Stoa Conversations: Stoicism Applied

Randolph Nesse on Anxiety and Evolution (Episode 72)

Aug 25, 2023

Dr. Randolph Nesse, author of 'Good Reasons for Bad Feelings,' discusses anxiety from an evolutionary perspective. The podcast explores the evolutionary origins of anxiety, the role of commitment in social groups, imposter syndrome, mental health treatments, charisma, and human nature. Delve into the essential conversation on understanding negative emotions and insights of the Stoics.

48:18

Creator website

Episode guests

Randolph Nesse

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Anxiety serves as a motivational tool to steer individuals away from harm and towards better choices.

Social anxiety is influenced by the human preference for trustworthy and empathetic social partners, impacting relationships and success.

Deep dives

The role of anxiety and its evolutionary origins

Dr. Randolph Nessie discusses the evolutionary purpose of anxiety, highlighting its role in helping organisms avoid dangers and losses. He explains how anxiety, although often uncomfortable, motivates individuals to steer clear of harmful situations and make better choices in the future. He also explores the concept of the hair-trigger response in anxiety and the challenges it presents in modern society. Dr. Nessie emphasizes the importance of understanding anxiety and finding ways to cope effectively with it.

Introduction

2min

The Evolutionary Origins of Anxiety

19min

The Role of Commitment in Religious and Social Groups

8min

Exploring Imposter Syndrome and Self-Perception

4min

Navigating Between Objectivity and Individual Perspectives in Mental Health Treatments

2min

The Power of Charisma and Dealing with Failure

11min

Exploring Human Nature, Emotions, and Desires Through Evolutionary Psychiatry and Philosophy

2min

Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven

In this conversation, Caleb speaks with Dr. Randolph Nesse.

Randolph is the author of Good Reasons for Bad Feelings: Insights from the Frontier of Evolutionary Psychiatry. His work focuses on answering fundamental questions like why humans get sick and why we experience anxiety from an evolutionary perspective.

This is an essential conversation for understanding the nature of negative emotions. We touch on why we get anxious, what we can do about it, why we may not want to become less anxious, the role of advice, and, of course, the insights of the Stoics.

https://www.randolphnesse.com/

***

Subscribe to The Stoa Letter for weekly meditations, actions, and links to the best Stoic resources: www.stoaletter.com/subscribe

Download the Stoa app (it’s a free download): stoameditation.com/pod

If you try the Stoa app and find it useful, but truly cannot afford it, email us and we'll set you up with a free account.

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/

Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.

Stoa Conversations: Stoicism Applied

Randolph Nesse on Anxiety and Evolution (Episode 72)

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The role of anxiety and its evolutionary origins

The connection between desire, human relationships, and social anxiety

The complexities of objective thinking and the power of cognitive interventions

Finding resilience in failure and the search for advice

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts