Hidden Brain

Think about the last time you did something you knew was wrong. How did you explain your actions to yourself? All of us tell stories about why we do the things we do. We justify our failures, and come up with plausible explanations for our actions. This week, Elliot Aronson explains the mental processes behind this type of self-justification, and shares how he helped develop one of the most widely-known concepts in psychology: cognitive dissonance.If you're interested in learning more about the origins of cognitive dissonance, listen to our episode When You Need It To Be True. Do you like the ideas and insights we feature on Hidden Brain? Then please consider supporting our work by joining our new podcast subscription, Hidden Brain+. You can find it in the Apple Podcasts app, or by going to apple.co/hiddenbrain. Thanks! 

How often do you say something negative to yourself that you'd never utter to someone else? Self-criticism can often feel like a way to hold ourselves accountable. But psychologist Kristin Neff says there’s a better path to personal growth: self-compassion. In a favorite conversation from 2021, Kristin remembers the painful moment when she learned to show herself self-compassion, and shares how being kind to ourselves can improve our wellbeing and relationships with others. Do you know someone who needs a reminder to be kind to themselves? Please share this episode with them! And if you have follow-up questions for Kristin Neff, please record a voice memo and send it to ideas@hiddenbrain.org. Use the subject line "self-compassion" in your email. Thanks! 

Sorrows have a way of finding us, no matter how hard we try to avoid them. Joys, on the other hand, are often hard to notice and appreciate. This week, we continue our conversation with psychologist Fred Bryant about the science of savoring, and how to make the most of the good things in our lives.Do you know someone who would enjoy our You 2.0 series? Please tell them about this episode and last week's show about  how to turn even the smallest moments into opportunities for pleasure.   And thanks for listening! 

Fred Bryant, a psychologist at Loyola University Chicago and co-author of "Savoring: A New Model of Positive Experience," dives into the art of savoring to enhance happiness. He discusses how negative emotions often overshadow our ability to appreciate life’s little joys. Through personal anecdotes and research, he highlights the benefits of mindfulness and intentional joy-seeking. Bryant also shares strategies for overcoming barriers to savoring, emphasizing the power of memory and anticipation in cultivating lasting happiness.

Hal Hershfield, a psychologist at UCLA, dives into the intriguing link between our present and future selves. He discusses the challenges of committing to future goals like saving money or improving health. Hershfield introduces Ulysses Pacts as a tool to help mitigate temptations. He also highlights the importance of emotionally connecting with our future selves to enhance decision-making. Techniques like visual aging and accountability measures are explored to encourage better choices today that benefit tomorrow.

In this engaging discussion, psychologist Adam Alter from New York University dives into the psychology behind feeling stuck in life. He shares insights on overcoming writer's block and the significance of breaking goals into smaller, manageable tasks. Alter also addresses the destructive nature of perfectionism, urging listeners to embrace imperfection as a pathway to creativity. With actionable strategies, he guides how to navigate mental barriers and the plateau effect in personal growth, emphasizing that movement and progress are essential for breaking free.

Think about how often you hold back honest opinions of someone else because you don’t want to hurt their feelings. But there are times when this well-intended restraint can be a mistake. This week, in the second part of our series on failure and feedback, psychologist Taya Cohen helps us understand when — and how — to be honest. If you missed the first part of our series — which focuses on how we can become better at learning from difficult or negative feedback — you can find it here. 

No matter who you are, it's guaranteed that at some point in life you'll make a mistake. Many of us find failures to be uncomfortable — so we try our best to ignore them and move on. But what if there was a way to turn that discomfort into an opportunity? This week, we begin a two part mini-series on the psychology of failure and feedback. Psychologist Lauren Eskreis-Winkler teaches us how to stop ignoring our mistakes, and instead, start to learn from them. Do you like the ideas and insights we feature on Hidden Brain? Then please consider supporting our work by joining our new podcast subscription, Hidden Brain+. You can find it in the Apple Podcasts app, or by going to apple.co/hiddenbrain. Thanks! 

Anna Lemke, a psychiatrist at Stanford University and author of "Dopamine Nation," delves into the neuroscience of addiction and compulsive consumption. She discusses how excess pleasure depletes dopamine levels, leading to negative emotions. Lemke shares insights on dopamine fasting as a method to restore mental balance and highlights the importance of community in managing addictive behaviors. Through personal stories and practical strategies, she emphasizes the quest for moderation and the healing power of human connections on the path to well-being.

All of us think we know what addiction looks like: it’s the compulsive consumption of drugs, alcohol, or nicotine. But psychiatrist Anna Lembke argues that this definition is far too narrow — and that a broader understanding of addiction might help us to understand why so many people are anxious and depressed. This week, we begin a two-part series that explains how and why humans are wired to pursue pleasure, and all the ways the modern world tempts us with addictive substances and behaviors.Do you like the ideas and insights we feature on Hidden Brain? Then please consider supporting our work by joining our new podcast subscription, Hidden Brain+. You can find it in the Apple Podcasts app, or by going to apple.co/hiddenbrain. Thanks!