Hidden Brain

I. Me. My. You. He. She. They. It. To. Of. For. These are all words we use without a second thought. But psychologist James Pennebaker says if we pay close attention to the patterns in speech and writing, we can understand profound things about others, and even ourselves. For more on the relationship between language and our minds, check out this classic Hidden Brain episode: https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/watch-your-mouth/

It can sometimes be exciting when we don't know what's coming next. Other times, the unknown can be deeply troubling. This week, we talk with researcher Dannagal Goldthwaite Young about how we respond to uncertainty, and why this psychological trait plays a surprisingly large role in shaping our behavior, perspectives — even our political beliefs. If you'd like to learn more about the intersection between psychology and our political views, check out these other Hidden Brain episodes: Moral Combat US 2.0: Not at the Dinner Table US 2.0: What We Have in Common

Money worries are one of the biggest sources of anxiety in our lives. Psychologist Brad Klontz says these worries are shaped by more than the number in our bank accounts — they’re often driven by our unconscious beliefs. This week, we bring you a favorite 2022 conversation with Klontz, who says it’s possible to identify and change what he calls our “money scripts.” For more of our work, please consider joining our podcast subscription, Hidden Brain+. It's our home for conversations and ideas you won't hear anywhere else. Plus, you'll be providing vital support for the work that we do. If you listen on Apple Podcasts, you can find us at apple.co/hiddenbrain. If you use other podcast platforms or devices, you can sign up at support.hiddenbrain.org. Thanks for your support!

Every morning, you wake up and face the world. What does it look like to you? Do you see a paradise of endless opportunities, where people are friendly and helpful? Or a world filled with injustice, where people cannot be trusted? In the final installment of this year's You 2.0 series, we talk with psychologist Jamil Zaki about how we become disillusioned and distrustful of the world, and how to balance realism with hope. Did you miss any of the other episodes in the You 2.0 series? Make sure to give them a listen here or on our website: You 2.0: The Gift of Other PeopleYou 2.0: Taking Control of Your Time You 2.0: How To Say NoYou 2.0: Remember More, Forget LessAnd if you like today's conversation with Jamil Zaki, be sure to check out our earlier conversation with him, "The Empathy Gym."

It happens to the best of us — we blank on someone's name, or forget an important meeting, or bomb a test we thought we'd ace. In this week's installment of our You 2.0 series, we talk to cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham about the mysteries of memory: how it works, why it fails us, and how to build memories that stick. For more of our You 2.0 series, listen to our episode on how to say no.

Saying no to someone who asks for something is often easier said than done. Maybe it's a boss who wants you to take on a new assignment. Or your kid's teacher, seeking volunteers for a field trip. Or a friend who asks you to lend her money. How should we respond to these demands on our time, energy, and resources? This week, psychologist Vanessa Patrick explores why it's so hard to say no, and how we can set boundaries that will make it easier to do so. If you haven't yet caught the first two episodes in this year's You 2.0 series, you can find them in this podcast feed, or on our website: You 2.0: The Gift of Other People You 2.0: Taking Control of Your Time Thanks for listening!

Many of us feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. We struggle to make time for all the competing demands at work and at home, and inevitably feel like we're letting someone down. But what if there were a way to reclaim our time and, as a result, get more joy out of our lives? In the second episode of this year's You 2.0 series, psychologist Cassie Mogilner Holmes explains how we've fallen victim to the illusion of time scarcity, and what we can do to spend our time more wisely. If you enjoy today's episode, check out last week's kick-off to our series, "You 2.0: The Gift of Other People."

Are you someone who strikes up a conversation with the person next to you on the train? Or do you keep your eyes fixed on your phone? Do you offer gratitude to friends and family? Or do you assume that they already know how you feel? This week, in the kickoff to our annual You 2.0 series, we talk with psychologist Nicholas Epley about our interactions with other people, and how we can make them more rewarding. If you enjoy today's episode, check out these classic Hidden Brain episodes: A Secret Source of Connection How Others See You Relationships 2.0: An Antidote to Loneliness

Whether in your personal life or at work, you've probably experienced what it’s like to have people reject your requests. To be told that what you want is unfair, or heavy-handed. And you've likely been in the opposite position as well — pushing back against requests that step on your freedom. This week, we talk to psychologist Benjamin Rosenberg about how we respond to infringements on our sense of autonomy, and how we can avoid sparking this resistance in our interactions with other people. If you know someone who would like today's episode, please share it with them! And if you enjoy our show, please consider trying a free seven-day trial of our podcast subscription, Hidden Brain+. If you use an iPhone, you can sign up at apple.co/hiddenbrain. If you use an Android device, you can find Hidden Brain+ at support.hiddenbrain.org. Thanks for listening!

When we meet new people, we’re often drawn to those with a commanding presence or a dazzling personality. But it turns out that a very different trait — humility — is important in the long term. This week, in the first of a two-part discussion, we talk with psychologist Daryl Van Tongeren about different kinds of humility, and how this overlooked quality can play a powerful role in workplace dynamics and romantic relationships. If you like today's episode, be sure to check out part two of our conversation, exclusively for Hidden Brain+ listeners. We talk with Daryl Van Tongeren about existential humility — being open to the idea we might be wrong about life's biggest unknowns. It's the episode called "Asking the Big Questions." To listen to Hidden Brain+ with a free seven-day trial, go to apple.co/hiddenbrain or support.hiddenbrain.org.

