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Brain surgeon now operates on friends after coach challenged his conventional wisdom

Lewis Howes School of Greatness · Neurosurgeon: Change How Your Brain Works in 30 Days | Dr. Mark McLaughlin · July 13, 2026
Brain surgeon now operates on friends after coach challenged his conventional wisdom
Lewis Howes School of Greatness
Lewis Howes School of Greatness
Neurosurgeon: Change How Your Brain Works in 30 Days | Dr. Mark McLaughlin
"I started operating on my friends. Never operate on your friends because what if something goes wrong? My coach helped me. He said, wait a minute, you love this person? They're your friend? And this is an operation that you can do better than anybody else or as good as anybody else? He said, then why aren't you? You're morally obligated to operate on them. I've probably operated on about 10 or 15 friends."
Dr. McLaughlin was taught by his surgeon grandfather and uncles never to operate on friends due to the emotional risk. Years later, his performance coach reframed this, arguing he was morally obligated to operate on friends because he cared most about their outcomes. He has since performed 10-15 surgeries on friends with good results.
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Lewis Howes School of Greatness
Lewis Howes School of Greatness

Neurosurgeon: Change How Your Brain Works in 30 Days | Dr. Mark McLaughlin

August 3, 2026 · 1h 20m · 5 Egleze moments
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