Hidden Brain

We all tell stories about ourselves, often without realizing we’re doing so. How we frame those stories can profoundly shape our lives. In our latest You 2.0 episode, we bring you a favorite conversation with psychologist Jonathan Adler [https://www.olin.edu/bios/jonathan-m-adler]. He shares how to tell our stories in ways that enhance our wellbeing. Then, Max Bazerman [https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6420] answers your questions about the science of negotiation. Do you have follow-up questions or ideas that you’d like to share after listening to our conversation with Jonathan Adler? How do you tell the story of your life, and  how does that shape the way you see yourself? If you’re comfortable sharing your thoughts and questions with the Hidden Brain audience, please record a voice memo on your phone and email it to us at ideas@hiddenbrain.org [ideas@hiddenbrain.org]. Use the subject line “personal stories.”  Boston and Toronto, we're headed your way! Join Shankar in one of these cities or at an upcoming stop on Hidden Brain's "Perceptions" tour. More info and tickets here: https://hiddenbrain.org/tour/ [https://hiddenbrain.org/tour/]

What does it mean to be stoic? Many of us assume it means you have a stiff upper lip, or that you suppress your emotions. That's what Massimo Pigliucci [https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/profiles/massimo-pigliucci?srsltid=AfmBOorNJDs13K9OMCn-z242DqG_naaPrj7qgcXC9EiZn7ZwHJGa-1eg] thought — until he started to peruse a book called Meditations. It was written nearly two thousand years ago by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. But Massimo, now a philosopher, says Meditations, and Stoic philosophy more broadly, offer wisdom that continues to speak to our lives. This week, we explore Stoic ideas and what they tell us about a life well lived.  Do you have follow-up questions and ideas about stoicism after listening to this episode? If you’d be comfortable sharing your comments and questions with the Hidden Brain audience, please record a voice memo on your phone and email it to us at ideas@hiddenbrain.org [ideas@hiddenbrain.org]. Use the subject line “stoicism.”

Many of us believe that hard work and persistence are the key to achieving our goals. But is that true when it comes to the pursuit of happiness? This week, we revisit a conversation with psychologist Iris Mauss [https://psychology.berkeley.edu/people/iris-mauss], who explains why happiness can seem more elusive the harder we chase it, and what we can do instead to build a lasting sense of contentment. Then, we bring you the latest edition of our segment "Your Questions Answered." Behavioral scientist Alison Wood Brooks [https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=684820] answers listener questions on how to be a better conversationalist — from what to do when the other person isn't contributing, to how to stop others from interrupting. Miss our original episodes with Alison Wood Brooks? They're called "We Need to Talk [https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/we-need-to-talk/]" and "The Conversations that Bring Us Closer [https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/the-conversations-that-bring-us-closer/]."  Do you have follow-up questions, thoughts, or ideas about the pursuit of happiness after listening to our conversation with Iris Mauss? If you'd be comfortable sharing your thoughts 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 "happiness." Thanks!

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” The idea is that pursuing your passion will feel invigorating — almost magical. But passions can easily wane over time. This week, behavioral scientist Jon Jachimowicz [https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=1175257] looks at how to keep our passions alive, and how to channel old passions into new pursuits. Do you have follow-up questions for Jon Jachimowicz, 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 "passion." 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/].

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/].