Hidden Brain

What should you do with your life? There's no one-size-fits-all answer to that question. But there are scientifically-tested methods that can help you to feel more in harmony with yourself and the world. This week, and in a companion conversation for Hidden Brain+, researcher Victor Strecher [https://sph.umich.edu/faculty-profiles/strecher-victor.html] explores the science of creating a life full of meaning. It's the kickoff to our annual You 2.0 series, which this year will focus on purpose and passion. If you’ve reached the midpoint of the year and you’re feeling adrift, alone, or burned out, this series is for you.   Do you have follow-up questions for Victor Strecher, or ideas that you'd like to share after listening to this episode? If you'd be willing to share them with the Hidden Brain audience, please record a voice memo on your phone and email it to us at ideas@hiddenbrain.org. Use the subject line "purpose." And a reminder that our live tour is underway! Shankar is traveling across the U.S. and Canada to share some of the key ideas he's learned in the first decade of the show. To see if we're coming to a city near you, please visit hiddenbrain.org/tour [https://hiddenbrain.org/tour/].

There’s a saying that’s attributed to the Dalai Lama: in the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher. It’s a nice idea. But when people don’t share our values, it’s hard for us to tolerate theirs. This week, we bring you a favorite episode with sociologist Robb Willer. [https://sociology.stanford.edu/people/robb-willer] We discuss the common mistakes we make in trying to persuade others of our point of view — and how to break out of our echo chambers. Then, Kenji Yoshino answers your questions about how we hide our true selves. In this week’s show, you’ll learn: *What’s happening in our minds when we’re trying to win an argument. *Techniques for how to take another person’s perspective — and how to become more effective in persuading them of your perspective. *The most successful protest tactics in winning allies. *Why we might shift from trying to change someone’s mind to trying to change their behavior. If you love Hidden Brain, come see Shankar live in a city near you this summer! For more info and tickets to our “Perceptions” tour, visit https://hiddenbrain.org/tour/ [https://hiddenbrain.org/tour/]

Learning to play a musical instrument is hard. So is trying to run a marathon, writing a term paper, and caring for a sick child. These things involve frustration, pain, and disappointment — yet we do them anyway. This week, in part two of our look at the allure of suffering, psychologist Michael Inzlicht [https://michaelinzlicht.com/#lab-view] explains what we get from doing things that are difficult, and why the things we think will make us happy often do not. Hidden Brain is hitting the road this summer! Join Shankar in a city near you as he shares key insights from the first decade of the show. For more info, and to purchase tickets, go to hiddenbrain.org/tour [https://hiddenbrain.org/tour/].

We generally think of pain as something to be avoided. But psychologist Paul Bloom [https://www.psych.utoronto.ca/people/directories/all-faculty/paul-bloom] says that as much as we're wired to avoid suffering, we also seek it out. This week, we begin a two-part mini series about the curious pleasure we take in certain forms of pain. Hidden Brain is about to go on tour! Join Shankar in a city near you as he shares key insights from the first decade of the show. For more info and tickets, go to https://hiddenbrain.org/tour/. [https://hiddenbrain.org/tour/]

Revenge often feels sweet, but what price do we pay for seeking it out? Researcher James Kimmel, Jr. [https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/james-kimmel/] proposes a radical theory: our desire for vengeance operates like an addiction in the brain. This week, how “revenge addiction” plays out in our everyday lives — and on a global scale.  Hidden Brain is about to go on tour! Join us as Shankar shares seven key insights he's learned from the show over the past decade. To see if we're coming to your city, and to purchase tickets, go to hiddenbrain.org/tour [https://hiddenbrain.org/tour/].