PsycHacks Episode 550: Ask her out (the two bridges)
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Sep 5, 2025 Discover how tackling difficult challenges can help overcome approach anxiety in romantic situations. Using Samwise Gamgee's journey as a metaphor, the conversation dives into how courage grows in adversity. The fascinating 'two bridges' study reveals how risk can spark emotional attraction. Listeners are urged to face their fears, transforming nerve-wracking interactions into opportunities for personal growth and deeper connections.
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Sam’s Transformation From Shy To Bold
- Samwise Gamgee begins shyly staring at Rosie and never speaks to her at first.
- After surviving immense hardships, Sam returns confident and asks Rosie out, later marrying her with 13 children.
Courage Grows Through Harder Challenges
- Overcoming approach anxiety comes from doing harder things that build courage.
- If talking to a woman is your scariest task, your daily challenges are too easy and stunt your growth.
The Two Bridges Experiment
- Researchers placed an attractive woman on two different bridges to test men's responses.
- Men on the rickety bridge acted far more sexually and were over four times more likely to follow up than men on the stable bridge.