When we think about misinformation, we often focus on blatant errors or deliberate attempts to deceive us. But in recent years, social scientists have found that misinformation comes in many flavors — many of which are far more subtle than obvious falsehoods. These forms of misinformation prey on our mental blindspots, and take advantage of our passions and loyalties. This week, economist Alex Edmans explores the many insidious forms of misinformation, and how we can all get better at separating fact from fiction. For more of our work, please consider joining our podcast subscription. Hidden Brain+ is where you’ll find exclusive interviews and deeper dives into the ideas we explore on the show. You can try Hidden Brain+ with a free seven-day trial at apple.co/hiddenbrain. Or if you’re an Android user, sign up at support.hiddenbrain.org.

We're always told to reach for that next ring, work that third job, go to that boisterous party after a long day at work. You only live once ... right? But psychologist Netta Weinstein says that when we constantly engage in achievement and distraction, we lose something essential about ourselves. This week, she makes a case for solitude, and examines what happens when we seek a quieter, more reflective interior life. If you like today's episode, check out our two-part series on mindfulness: Seeking Serenity: Part 1 Seeking Serenity: Part 2

As we move through the world, it's easy to imagine we're processing everything that happens around us and then deciding how to respond. But psychologist and neuroscientist Norman Farb says our brains actually navigate the world by coming up with mental maps. These maps act like an autopilot system, allowing us to navigate our lives more efficiently. But sometimes, they can lead us astray, leaving us stuck on a path of negativity and unhappiness. This week, we talk with Norman Farb about how we can update our internal maps and see the world more clearly. If you like this episode, be sure to check out part two of our chat with Norman Farb for Hidden Brain+. That episode is called "Making Sense." You can try Hidden Brain+ for free with a seven-day trial by going to support.hiddenbrain.org or apple.co/hiddenbrain.

Cognitive scientist Nafees Hamid studies the minds of people drawn to radical or fringe ideas. This week, he takes us on a deep dive into the motivations of people on the brink of extremism — and those who have already been radicalized. We examine what prompts people to turn to violence, and how to pull them back from the seductive appeal of extremist ideas. Interested in learning more about the themes and ideas we discussed today? Check out these classic Hidden Brain episodes: Romeo and Juliet in Kigali Moral Combat Our podcast subscription, Hidden Brain+, is now available across devices and podcast platforms. You can join on either Apple Podcasts or via our Patreon page. Thanks for your support of the show — we truly appreciate it!

You know that negative voice that goes round and round in your head, keeping you up at night? When that negative inner voice gets switched on, it’s hard to think about anything else. Psychologist Ethan Kross has a name for it: chatter. In this favorite conversation from 2022, we talk with Ethan about how to keep our negative emotions from morphing into chatter. Our podcast subscription, Hidden Brain+, is now available across devices and podcast platforms. You can join on either Apple Podcasts or via our Patreon page. Thanks for your support of the show — we truly appreciate it!

Across every domain of our lives, our minds have a tendency to get accustomed to things. In fact, the brain seems evolutionarily designed to focus on the new and unexpected, on novel threats and opportunities. In our daily lives, this means we take wonderful things for granted. We cease to appreciate amazing people, or the good fortune of being healthy. This week, neuroscientist Tali Sharot explains why we get used to things — and how to see with fresh eyes. Our podcast subscription, Hidden Brain+, is now available across platforms and devices. You can sign up for a free seven-day trial at support.hiddenbrain.org or apple.co/hiddenbrain. Your subscription provides key support to help us build you many more episodes of Hidden Brain. We’re truly grateful.

Some think of religious faith as just that: a leap of faith. But psychologists are increasingly filling in the gaps in our understanding of how beliefs shape — and are shaped by — the human mind. This week, psychologist Ara Norenzayan explores features in the brain that are tied to our capacity for faith. And he shows how all of us, both religious and non-religious people, can use this knowledge to find more meaning in our lives. For more of our reporting on religion and the mind, be sure to check out our episode "Creating God."

Have you ever had an unexplainable feeling of emptiness? Life seems perfect - and yet - something is missing. This week, sociologist Corey Keyes helps us understand where feelings of emptiness come from, how to navigate them and why they're more common than we might assume. If you missed it, make sure to listen to last week's episode on Why Trying Too Hard Can Backfire On You. Thanks for listening!

Thinking is a human superpower. On a daily basis, thinking and planning and effort bring us innumerable benefits. But like all aspects of human behavior, you can sometimes get too much of a good thing. This week, we talk with philosopher Ted Slingerland about techniques to prevent overthinking, and how we can cultivate the under-appreciated skill of letting go. To hear more of our conversation with Ted Slingerland, be sure to check out our Hidden Brain+ episode with him, available now. You can join Hidden Brain+ via Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!

The human drive to invent new things has led to pathbreaking achievements in medicine, science and society. But our desire to create can keep us from seeing one of the most powerful paths to progress: subtraction. In a favorite conversation from 2022, engineer Leidy Klotz shares how streamlining and simplifying is sometimes the best path to innovation. Today's episode concludes our Innovation 2.0 series. If you've enjoyed these episodes, please tell a friend about them! They can find all of the stories in this series in this podcast feed, or at https://hiddenbrain.org/. Thanks for listening!