One of the reasons that many people argue that there is no such thing as “true altruism,” that people are never purely motivated to help other people for their own sake, is because, paradoxically, altruism is a source of enormous joy for those who help others.

Those who have made significant sacrifices for the benefit of others, such as donating a kidney, will attest to this. They’ll often say that it was one of the best decisions they made and would make it over and over if possible because of how happy it made them to help out the recipient. With this in mind, it’s easy to assume that nothing is ever truly altruistic because of the pleasure doing good can evoke.

Neuroscientist Abigail Marsh says that this perspective can be a bit puritanical. Marsh says that actually, the best part of altruism is the sense of joy it brings, because these feelings encourage people to engage with it more often. Here’s why that principal actually underscores altruism, instead of contradicting it.

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Navy SEALs: How to build a warrior mindset | Big Think The fact that U.S. Navy SEALs endure very rigorous training before entering the field is common knowledge, but just what happens at those facilities is less often discussed. In this video, former SEALs Brent Gleeson, David Goggins, and Eric Greitens (as well as authors Jesse Itzler and Jamie Wheal) talk about how the 18-month program is designed to build elite, disciplined operatives with immense mental toughness and resilience. Wheal dives into the cutting-edge technology and science that the navy uses to prepare these individuals. Itzler shares his experience meeting and briefly living with Goggins (who was also an Army Ranger) and the things he learned about pushing past perceived limits. Goggins dives into why you should leave your comfort zone, introduces the 40 percent rule, and explains why the biggest battle we all face is the one in our own minds. "Usually whatever's in front of you isn't as big as you make it out to be," says the SEAL turned motivational speaker. "We start to make these very small things enormous because we allow our minds to take control and go away from us. We have to regain control of our mind."

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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. In today’s information saturated digital landscape, discerning the truth has become an increasingly complex challenge. While many assert that science holds the factual truth, the line between science as a methodology and scientism — which asserts that scientific knowledge is more reliable and valuable than all other forms of knowledge — often blurs. When scientists exceed the boundaries of testable hypotheses, personal belief systems intermingle with empirical evidence, complicating our understanding of truth. Anthropologist Agustín Fuentes contends that human experiences are inherently messy and influenced by factors like racism, sexism, and historical contexts. He argues that a comprehensive understanding of human biology, history, culture, and evolution demands grappling with these complexities, the intricate dynamics of which often extend beyond the assertions of science. Fuentes’ vision for the future of scientific practice centers around diversifying voices, experiences, and methodologies. A more diverse group of individuals contributes to a richer understanding of the world, offering different perspectives and insights; no one scientist is the same. Embracing the complexity and messiness of the human experience fosters collaboration, creativity, and a holistic approach to knowledge. After all, science is conducted by humans — complex beings inextricably intertwined with their own biases and cultural narratives.

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0:00 Scientism as another belief system

1:23 The problem with reductive science

3:19 More diversity, more complexity

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About Big Think | Smarter Faster™ ► Big Think The leading source of expert-driven, educational content. With thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think helps you get smarter, faster by exploring the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century.

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Harvard physician Aditi Nerukar explains how to rewire your brain’s stress response to live a more resilient life.

If you’ve ever heard the phrase “pressure makes diamonds,” this video is for you.

Harvard physician Aditi Nerurkar was working 80 hours a week, and, despite what she was telling herself about resilience, the stress was taking a major toll. She explains how there are two different kinds of stress, aptly named “adaptive” and “maladaptive.” But how can you tell the difference between the two?

Dr. Nerukar explains that healthy, adaptive stress moves your life forward, while unhealthy, maladaptive stress wears you down and diminishes your productivity. When experiencing maladaptive stress, you may find yourself plummeting closer to burnout, or a complete shutdown. To combat these consequences, Dr. Neurkar offers two easily achievable methods for resetting your brain in high-stress situations.

Whether you're navigating a demanding job, balancing multiple life roles, or simply looking to improve your stress management, this information can help you thrive without compromising your well-being. Remember to slow down, take deep breaths, and regularly check in with yourself to ensure your stress remains healthy and manageable!

We created this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators.

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About Dr. Aditi Nerurkar:

Before becoming a Harvard physician specializing in stress, Dr. Nerurkar was a stressed patient looking for answers. When she saw a doctor for debilitating stress, she was told, “Try to relax more.” This dismissive response fueled her to study the effects of stress on the brain and body. Once she found her way out of her stress struggle, she vowed to become the doctor she needed during that difficult time.

