You Are Not So Smart

On this episode, we welcome journalist Kate Leaver to talk about her new book The Friendship Cure in which she explores the crippling, damaging, life-threatening impact of loneliness and the severe mental health impacts of living a life disconnected from a support network of close contacts. But...there is a cure...learning how to connect with others and curate better friendships.In the interview we talk about loneliness, how to make friends, the difference between male and female friendship, platonic friendships, friends with benefits and lots, lots, more.Patreon: http://patreon.com/youarenotsosmart

In this episode, we sit down with psychologist Julia Shaw, an expert in memory and criminal psychology, to discuss her new book - Evil. In the book, she makes a case for something she calls "evil empathy," seeing people who do heinous things as fellow human beings instead of as monsters. According to Shaw, othering criminals by categorizing them as a separate kind of human allows us to put them out of our minds and disappear them to institutions or prisons. The result is we become less-able to prevent the sort of behavior the harms others from happening again and again. In fact, she says "there's no such thing as evil," and sees the term as an antiquated, magical label that dehumanizes others, preventing us from accumulating the sort of scientific evidence that could lead to a better society.- Show notes at: www.youarenotsosmart.com- Become a patron at: www.patreon.com/youarenotsosmartSponsors:-- • The Great Courses: www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/smart -- • Squarespace: www.squarespace.com CODE: SOSMART-- • One Fix: www.getonefix.com CODE: YANSS||| Show Notes at YouAreNotSoSmart.com |||Patreon: http://patreon.com/youarenotsosmart

One of the most effective ways to change people’s minds is to put your argument into a narrative format, a story, but not just any story. The most persuasive narratives are those that transport us. Once departed from normal reality into the imagined world of the story we become highly susceptible to belief and attitude change.In this episode, you’ll learn from psychologist Melanie C. Greene the four secrets to creating the most persuasive narratives possible.- Show notes at: www.youarenotsosmart.com- Become a patron at: www.patreon.com/youarenotsosmartSponsors:-- • The Great Courses: www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/smart -- • Squarespace: www.squarespace.com CODE: SOSMART-- • One Fix: www.getonefix.com CODE: YANSS||| Show Notes at YouAreNotSoSmart.com |||Patreon: http://patreon.com/youarenotsosmart

In this episode we explore prevalence induced concept change. In a nutshell, when we set out to change the world by reducing examples of something we have deemed problematic, and we succeed, a host of psychological phenomena can mask our progress and make those problems seem intractable -- as if we are only treading water when, in fact, we’ve created the change we set out to make.Sponsors:-- • The Great Courses: www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/smart -- • Squarespace: www.squarespace.com CODE: SOSMART-- • ZipRecruiter: www.ziprecruiter.com/notsosmart||| Show Notes at YouAreNotSoSmart.com |||Patreon: http://patreon.com/youarenotsosmart

In this episode, Tali Sharot, a cognitive neuroscientist and psychologist at University College London, explains our' innate optimism bias.When the brain estimates the outcome of future events, it tends to reduce the probability of negative outcomes for itself, but not so much for other people. In other words, if you are a smoker, everyone else is going to get cancer. The odds of success for a new restaurant change depending on who starts that venture, you or someone else. Sharot explains why and details how we can use our knowledge of this mental quirk to our advantage both personally and institutionally.More about Tali Sharot and her book The Optimism Bias here: theoptimismbias.blogspot.com/Sponsors:-- • The Great Courses: www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/smart ---- • Squarespace: www.squarespace.com CODE: SOSMART-- • ZipRecruiter: www.ziprecruiter.com/notsosmart||| Show Notes at YouAreNotSoSmart.com |||Patreon: http://patreon.com/youarenotsosmart

In this conversation, Richard Petty, a renowned psychology professor known for co-creating the Elaboration Likelihood Model, shares insights into attitude change and persuasion. He discusses how belief systems can be rigid, yet persuasion seeks to reshape understanding. The dialogue covers how group dynamics shape attitudes and the importance of diverse viewpoints in decision-making. Petty also explores the challenges of persuasion in a polarized world, emphasizing strategies to encourage open-mindedness and the role of context, credibility, and audience perception.

Lilliana Mason, a Professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland, explores the deep-seated nature of political polarization and identity. She discusses how conflicts often stem from perceived identities rather than rational debates. Mason delves into the psychological 'us vs. them' mentality, revealing how group dynamics shape our political actions. She emphasizes the importance of empathy and understanding in bridging divides, and shares strategies for more constructive conversations, particularly in a social media-driven landscape.

Is it true that all it takes to be an expert is 10,000 hours of practice? What about professional athletes? Do different people get more out of practice than others, and if so, is it nature or nurture? In this episode we ask all these things of David Epstein, author of The Sports Gene, who explains how practice affects the brain and whether or not greatness comes naturally or after lots and lots of effort.-- Show Notes at: youarenotsosmart.com ---- This episode's notes: goo.gl/hDjTVJ ---- Become a patron at: www.patreon.com/youarenotsosmart --SPONSORS• The Great Courses Plus: www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/smart• Squarespace: www.squarespace.com Offer code: SOSMART• ZipRecruiter: www.ziprecruiter.com/notsomartPatreon: http://patreon.com/youarenotsosmart

Tyler Watts, a research assistant professor at NYU specializing in education and developmental psychology, joins to discuss the marshmallow test's legacy. They explore how this iconic experiment on delayed gratification is often misinterpreted. Watts emphasizes that self-control can be taught, influenced by socioeconomic factors and educational strategies. The conversation highlights the potential of interventions in early childhood, urging a shift away from viewing self-regulation as an innate trait. This fresh perspective could reshape future educational practices.

In medical school they tell you half of what you are about to learn won't be true when you graduate - they just don't know which half. In every field of knowledge, half of what is true today will overturned, replaced, or refined at some point, and it turns out that we actually know when that will be for many things. In this episode, listen as author and scientist Sam Arbesman explains how understanding the half life of facts can lead to better lives, institutions, and, of course, better science.- Show notes at: www.youarenotsosmart.com- Become a patron at: www.patreon.com/youarenotsosmartSPONSORS- • - Squarespace: www.squarespace.com || Code: sosmart- • - The Great Courses: www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/smart- • - Zip Recruiter: www.ziprecruiter.com/notsosmartPatreon: http://patreon.com/youarenotsosmart