To change the instructions in a computer or electronic device, or to teach someone new behaviors or ways of thinking.
From 're-' (again) + 'program' (from Greek 'pro-' before + 'graphia' writing). The computer meaning is modern (1960s), but the psychological meaning extended the metaphor of human minds working like programmable machines.
Neuroscience shows our brains are actually 'programmable'—neuroplasticity means we can genuinely rewire our neural pathways through repetition, making the metaphor of reprogramming minds literally based in biology!
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