Survival brain impacts the way we parent, and in many ways, it’s the bedrock of our cultural myths. A survival mindset frames the world as a zero-sum game where we have to fight each other for resources. In this model, individualism and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps are the only ways to succeed, and are equated with moral goodness.

We see the impacts of survival-based thinking all around us. People seek external, material markers of status and success that have them always reaching for the next thing and, therefore, never reaching satisfaction.

Our guest today is Ron Williams, a venture builder, systems thinker, and Gillian's bestie.  Ron’s big idea – that there is enough for all of us and we’re in this together –asks us to rethink our metrics for success to create positive change for individuals and communities. We talk about evolutionary and psychological underpinnings of selfishness and empathy, and swapping out greed with social good.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How zero-sum, short-term thinking contributes to social instability and unsatisfying lifestyles
• Why leaning too hard on one survival strategy often backfires, whether in parenting or in business 
• How the relentless pursuit of money, status, and power breaks down capacities for empathy and connection
• What it takes to shift the narratives about wealth and status and inspire people to think collectively
• How Ron’s early exposure to both possibility and inequality in America shaped the ways he questions our systems, and informs how he parents

Learn more about Ron Williams:

• Co-Created
• Connect on LinkedIn

Learn more about I Hate You. What’s For Dinner?

Connect with Gillian Boudreau, PhD.:

• Website
• Instagram @clearconnectionpsychology

Connect with Rob Galligan, PhD.:

• Instagram @dr.robert.galligan