What Was My New Internship in Neuromarketing Like?

This week, I started an internship at a neuromarketing startup in Warsaw. While I can’t share details due to confidentiality, I can say it’s incredibly fascinating. According to Ariely and Berns (2010), neuroimaging may reveal consumer preferences that conventional marketing methods miss.

The company is full of energetic, ambitious people. And even though the workload is heavy, I have no regrets so far.

A couple of days ago, I had a minor crisis when I felt frustrated about working unpaid while others who breezed through college landed top PhD positions and high-paying jobs. After investing so many years in self-improvement, it’s hard not to question its worth when you see others surpassing you with less effort.

But I realized that people like me often hit their stride around age 30, before which it’s mostly about hard work and persistence. According to Jones and Weinberg (2011), the age of peak creative and professional achievement has shifted later over time. It now often falls in the early-to-mid thirties across scientific and creative fields.

Then I understood that while many people stick to the status quo, those who take risks and embrace challenges often find long-term success. This insight brought me new motivation and a bit of humor.

I also came to appreciate how challenging it is to secure such an internship and its prestigious nature. According to Holford (2021), unpaid graduate internships tend to go to candidates with the strongest academic records. That helps explain why such placements can be so hard to land.

Even finding this company felt like a stroke of luck.

If I had known how tough it would be, I might have hesitated to start this journey. But then again, I didn’t.

What Do I Remember from Primary School?

Thinking back to late elementary school, I remember being very ambitious, participating in every school contest, including sports events, despite my constant book reading. My lack of fitness made cross-country running tough, but my ambition pushed me to keep going. Despite my lack of preparation, I always managed to place well, earning a reputation in my large school.

After finishing school, my form teacher shared an evaluation from my first-grade teacher. The comments described me as sluggish, passive, and “severely motor handicapped.” Yet, I was blissfully unaware of any limitations during those competitions.

What Does Polish Law Have to Say About It?

Now, a bit about Poland and its people. I’m not sure how long I’ll stay here.

But I feel a pull towards something else, as if a new adventure is calling me. Today, I’ll start discussing Polish law and possible improvements.

I’ve also written a note on Polish humor, available under ‘what can be interesting is…’. I want to highlight what’s exceptional in Poland, even though sometimes I long for a place where intelligent women are appreciated, which isn’t always the case here.

What Quirks Did I Notice in Polish Courts?

On to the law—over the past year, while working on my math master’s, I noticed some quirks. TVN’s courtroom dramas, though not always peaceful, revealed some surprising trends. I saw various issues that concerned me.

First, it seems women often receive lighter sentences than men for similar crimes, sometimes due to having young children. A mother might get a reduced sentence for a serious crime, while a father could face imprisonment. According to Starr (2015), men receive markedly longer sentences than women for comparable offenses.

Ideally, the law should treat everyone equally. But in Polish courts, especially if the judge is a woman, motherhood has a big impact.

Second, the logic behind suspended sentences is puzzling. Courts often suspend sentences for 2 or 5 years. After that period, everything returns to square one, as if nothing happened.

This is not a real punishment, since the court can only reissue the suspended sentence after a repeat crime. It looks like a loophole that permits repeated offenses without real consequences.

Third, Polish courts seem to focus on the effects of a crime rather than its causes—a major oversight. For example, if person A reacts violently towards person C because person B cheated with person C, the courts blame person A, even though person B started the situation. Marital infidelity isn’t even addressed, and resulting crimes like assaults aren’t dealt with properly.

The same applies to juvenile offenders. While a probation officer may recommend actions, parents are usually held responsible for their child’s behavior.

How Does This Compare Internationally?

This issue extends beyond Polish law and touches on international standards. I recently watched a documentary about flight attendants and was shocked by how lenient alcohol consumption is on flights. Passengers can board drunk and drink wine during the flight.

At 12,000 meters, alcohol affects you three times more than on the ground. A 175ml bottle of wine at high altitude is equivalent to over half a liter on land. Drinking a few beers and some in-flight wine can lead to intoxication, posing risks, especially to the drunk passengers themselves.