10% Happier with Dan Harris

The Science Of Getting Out Of Your Head | Annie Murphy Paul

May 13, 2024

Annie Murphy Paul, an acclaimed science writer known for her insightful work in the New York Times and as the author of "The Extended Mind," discusses innovative ideas about thinking. She explores how our minds extend beyond our brains, highlighting the importance of our bodies, environments, and social interactions in enhancing cognitive ability. Paul shares practical techniques to harness these external resources, emphasizing the power of nature, movement, and collective intelligence in boosting creativity and decision-making. Get ready to rethink how you think!

57:23

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Episode guests

Annie Murphy Paul

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Quick takeaways

Body awareness improves decision-making and cognitive processes.

Incorporating movement boosts problem-solving and creativity.

Gestures enhance communication and stimulate creative problem-solving.

Deep dives

Thinking with the Body: Tapping into Internal Signals for Improved Decision-Making

Our bodies are vital for enhancing thinking; introception, the ability to tune into internal signals, offers valuable information. The practice of body scans enhances introceptive awareness, aiding in better decision-making by leveraging the body's feedback. By paying attention to internal sensations and processes, individuals gain access to subtle cues for improved cognitive processes.

The Power of Synchronized Movement

00:52

Benefit of Spending Time Outdoors

01:23

The Connection Between Body Movement and Creative Thinking

03:07

Understanding Body Signals for Decision-making

01:31

Intro

4min

Exploring the Boundaries of the Mind Beyond the Skull

4min

Thinking Beyond the Brain

18min

The Power of Gesture in Communication

5min

Harnessing the Power of Our Environments for Better Thinking

5min

Nature, Space, and Collaborative Thinking

14min

The Power of Collective Thinking

6min

Beyond Individual Thinking: Embracing Collective Intelligence

6min

Exploring the Boundaries of Thought and Further Recommendations

4min

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An acclaimed science writer on how to upgrade your mind by using more than your head.

When you think about thinking, most of us think of it as a supremely solo pursuit. You’re in your head, concentrating and cogitating, all by yourself. But the science shows that if you want to improve your thinking, you need to get out of your head. Today we’re going to talk about a concept called “the extended mind.” Your mind isn’t just in your skull: it’s in your body, it’s in the people around you, it’s in your surroundings. The best thinking requires that you break out of what the writer David Foster Wallace called “the skull sized kingdom” and access these other resources.

This may sound abstract, but our guest today makes it very practical. Annie Murphy Paul is an acclaimed science writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, Scientific American, Slate, Time, and The Best American Science Writing, among many other publications. She is the author of Origins and The Cult of Personality, hailed by Malcolm Gladwell as a “fascinating new book.” Currently a fellow at New America, Paul has spoken to audiences around the world about learning and cognition; her TED talk has been viewed by more than 2.6 million people. A graduate of Yale University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, she has served as a lecturer at Yale University and as a senior advisor at their Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. Her latest book is The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain

In this episode, we also talk about:

How to use your surroundings to think better
My favorite of the three areas of this book – thinking with our relationships
Why “groupthink” isn’t always a bad thing (OR you can say, the benefits of thinking in groups)
What she called “extension inequality” – that this benefit of the extended mind isn’t available to all people

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/anniemurphypaul

Additional Resources:

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10% Happier with Dan Harris

The Science Of Getting Out Of Your Head | Annie Murphy Paul

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Thinking with the Body: Tapping into Internal Signals for Improved Decision-Making

Thinking with Movement: Engaging Physical Activity to Boost Mental Fluidity

Thinking with Gesture: Leveraging Body Language for Enhanced Communication and Comprehension

Thinking with Surroundings: Enriching Cognitive Processes Through Environmental Stimuli

Thinking Outside the Brain: Utilizing Surroundings for Enhanced Thinking

Embracing Group Minds: Leveraging Collective Intelligence for Problem-Solving

The Power of Synchronized Movement

Benefit of Spending Time Outdoors

The Connection Between Body Movement and Creative Thinking

Understanding Body Signals for Decision-making

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts