Hidden Brain

Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky explores the critical distinction between being loved and feeling loved—why external affection doesn't always translate to internal experience. The episode examines what creates genuine closeness in relationships and why perception matters as much as behavior. Greg Walton returns to answer listener questions about breaking negative thought spirals.

Political scientist Erica Chenoweth presents research on over 100 years of revolutions and insurrections, challenging the assumption that violence is the most effective path to social change. The episode explores what actually works in producing systemic change, along with Ranjay Gulati's insights on cultivating personal courage in the face of resistance.

Political scientist Erica Chenoweth's research on 100+ years of revolutions: nonviolent resistance succeeds twice as often as violent resistance. The 3.5% rule — no government has survived a challenge if 3.5% of the population mobilized against it.

John Dinsmore on the mental biases that push people into debt: optimism bias (it won't happen to me), loss aversion (can't give up what I have), and misunderstanding compound interest. The psychology of why smart people make terrible financial decisions.

Psychologist Emma Levine on the unwritten rules governing acceptable dishonesty. We say we value honesty but routinely lie — and expect to be lied to — in specific social contexts. The hypocrisy about honesty is universal.

Jay Van Bavel on how group identity shapes what we perceive, believe, and do. You literally see the world differently depending on which group you identify with. Partisan perception isn't a choice — it's a perceptual filter that operates below conscious awareness.

Jonathan Rottenberg on the evolutionary roots of depression — it may not be a malfunction but an adaptive response that got stuck. And the hopeful finding: many people don't just recover from depression, they go on to flourish.

David Pizarro on how the emotion of disgust — evolved to protect us from pathogens — has been co-opted to shape our moral judgments and political views. People who are more easily disgusted are more politically conservative.

How charismatic leaders gain followers by offering clarity in uncertain times. The psychology of why we're drawn to people who seem certain — and the vulnerability this creates to manipulation.

Gordon Flett on 'mattering' — the psychological need to feel significant to others. His research shows that feeling like you don't matter is distinct from loneliness and is a better predictor of depression and suicidality than traditional measures.

Scott Barry Kaufman on how assumptions about intelligence limit human potential. His updated version of Maslow's hierarchy based on modern research — replacing the pyramid with a sailboat metaphor.

Leslie John on the psychology of self-disclosure — when sharing personal information builds trust and when it backfires. The research says we overestimate the risks and underestimate the benefits of being open.

We all carry secrets, from harmless omissions to life-changing truths. But secrecy isn’t neutral: hiding takes mental work and can harm our health and relationships.

We conclude our month-long You 2.0 series with a look at the hidden power of doubt — not as weakness or indecision, but as a tool that helps us make better choices and navigate an uncertain world.

Patience can sometimes feel like a lost art, particularly in a culture that prizes competition and the idea of "failing fast." But psychologist Sarah Schnitker says patience is a vital skill for success in both our personal and professional lives.

There are times in life when the challenges we face feel insurmountable. Authors succumb to writer’s block. Athletes and artists hit a plateau. People of a certain age fall into a midlife crisis. These are all different ways of saying: I’m stuck.

Greg Walton on how negative thoughts become self-fulfilling prophecies — and how brief 'wise interventions' can break the cycle. A single reframing exercise can produce effects that last years.

The start of a new year is a natural moment to set goals for ourselves. But doing so can also be a little daunting. Today, we kick off a series designed to help you understand and grapple with the mental obstacles that can keep you from charting a new path.

Many of us rush through our days, weeks, and lives, chasing goals and just trying to get everything done. But that can blind us to a very simple source of joy that’s all around us.

This week, we bring you the second part of our 2023 conversation on the perils of too much pleasure. Psychiatrist Anna Lembke explains the neuroscience behind compulsive consumption.

Anna Lembke — Stanford psychiatrist, author of Dopamine Nation. How modern society has turned ordinary behaviors into potentially addictive activities. The pleasure-pain balance: every pleasure has a corresponding pain, and chasing pleasure too aggressively tips the balance toward pain.

Why are so many of us drawn to horror, gore, and true crime? Why do we crane our necks to see the scene of a crash on the highway? Psychologist Coltan Scrivner says that our natural morbid curiosity serves a purpose.

If you’re a parent or a teacher, you’ve probably wondered how to balance play and safety for the kids in your care. You don’t want to put children in danger, but you also don’t want to rob them of the joy of exploration. This week, we revisit a favorite conversation with psychologist Peter Gray.

