dash

No two people define success the same way, according to this test.

Up next ►► Why are we obsessed with celebrities?   • Why Are We Obsessed with Celebrities?...  

We each hold onto false beliefs about how society operates. These "collective illusions" stifle innovation and erode our ability to make progress together. Todd Rose discovered that one of the most important collective illusions has to do with the way we define a successful life.

“We looked at the private opinions of the American public across 76 different attributes that could go into a successful life. Out of those 76, the vast majority of the American public believes that most people would rank 'fame' as number one. There's just one problem: in private, it's actually dead last.”

When the same group was asked ‘What does a fulfilling life mean to you?,’ the results were even more mystifying. “Out of those 76 trade-off priorities in the thousands and thousands of people that we have studied, no two people were identical. Nobody can tell you what a successful life is; you have to discover that for yourself.”

In the end, what Rose discovered was that if you want to help someone become successful, you must work to understand how they define success first.

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Collective Illusions is a 9-part series brought to you by Stand Together: a community of changemakers tackling our biggest challenges

For more stories, ideas, and advice from changemakers, subscribe to Stand Together ►   / standtogethercc  

Watch the entire Collective Illusions playlist ►   • Collective Illusions  

And visit Stand Together’s website to learn more ► https://standtogether.org/

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About Todd Rose:

Todd Rose is the co-founder and president of Populace, a think tank committed to ensuring that all people have the opportunity to pursue fulfilling lives in a thriving society. Prior to Populace, he was a faculty member at Harvard University where he founded the Laboratory for the Science of Individuality and directed the Mind, Brain, and Education program. Todd is the best selling author of Collective Illusions, Dark Horse, and The End of Average. He lives in Burlington, Massachusetts.

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Humans are highly conscious of social status. We are tribal primates who are wired to seek the "silverback" among us. This makes us prone to cult-like behavior.

This is especially true today with the rise of social media influencers, like those on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.

But the question is: can cults actually be an ethical and positive force for good?

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About Jamie Wheal:

Jamie Wheal is the author of the global best-seller and Pulitzer Prize-nominated Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, Navy SEALs and Maverick Scientists are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work and the founder of the Flow Genome Project, an international organization dedicated to the research and training of ultimate human performance. Since founding the organization in 2011, it has gone on to become the leading voice of evidence-based peak performance in the world, counting award-winning academics, legendary professional athletes, special operations commanders, and Fortune 500 business leaders among the hundreds of thousands of people in its global community.

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“You’re not meant to understand what I just said, because I don’t understand what I just said…” Physicist Brian Cox on one of the most complex theories in space science.

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Chapters:

0:00 intro

0:52 no cloning theorem

1:33 black hole physics and quantum computing

2:37 plank units

3:44 holography

5:31 quantum error correction

Up next, Brian Cox on how black holes could unlock the mysteries of our universe

Physicist Brian Cox takes us into the mind-bending world where quantum mechanics, black holes, and the future of computing converge.

In this interview, Cox shares the engineering challenges behind building quantum computers and the intricate dance of storing information in their notoriously delicate memory. However, black holes have an unexpected link to quantum information storage. Cox discusses how Planck units, holography, and redundancy could shape the future of computing.

It is a mind-expanding discussion that pushes the boundaries of our understanding. Even Cox says, “You're not meant to understand what I've just said because I don't understand what I've just said because nobody understands what I've just said.”

Welcome to the frontier where nature's laws and technological innovation collide.

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About Brian Cox:

Brian Cox obtained a first class honors degree in physics from the University of Manchester in 1995 and in 1998 a Ph.D. in High Energy Particle Physics at the DESY laboratory in Hamburg. He is now Professor of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester, The Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science and a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Brian is widely recognized as the foremost communicator for all things scientific, having presented a number of highly acclaimed science programs for the BBC watched by billions internationally including ‘Adventures in Space and Time’ (2021), ‘Universe’ (2021), ‘The Planets’ (2018), ‘Forces of Nature’ (2016), ‘Human Universe’ (2014), ‘Wonders of Life’ (2012), ‘Wonders of the Universe’ (2011) and ‘Wonders of the Solar System’ (2010).

As an author, Brian has also sold over a million books worldwide including ‘Black Holes’, ‘Universal: A Guide to the Cosmos’, ‘Quantum Universe’ and ‘Why Does E=mc2?’ with co-author Professor Jeffrey Forshaw. He has set several world records for his sell-out live tours, including his most recent tour Horizons which has taken in venues across the globe.

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You can learn things 250% faster by unlocking your ‘flow state.’ To achieve peak performance, we must learn to get our biology to work for us rather than against us. There is a very tight coupling between our psychology and our physiology. We can pre-wire our brains in a way that enhances our physiology and boosts performance. This helps us enter a state of flow, in which we experience an optimized state of consciousness where we feel and perform our best.

