Assumptions

Beneath every competing commitment lies a deeper Big Assumption—a belief that feels like reality but is actually an untested hypothesis.

For example, if someone struggles to delegate, their Big Assumption might be:"If I let go of control, things will fall apart, and I will be seen as incompetent."

These assumptions operate automatically—until we make them visible and actively test them.

4. Overriding the Brake

Kegan and Lahey’s process for transformation is a structured experiment:

1. Identify the goal (your stated commitment).

2. Surface the behaviors that undermine the goal.

3. Reveal the hidden competing commitment.

4. Identify the Big Assumption behind it.

5. Test the assumption with small, low-risk experiments.

By deliberately exposing and questioning our hidden beliefs, we start to break their hold. This, in turn, allows us to release the brake—to move forward without internal resistance.

Part II: The Dopamine–Serotonin Opponent Model – The Biological Tug-of-War

1. The Two Forces Driving Behavior

Neuroscience provides a compelling parallel: our behavior is shaped by a constant interplay between two neuromodulators:

• Dopamine (Gas Pedal): Fuels motivation, reward-seeking, and forward motion.

• Serotonin (Brake Pedal): Regulates caution, patience, and avoidance of potential harm.

Dopamine pulls us toward new opportunities. Serotonin holds us back, making sure we don’t move too fast or take excessive risks.

2. Daw, Kakade, & Dayan’s Model

Their research suggests that these two systems compete—not just in a simple on/off way, but dynamically, adjusting our behavior in real-time.

• Dopamine: Encodes “positive prediction errors”—when we get more reward than expected, it reinforces the behavior.

• Serotonin: May encode “negative prediction errors,” signaling when things might go wrong, encouraging caution.

This isn’t just about pleasure and pain—it’s about learning. Our brain constantly updates expectations, balancing approach and avoidance based on past experiences.

3. Beyond Simple Reward and Punishment

Dopamine and serotonin don’t just push or pull in isolation. They influence long-term behavior patterns—dopamine’s tonic levels keep us engaged in the world, while serotonin’s steady presence prevents reckless action. In other words, this isn’t just gas and brakes—it’s an adaptive cruise control system that adjusts based on terrain.

Part III: Bridging the Gap – How the Two Frameworks Align

1. The Dopamine–Serotonin Model as a Neurobiological “Immunity to Change”

Kegan and Lahey describe psychological competing commitments that hold us back. Daw et al.’s model describes neurochemical processes that regulate approach and avoidance. These perspectives align:

• Kegan & Lahey: We say we want change, but an unconscious commitment stops us.

• Daw et al.: Dopamine says “go,” but serotonin signals caution.

At a neurological level, “competing commitments” may be the brain’s risk-reward system in action—a biological balancing act between motivation and fear.

2. Testing Big Assumptions as Dopamine Reinforcement

When Kegan & Lahey suggest testing Big Assumptions through small experiments, they are, in effect, retraining the brain’s dopamine-serotonin balance.

• Step forward → dopamine fires (if successful, the system updates to encourage more of this behavior).

• Perceived failure → serotonin signals caution, reinforcing avoidance unless challenged.

By designing small, safe experiments, we generate positive prediction errors, overriding old avoidance patterns and shifting the balance toward action.

Part IV: Practical Strategies for Personal & Organizational Change

How do we apply these insights?

1. Make the Hidden Brake Visible – Identify the competing commitment and the Big Assumption holding you back.

2. Design Safe Experiments – Start small. Challenge assumptions with low-risk actions to generate positive reinforcement.

3. Use Rewards to Activate Dopamine – Celebrate small wins to reinforce new behaviors.

4. Reduce Perceived Threats – Create psychological safety to dial down serotonin-driven avoidance.

5. Apply It to Organizations – Recognize that team resistance to change is often a systemic “immune response.” Reduce risk perception while reinforcing progress.

Conclusion: A New Model for Change

The tension between growth and resistance isn’t just psychological—it’s neurological. Kegan and Lahey’s “Immunity to Change” and Daw et al.’s opponent model describe the same fundamental struggle from different angles.

Real change happens when we retrain both mind and brain—surfacing hidden commitments, testing new behaviors, and adjusting our internal chemistry through intentional action. By understanding and working with this inner tug-of-war, we can finally release the brake, accelerate forward, and create the transformation we seek.

So—what’s your hidden brake? And what’s the first safe experiment you can run today?

References

See Related YouTube Video https://youtu.be/TamRKvgnCZc

Opponent interactions between serotonin and dopamine

Nathaniel D. Dawa,*, Sham Kakadeb, Peter Dayanb

PII: S0893-6080(02)00052-7 Book: Immunity to Change Amazon.com : immunity to change

Site: Minds at Work

https://mindsatwork.com/