The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

World Expert on Fatherhood & Love: The Truth About Monogamy, Breakups & The Science of Love! Dr. Anna Machin

1127 snips
Jul 3, 2025
Dr. Anna Machin, an evolutionary anthropologist and relationship scientist, dives deep into the intriguing world of love and fatherhood. She unveils the shocking truth about monogamy and how cheating triggers the brain's reward system like an addiction. Discussing the emotional crisis among modern men, she explores the hormonal reasons behind falling for the wrong person repeatedly. Dr. Machin also emphasizes the critical role of fathers in child development and how oxytocin and dopamine dictate our trust and affection.
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First Date Hormone Hacks

  • Choose activities on a first date that boost dopamine, oxytocin, and beta-endorphin, like couple dancing.
  • Follow with a spicy meal or comedy to release bonding hormones and increase attraction.
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Dating Apps Undermine Natural Filtering

  • Dating apps offer a low-investment way to meet people but diminish the brain's natural filtering process.
  • This leads to many dates without forming lasting connections due to too many options and lack of sensory input.
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Monogamy as Social Construct

  • Humans are not biologically monogamous; social monogamy is a construct for societal control.
  • Infidelity is common because sexual monogamy limits genetic diversity and evolutionary success.
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