This defining experience set Dr. Nerurkar on a path to help other stressed patients. “I discovered a startling finding in my research: even though stress plays a role in nearly 80% of doctor’s visits, only 3% of doctors offer stress management counseling. My work aims to close this gap.”

In her debut book, The 5 Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body For Less Stress and More Resilience, she takes a bold, solution-oriented stance, addressing the looming issue of stress that many doctors put on the back burner. Offering an actionable, practical, and science-backed approach to reimagining your relationship with everyday stress and burnout, The 5 Resets is a natural outgrowth and culmination of Dr. Nerurkar’s work, which has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, The Times of London and Oprah Magazine. She has appeared on The Today Show with Hoda and Jenna, Good Morning America, The Tamron Hall Show, The Mel Robbins Podcast and Diary of a CEO. She is a frequent keynote speaker with talks at the “Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit” and Harvard Business School’s Women’s Conference.

Named “100 Women to Know in America,” Dr. Nerurkar is a conversational expert, offering compelling, cutting-edge science through a voice that’s approachable and compassionate. “I wrote The 5 Resets to empower people in making meaningful change in their lives. I truly believe everyone deserves better mental health. We all have the power to take that first step towards a brighter future.”

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How America Got Divorced from Reality: Christian Utopias, Anti-Elitism, Media Circus

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Since a boat of religious fanatics with buckles on their hats hit the shores near Plymouth Rock and claimed that this was their utopia, America has always been a little bit crazy. It's this kind of wide-eyed "anything can happen if you believe" mentality that, at its best, can produce incredible art. But at its worst, it can be cruel and conspiratorial. We live in a country where people refuse to believe vaccination can help you and where a White House is spinning "alternative — but Kurt Andersen is here to say that this is nothing now. At the time of the Civil War, society had become split by two sides that refused to listen to each other. Back then, the political and social divide is stoked by a hyperbolic partisan media where anyone could publish whatever they wanted in a pamphlet without fact-checking. Sound familiar? It definitely should. Kurt's latest book is appropriately titled Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire.

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KURT ANDERSEN:

Kurt Andersen, host of Studio 360 on NPR, is a journalist and the author of the novels Hey Day, Turn of the Century, The Real Thing, and his latest non-fiction book Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History. He has written and produced prime-time network television programs and pilots for NBC and ABC, and co-authored Loose Lips, an off-Broadway theatrical revue that had long runs in New York and Los Angeles. He is a regular columnist for New York Magazine, and contributes frequently to Vanity Fair. He is also a founder of Very Short List.

Andersen began his career in journalism at NBC's Today program and at Time, where he was an award-winning writer on politics and criminal justice and for eight years the magazine's architecture and design critic. Returning to Time in 1993 as editor-at-large, he wrote a weekly column on culture. And from 1996 through 1999 he was a staff writer and columnist for The New Yorker. He was a co-founder of Inside.com, editorial director of Colors magazine, and editor-in-chief of both New York and Spy magazines, the latter of which he also co-founded.

From 2004 through 2008 he wrote a column called "The Imperial City" for New York (one of which is included in The Best American Magazine Writing 2008). In 2008 Forbes. com named him one of The 25 Most Influential Liberals in the U.S. Media. Anderson graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College, and is a member of the boards of trustees of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the Pratt Institute, and is currently Visionary in Residence at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He lives with his family in New York City.

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Your emotions do not reflect an irrefutable truth. Psychologist Kristen Lindquist explains how important that is for connecting across cultures.

When it comes to obtaining an objective understanding of the world around us, emotions may not be as reliable as we think, explains Kristen Lindquist, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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Lindquist explores the concept of "affective realism," a term that describes how our feelings shape our reality, both of which are influenced by cultural nuances. She unravels the connections between emotions, culture, and the brain, challenging the notion that our emotional experiences always mirror objective truths.

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About Kristen Lindquist:

Kristen Lindquist, PhD. is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her research seeks to understand the psychological and neural basis of emotions, moods, and feelings. Her on-going work uses tools from social cognition, physiology, neuroscience, and big data methods to examine how emotions emerge from the confluence of the body, brain, and culture.

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Adam Bryant interviewed over 1,000 CEO’s. These are the 3 critical skills to running a company.