There’s a tradition around many Thanksgiving dinner tables that’s as consistent as pumpkin pie: the family stories that get told year after year. Sometimes these stories are funny; sometimes they make us roll our eyes.

Entrepreneurs typically have no shortage of passion, heart, and vision. But at Stanford University, Huggy Rao says there are other elements that may matter more when it comes to whether their projects succeed or fail.

Marc Berman on how nature exposure improves cognitive function and mental health. Even brief exposure to trees and green space measurably improves attention, mood, and working memory. The effect works even with photos of nature.

It can be frustrating when people do things we don't want them to do. A friend cancels plans at the last minute. A child refuses to get dressed for school. Before long, our resentment builds, and we're tempted to issue more rules, reminders, and consequences.

For many of us, navigating the conclusion of a relationship is one of the hardest things we'll ever do.

No one will deny that marriage is hard. In fact, there’s evidence it’s getting even harder. This week on the show, we revisit a favorite episode about the history of marriage and how it has evolved over time.

When things go wrong in our relationships, we often try to change the way our partners behave. But usually, trying to fix a person only makes things worse. Last week, we talked to psychologist James Cordova about why this tendency can be so damaging, and what to do instead.

Many love stories end when the characters are still in the heady, euphoric early stages of a relationship. But what comes after that intoxicating first phase of love is over? Today, we kick off a new series on the challenges specific to long-term relationships.

The idea of being driven by a calling goes back centuries. It was the language used to describe religious people who were called to the priesthood. Today, millions of people in secular professions yearn to be similarly galvanized by their work.

It's not easy for most of us to receive negative feedback. Even when the person delivering that feedback is constructive and reasonable, we often feel the urge to defend ourselves. This week, we look at the psychology of defensiveness with neuroscientist Emily Falk.

Many of us have been raised to believe that if we want to get something done, we just need to set our minds to it. Where there's a will, there's a way, right? Yet somehow we end up polishing off that pint of ice cream in the freezer, or spending more than our budget allows.

Perfectionism is everyone’s favorite flaw. It’s easy to assume that our push to be perfect is what leads to academic, athletic, and professional success. But how do we distinguish between high standards and unrealistic expectations?

George Bonanno — Columbia professor, world's leading resilience researcher. The counterintuitive finding: most people are naturally resilient after trauma. The PTSD narrative is overblown — it applies to a minority, not the majority. Expecting trauma to break you can actually make it worse.

Have you ever fallen asleep in school or during a work meeting? Maybe you felt your eyes glaze over as your boss or a teacher droned on and on about a topic that had no relevance to you.

Eli Finkel and Stephanie Coontz on how marriage has changed. For most of history, marriage was about survival and economics. Now it's about self-actualization. The bar has never been higher — and neither has the potential.

Brad Klontz on unconscious 'money scripts' inherited from childhood that drive financial behavior. Four categories: money avoidance, money worship, money status, and money vigilance. Most people are running inherited financial programs without knowing it.

Phil Fernbach on the illusion of explanatory depth — we think we understand far more than we actually do. Most people can't explain how a toilet works, a zipper operates, or why their political positions are correct — but they're confident they can.

Max Bazerman — Harvard negotiation pioneer. How cognitive biases sabotage negotiations: anchoring, the fixed-pie assumption, and the winner's curse. The best negotiators create value instead of claiming it.

Kenji Yoshino on 'covering' — how people hide or downplay aspects of their identity to fit in. Even in theoretically inclusive environments, people cover their race, sexuality, disability, religion, or age to avoid standing out.

Alison Wood Brooks on why conversations go wrong. Her research: most people overestimate how much they should talk and underestimate how much they should ask questions. The single best conversational habit: ask follow-up questions.

Gillian Sandstrom on why casual interactions with acquaintances and strangers matter more for happiness than most people realize. We invest in close relationships (correctly) but neglect 'weak ties' that provide belonging, perspective, and serendipity.

Vedantam explores research on how other people contribute to our happiness, identity, and well-being. Covers why we underestimate the impact of social connection and why loneliness is more dangerous than smoking.

Vedantam explores the science of purpose and meaning, including why some people feel their lives have direction while others feel adrift. Covers how purpose improves health outcomes and why meaning often emerges from responsibility to others.

Vedantam explores how growth mindset research has evolved beyond individual psychology to organizational and societal applications. Covers why some organizations learn from failure while others repeat mistakes.