Rick Hanson, a clinical psychologist and New York Times best-selling author, dives deep into the brain's remarkable plasticity. He explains how our neural connections adapt in response to experiences and the challenges we face in changing entrenched beliefs. The conversation highlights the effects of trauma and stress on mindset, the vital role of social influences in shaping our values, and the importance of emotional well-being in fostering openness to change. Listeners will discover how compassion and small individual actions can also drive meaningful personal and societal growth.
55:38
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Identity Roots Resist Change
Our minds often resist change because beliefs tie deeply into identity and emotion.
Changing views on complex issues often involves shifting these deep-rooted identity layers.
insights INSIGHT
Growth Model Limits Learning
The traditional passive growth model treats people as vessels for knowledge with limited learning success.
Active engagement with deliberate internalization greatly improves lasting change.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Use Mindfulness To Ease Rigidity
Cultivate mindfulness and self-awareness to notice when emotions like anger hijack your thinking.
Approach difficult mind-change conversations from a calm, centered state for openness.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence
Rick Hanson
In 'Hardwiring Happiness,' Dr. Rick Hanson explains how the brain's ancient survival mechanism makes it more adept at learning from negative experiences than positive ones. He introduces a simple method using everyday experiences to build new neural structures filled with happiness, love, confidence, and peace. Dr. Hanson's four-step HEAL method (Have, Enrich, Absorb, Link) helps readers to counterbalance the brain's negativity bias, making contentment and resilience the new normal. This approach involves focusing on positive experiences, absorbing their good feelings, and linking them to other positive experiences to override negative ones, thereby transforming the brain into a refuge of calm and happiness[1][3][5].
Dune
Frank Herbert
Dune, written by Frank Herbert, is set in a feudal interstellar society where noble houses control planetary fiefs. The story follows Paul Atreides, whose family is tasked with ruling the inhospitable desert planet Arrakis, the sole source of melange, a substance crucial for extending life and enhancing mental abilities. The novel delves into the intricate politics, religion, ecology, and technology of this futuristic world, as various factions vie for control of Arrakis and its valuable spice. Paul, with his unique abilities and training by the Bene Gesserit, becomes a key figure in this struggle and eventually assumes the role of a messianic leader among the native Fremen people[2][5][4].
Neurodharma
Rick Hanson
Clinical psychologist and New York Times best-selling author Rick Hanson joins us to discuss how remarkably plastic our brains are, despite how fixed they often feel. We discuss what's doing on mechanistically when people change their minds, and what we can learn from this about how to be more open to change as individuals.
Want more Rick?
Listen to Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson on Apple and Spotify
Check out his books like Hardwiring Happiness and Neurodharma
About the hosts:
Thom and Aidan left boring, stable careers in law and tech to found FarmKind, a donation platform that helps people be a part of the solution to factory farming — regardless of their diet. While the podcast isn’t about animal welfare, it’s inspired by their daily experience grappling with a fundamental question: Why do people so rarely change their minds, even when confronted with compelling evidence? This curiosity drives their exploration of intellectual humility and the complex factors that enable (or prevent) meaningful belief change.
Thoughts? Feedback? Guest recommendations? Email us at hello@changedmymindpod.com
Changed My Mind 