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Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential

The science of super longevity

Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth

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About Steven Kotler: Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance. He is the author of ten bestsellers (out of thirteen books total), including The Art of Impossible, The Future Is Faster Than You Think, Stealing Fire, The Rise of Superman, Bold and Abundance. His work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes, translated into over 40 languages, and appeared in over 100 publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Atlantic Monthly, TIME and the Harvard Business Review. Steven is also the cohost of Flow Research Collective Radio, a top ten iTunes science podcast. Along with his wife, author Joy Nicholson, he is the co-founder of the Rancho de Chihuahua, a hospice and special needs dog sanctuary.

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We’ve been looking at intelligence all wrong, explains a neuroscientist.

Our society has an obsession with quantifying everything, often applying measurements and numerical values where they aren't necessary. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, a neuroscientist and professor at USC, argues that we've taken this approach with intelligence, and it might not be the right path.

Immordino-Yang uses standardized testing as an example, explaining how modern-day education systems equate high test scores with high intelligence levels. However, these tests usually only measure a student's ability to perform under specific conditions, focusing narrowly on memorization and regurgitation of predetermined answers.

Instead, Mary Helen suggests a more dynamic concept of intelligence, considering a child's ability to navigate complex situations, understand new information, and innovate in real-time. This kind of intelligence is adaptive and essential for societal progress, as it allows for a more well-rounded perception of the world and situations that occur within it.

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About Mary Helen Immordino-Yang:

Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD, is an expert on the psychological and neurobiological foundations of social emotion, self-awareness, and culture, and how they impact learning, development, and education.

She is a Professor of Education at the USC Rossier School of Education, a Professor of Psychology at the Brain and Creativity Institute, a faculty member in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Southern California, and the Director of the USC Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning, and Education (CANDLE).

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This interview is an episode from ‪‪@The-Well‬, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the ‪‪@JohnTempletonFoundation‬.

About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter ► https://bit.ly/thewellemailsignup

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Ideas that seem wildly controversial today may move humanity towards progress. Philosopher Peter Singer asks —how do we keep them from being stifled? Peter Singer explains why he helped create the “Journal of Controversial Ideas,” a platform for discussing and examining controversial topics without fear of backlash or censorship. According to Singer, history is rife with examples of people challenging beliefs that were once considered certain but were later proven false. Persecuting those people who challenged those prevailing notions, Singer says, stifled progress. Singer underscores the importance of protecting academic freedom and freedom of thought and expression as fundamental to societal progress and knowledge advancement.

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Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential

The science of super longevity

Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth

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The “compliment sandwich” technique doesn’t actually work. Wharton professor Adam Grant on how to give feedback that will actually help others reach their full potential. Wharton School of Business professor Adam Grant believes it’s time to stop focusing on “natural talent.” He shares his experience growing up not feeling good at anything in particular, and how he surpassed that to achieve his highest potential. He also shares a key phrase for inspiring others as a leader and maximizing their performance.

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chapters:-

0:00 A world obsessed with raw talent

0:20 Meet Adam Grant

2:05 Squandered potential

2:33 Two problematic kinds of leaders

3:35 The best kind of leader

4:20 How to deliver feedback

6:50 The 19 words for most effective feedback

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Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential

The science of super longevity

Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth-

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About Adam Grant: Adam Grant has been Wharton’s top-rated professor for seven straight years. As an organizational psychologist, he is a leading expert on how we can find motivation and meaning, rethink assumptions, and live more generous and creative lives. He has been recognized as one of the world’s 10 most influential management thinkers and Fortune’s 40 under 40. Grant is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of five books that have sold millions of copies and been translated into 45 languages: Think Again, Give and Take, Originals, Option B, and Power Moves. His books have been named among the year’s best by Amazon, Apple, the Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal. His viral piece on languishing was the most-read New York Times article of 2021 and the most-saved article across all platforms. Grant hosts WorkLife, a chart-topping TED original podcast. His speaking and consulting clients include Google, the NBA, Bridgewater, and the Gates Foundation. He writes on work and psychology for The New York Times, has served on the Defense Innovation Board at the Pentagon, has been honored as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, and has appeared on Billions. He has more than 6 million followers on social media and features new insights in GRANTED, his free monthly newsletter.

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Discover Big Think | Smarter Faster™

Your top destination for expert-driven, educational content. Featuring thousands of episodes and insights from renowned figures like Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think accelerates your learning by delving into the pivotal concepts and essential skills shaping knowledge in the 21st century...

Unlock Knowledge, Faster

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Social media isn’t the majority – it’s the vocal fringe.

Up Next ► Social media addiction - how it changes your brain   • Social media addiction - how it chang...  