Adam Bryant was a journalist at the New York Times for nearly 18 years. In that time, he interviewed over 1,000 CEOs and found that each one had three key skills that keep their companies, their employees, and themselves, afloat.

According to Bryant, being a CEO isn’t all private jets and big checks. Since the pandemic, leadership has become even more challenging, as society has turned to companies for direction, support, and even solutions to global issues. Still, founders have found a way to thrive, thanks to these common characteristics

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Chapters for easier navigation

0:00 Intro

1:07 the actual truth about being a CEO

Critical Skills For CEO'S ↓

3:29 simplify complexity

4:00 being fully accountable

4:21 listening to stakeholders

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About Adam Bryant:

Adam Bryant joined The ExCo Group, a senior leadership development and executive mentoring firm, as managing director in 2017 after a 30-year career in journalism, including 18 years at The New York Times. In addition to his many roles there as a reporter and editor, he created the weekly "Corner Office" column, and interviewed 525 CEOs and other leaders over a decade. He has written four books based on the themes that emerged from Corner Office and from his four current interview series on LinkedIn with board directors, CEOs, CHROs and prominent Black leaders. His latest book, "The Leap to Leader: How Ambitious Managers Make the Jump to Leadership,” was published in July 2023 by Harvard Business Review Press. Adam is the senior adviser to the Reuben Mark Initiative for Organizational Character and Leadership at Columbia University...

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Columbia professor Michael Slepian collected thousands of secrets. They all had 3 things in common.

How many secrets are you holding right now? If the answer is around 13, you're about average, according to research on the nature of secrets.

Secrets aren't all bad. Some are rather trivial. But sometimes, keeping secrets can weigh us down and cause psychological distress.

Michael Slepian, an associate professor at Columbia Business School, has spent years studying the nature of secrets, why we hold them, and which kinds of secrets people tend to deem the most serious.

As Slepian explains in this Big Think video, his research has revealed that secrets can generally be sorted into three domains. Gaining a better understanding of your secrets can help you improve your well-being.

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About Michael Slepian:

Michael Slepian is the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Associate Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School. He previously was a visiting scholar at Stanford University, and received his Ph.D. from Tufts University. He is an elected fellow of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology, has received the Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science, and received the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship

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Is science close to explaining everything about our universe? Physicist Sabine Hossenfelder reacts. In his 1996 book "The End of Science", John Horgan argued that scientists were close to answering nearly all of the big questions about our Universe. Was he right? The theoretical physicist Sabine Hossenfelder doesn't think so. As she points out, the Standard Model of physics, which describes the behavior of particles and their interactions, is still incomplete as it does not include gravity. What's more, the measurement problem in quantum mechanics remains unsolved, and understanding this could lead to significant technological advancements. Ultimately, Hossenfelder is optimistic that progress will be made in the next two decades, given the current technological advancements in quantum technologies and quantum computing

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Chapters:-

0:00 The end of science

1:33 The ‘Theory of everything’

3:11 The measurement crisis

4:29 Our quantum future

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About Sabine Hossenfelder: Sabine Hossenfelder is a physicist, author, and creator of "Science Without the Gobbledygook". She currently works at the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy in Germany.

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Columbia Professor Carl Hart breaks taboos surrounding drug use in America.

The U.S. was founded on the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

So, why does the government prohibit Americans from altering their state of consciousness with drugs it has deemed illegal? After all, drug prohibition has not only proven ineffective and unjust in many cases, but it also impinges on one’s right to live life as they see fit. It restricts liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Given these inconsistencies between principle and policy, what role should the U.S. government play, if any, in regulating mind-altering substances as we move forward into the 21st century?

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About Dr. Carl Hart:

Dr. Hart is an Associate Professor of Psychology in both the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at Columbia University, and Director of the Residential Studies and Methamphetamine Research Laboratories at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. A major focus of Dr. Hart’s research is to understand complex interactions between drugs of abuse and the neurobiology and environmental factors that mediate human behavior and physiology. He is the author or co-author of dozens of peer-reviewed scientific articles in the area of neuropsychopharmacology, co-author of the textbook, Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior, and a member of a NIH review group. Dr. Hart was recently elected to Fellow status by the American Psychological Association (Division 28) for his outstanding contribution to the field of psychology, specifically psychopharmacology and substance abuse.

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► Big Think

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