Hidden Brain

It’s understandable that we sometimes dwell on things that upset us. But our negative emotions can keep us from savoring the good things in our lives. This week, we continue our You 2.0 series with psychologist Fred Bryant . We’ll discuss the many benefits of savoring, and how we can turn even the smallest of moments into an opportunity for pleasure. Do you know someone who would enjoy our You 2.0...

Have you ever set a goal and had a really difficult time sticking to it? Maybe you decide you want to save more money, or go to the gym more often. This week on the show, psychologist Hal Hershfield explains why it can be difficult to set our "future selves" up for success. Plus, he shares tools to help us make commitments that will benefit us in the years to come.  Do you know someone who would e...

There are times in life when the challenges we face feel insurmountable. Authors succumb to writer's block. Athletes and artists hit a plateau. People of a certain age fall into a midlife crisis. These are all different ways of saying: I'm stuck.  This week, in the kickoff to our annual You 2.0 series, psychologist Adam Alter shares his research on why we all get stuck at various points in our liv...

Think about how often you hold back honest opinions of someone else because you don’t want to hurt their feelings. But there are times when this well-intended restraint can be a mistake. This week, in the second part of our series on failure and feedback, psychologist Taya Cohen helps us understand when — and how — to be honest.  If you missed the first part of our series — which focuses on how we...

No matter who you are, it's guaranteed that at some point in life you'll make a mistake. Many of us find failures to be uncomfortable — so we try our best to ignore them and move on. But what if there was a way to turn that discomfort into an opportunity? This week, we begin a two part mini-series on the psychology of failure and feedback. Psychologist Lauren Eskreis-Winkler teaches us how to stop...

This week, we bring you the second part of our conversation on the perils of too much pleasure. Psychiatrist Anna Lembke explains the neuroscience behind compulsive consumption, and how it alters our brains. She also shares techniques she’s learned from her patients to overcome the lure of addictive substances and behaviors. Do you like the ideas and insights we feature on Hidden Brain? Then pleas...

All of us think we know what addiction looks like: it’s the compulsive consumption of drugs, alcohol, or nicotine. But psychiatrist Anna Lembke argues that this definition is far too narrow — and that a broader understanding of addiction might help us to understand why so many people are anxious and depressed. This week, we begin a two-part series that explains how and why humans are wired to purs...

It's not easy to know how we come across to others, especially when we're meeting people for the first time. Psychologist Erica Boothby says many of us underestimate how much other people actually like us. This week, we revisit one of our most popular episodes to look at how certain social illusions give us a distorted picture of ourselves. Do you like the ideas and insights we feature on Hidden B...

Aging isn’t just a biological process. Our outlook and emotions also change as we age, often in ways that boost our well-being. Psychologist Laura Carstensen unpacks the science behind this surprising finding, and shares what all of us can learn from older people. Have you ever been torn about whether to pursue a passion project? In the latest episode of Hidden Brain+ , novelist and physician Abra...

Think about the last time you resisted watching yet another episode of your favorite TV show, or decided not to have a second piece of cake at a friend's birthday party. In many societies, self-discipline is seen as an invaluable trait. But we often overlook what makes it possible to hold back in those moments of temptation. This week, psychologist Celeste Kidd offers a new way to think about self...

Determination, hard work and sacrifice are core ingredients in the story of the American dream. But philosopher Jennifer Morton argues there is another, more painful requirement to getting ahead: a willingness to leave family and friends behind. This week, we revisit a favorite 2020 conversation about the ethical costs of upward mobility. Make sure to listen to our episodes about the science of me...

In the second part of our series on the science of meditation, Richard Davidson continues his endeavor to unite seemingly opposite ways of understanding the mind. Plus, he shares the latest research on mindfulness, and the unexpected ways it can benefit us. Missed the first episode in our series on meditation? You can find it here: Seeking Serenity: Part 1 . And if you like Hidden Brain and want m...

