The Thinking Mind Podcast: Psychiatry & Psychotherapy
E60: Confidence & Why Your Beliefs Matter (with Professor Ian Robertson)
Sep 29, 2023
Neuroscientist and clinical psychologist Professor Ian Robertson discusses the danger of over-emphasizing genetic influences on psychology, the impact of environment on psychology, and the limitations of a psychiatric view on mental health. They also explore the components of confidence, the obesity and opioid crises, and steps to build confidence and overcome anxiety.
56:34
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Quick takeaways
- Confidence is a belief in one's ability to take action and achieve a specific outcome, distinct from optimism and self-esteem.
- Psychiatry's overemphasis on genetic influences undermines confidence in the ability to change, neglecting the impact of environment and individual agency.
Deep dives
The Importance of Confidence and its Link to Action
Confidence is crucially linked to the action systems of the brain. It is a belief that you can do something and that taking action will lead to a certain reward or outcome. This distinguishes confidence from optimism, which is the belief that things will turn out well in the end, and self-esteem, which is a self-evaluation that can lead to defensiveness and extreme behaviors. Confidence is domain-specific and relates to behaviors and success. It is essential in all clinical conditions and can be enhanced by controlling attention, taking action despite anxiety, and challenging the belief in genetic fatalism.
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