Because of its scale and speed, social media is the great amplifier of collective illusions. The greatest strength of social media is its facilitation of diverse voices, but at the same time, it can be akin to a funhouse of mirrors.

The reason for that, is because most of us assume that we are interacting with a representative sample of the population. But we’re not. Close to 80% of all content on social media is created by only 10% of its users. Quickly, social media becomes a place for people who can shout the loudest and silence the opposition.

And that has dire consequences. As Todd Rose says, “your willingness to conform and your unwillingness to challenge what you think the group believes will actually contribute to leading the group astray.”

Is there any hope? Rose believes one solution is to get off line once in a while. But another solution is to speak up. What would happen if the silent majority emerged and our social channels more accurately reflected how most of us really felt? This could be a step forward in embracing the potential strength of social media, encouraging productive conversations across diverse perspectives.

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Collective Illusions is a 9-part series brought to you by Stand Together: a community of changemakers tackling our biggest challenges

For more stories, ideas, and advice from changemakers, subscribe to Stand Together ►   / standtogethercc  

Watch the entire Collective Illusions playlist ►   • Collective Illusions  

And visit Stand Together’s website to learn more ► https://standtogether.org/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About Todd Rose:

Todd Rose is the co-founder and president of Populace, a think tank committed to ensuring that all people have the opportunity to pursue fulfilling lives in a thriving society. Prior to Populace, he was a faculty member at Harvard University where he founded the Laboratory for the Science of Individuality and directed the Mind, Brain, and Education program. Todd is the best selling author of Collective Illusions, Dark Horse, and The End of Average. He lives in Burlington, Massachusetts.

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Risk is a mathematical equation—one we can all learn. General Stanley McChrystal explains how.

Up Next ► Nuclear catastrophe: how much risk are you willing to accept?   • Nuclear Catastrophe: How Much Risk ar...  

Crises are often predictable, even though we cannot know in advance the exact time or form they will take.

9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic were all — to some extent — foreseeable. So, why do governments drop the ball so often?

We need to improve our capacity to predict risk and to become resilient to it.

To learn even more from the world's biggest thinkers, get Big Think+ for your business: https://bigthink.com/plus/

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About Stanley Allen McChrystal:

Stanley Allen McChrystal is a retired United States Army general, described by former Defense Secretary Robert Gates as, "perhaps the finest warrior and leader of men in combat I (have) ever met." His last assignment was as Commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A). He previously served as Director, Joint Staff from August 2008 to June 2009 and as Commander, Joint Special Operations Command from 2003 to 2008. McChrystal was reportedly known for saying and thinking what other military leaders were afraid to; this was one of the reasons cited for his appointment to lead all forces in Afghanistan. He held the post from June 15, 2009, to June 23, 2010.

McChrystal has since joined the Yale University faculty, teaching courses in International Relations. His latest book is Team of Teams.

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This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation. What if our incessant drive for self-improvement isn't always conducive to happiness? Cognitive scientist Laurie Santos proposes this intriguing question. She notes that while evolution has wired us for relentless self-enhancement, our modern environment, ripe with comparisons and demands for excellence, amplifies this instinct, often to our detriment. The incessant push for "more" and "better" can lead to societal harm, fostering a competitive, individualistic society rather than one rooted in collective harmony and goodwill. Moreover, it can compromise personal happiness. Genuine well-being, Santos suggests, arises from extending compassion towards others and ourselves. Self-compassion, defined as mindfulness, recognition of common humanity, and self-kindness, can surprisingly enhance performance and resilience without a drill-sergeant approach. Breaking free from the pervasive "hustle culture" requires acknowledging its illusory nature, prioritizing kindness towards oneself, orienting towards others, and practicing gratitude to appreciate one's journey.

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Chapters:

0:00 The drive for perfection

1:48 2 consequences of pushing too hard

2:38 3 parts of self-compassion

4:15 Why hustle culture is toxic

4:59 Happiness comes from other-oriented behavior

Listen To This Next:

Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential

The science of super longevity

Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth

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About Laurie Santos: Dr. Laurie Santos is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Yale University. Her research provides an interface between evolutionary biology, developmental psychology, and cognitive neuroscience, exploring the evolutionary origins of the human mind by comparing the cognitive abilities of human and non-human primates. Her experiments focus on non-human primates (in captivity and in the field), incorporating methodologies from cognitive development, animal learning psychology, and cognitive neuroscience.

----------------------------------

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Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business

--------

Discover Big Think | Smarter Faster™

Your top destination for expert-driven, educational content. Featuring thousands of episodes and insights from renowned figures like Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think accelerates your learning by delving into the pivotal concepts and essential skills shaping knowledge in the 21st century...

Unlock Knowledge, Faster

With Insights from the World's Leading Minds

Remember to Follow the Podcast and Enable Notifications

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