In graduate school, neuroscientist Richard Davidson learned to use scientific tools as a way to examine the brain. At the same time, he also started studying under master meditators — who deeply contemplated their internal and external lives. This week, two ways of understanding the mind. Make sure to listen to our Success 2.0 episodes: Taking the Leap , Getting What You Want , and Getting to the...

There are plenty of talented people in the world. So why do only a tiny percentage of us reach the highest peaks of achievement? This week, we conclude our "Success 2.0" series by talking with researcher Justin Berg about whether there's a secret recipe for finding — and sustaining — success.   Make sure to listen to the rest of our Success 2.0 episodes: Taking the Leap , Getting What You Want , T...

We all have times when we feel like a fraud. In the latest installment of our Success 2.0 series, we revisit a favorite 2021 conversation with psychologist Kevin Cokley . We'll explore the corrosive effects of self-doubt, and how we can turn that negative voice in our heads into an ally.   Be sure to check out the rest of our "Success 2.0" series, including last week's episode about how to remove...

Think about the last time you tried to bring up an idea at work, and it was shot down. What did you do? Most of us think the best way to win people over is to push harder. But organizational psychologist Loran Nordgren says a more effective approach is to focus on the invisible obstacles to new ideas. In this episode of our Success 2.0 series,  we revisit a favorite 2021 interview about overcoming...

Do you love the ideas we explore on Hidden Brain and want more of them? Then please join Hidden Brain+, our new podcast subscription. You’ll find new episodes not available anywhere else, plus the chance to have your questions answered by the researchers we feature on the show. Find Hidden Brain+ exclusively on the Apple Podcasts app beginning May 25. Thanks, and see you there! -Shankar  Hosted by...

We all rely on incentives to get people to do things they might otherwise avoid. Parents reward kids for doing their homework. Companies offer bonuses to their high-performing employees. Charities send gifts to their donors. In the second episode in our "Success 2.0" series, economist Uri Gneezy shares how incentives can help us to achieve our goals, if we know how to avoid their pitfalls.  Americ...

American culture celebrates those who persevere in the face of adversity. So how do we know when to walk away from something that's not working? Today, we kick off our new "Success 2.0" series with economist John List . He says in every domain of our lives, it's important to know when to pivot to something new.  Have you ever thought about helping a  family member or friend in need, but then held...

We all have moments in our lives when we see someone who could use a helping hand. It could be a friend who recently went through a breakup, an elderly person trying to load groceries into their car, or a stranger on the street who looks a little lost. We tell ourselves we should help, but then something stops us. This week, psychologist Amit Kumar helps us understand what keeps us from taking a m...

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.   Today on the show, 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.  It used to be that we tried our best to conceal disadvantages. But new research sheds a light on the s...

It used to be that we tried our best to conceal disadvantages, hardships, and humiliations. But new research explores a curious shift: some people are flaunting limitations that don't exist. This week, we talk to psychologists Karl Aquino and Jillian Jordan about the strange phenomenon of wanting to seem worse off than we really are. Think back to the last time you tried to win an argument. What c...

Why do some companies become household names, while others flame out? How do certain memes go viral? And why do some social movements take off and spread, while others fizzle? Today on the show, we revisit a favorite 2021 conversation with sociologist Damon Centola , who studies social contagion and how it can be harnessed to build a better world. Think back to the last time you tried to win an ar...

At every stage of life, there are moments when we need buy-in from other people. Yet most of us make a fundamental error when we try to persuade others to see things our way. This week, we talk with Niro Sivanathan of the London Business School about how to make a convincing argument. Then, we learn about what happens to our brains and bodies when we're the recipients of information. Bryan McLaugh...

When James and Donovan first met, they knew little about each other, except that Donovan had stolen James' bike. Donovan got caught, and spent a month in jail. It was a story with a happy ending, as far as James was concerned. But then he found out, nearly a decade later, what happened to Donovan after his conviction. This week on the show, we look at the unexpected aftermath of a crime, and what...