Hidden Brain

There's a tradition around many Thanksgiving dinner tables that's as consistent as stuffing and pumpkin pie: the family stories that get told year after year. Sometimes these stories are funny; sometimes they make us roll our eyes. No matter how we feel about these tales, we rarely pause to consider how they shape who we are and how we view the world. This week, we talk to psychologist Robyn Fivush about the profound impact that family stories can have on our lives.  

If you enjoyed today's conversation, here are more Hidden Brain episodes you might like:

Healing 2.0: Change Your Story, Change Your Life 

The Story of Your Life

Rewinding & Rewriting

Thanks for listening! 

Neuroscientist Doug Fields was on a trip to Europe when a pickpocket stole his wallet. Doug, normally mild-mannered, became enraged — and his fury turned him into a stranger to himself. This week, we revisit a favorite 2020 episode about the secret logic of irrational anger.

This is the final episode in our Emotions 2.0 series. If you missed any of the episodes in the series, you can find them here in this podcast feed, or at hiddenbrain.org. And if there's someone in your life who you think would enjoy this series, please tell them about it. Thanks for listening! 

Many of us go to great lengths to be happy. But is our singular focus on feeling good actually making us miserable? This week, psychologist Jordi Quoidbach explores what happens when we try to live in an emotional monoculture, and makes a case for letting it all in — the ups ... and the downs.

Be sure to check out the other episodes in our Emotions 2.0 series. And for more of our work on the topic of happiness, here are some other episodes you might enjoy: 

You 2.0: Where Happiness Hides

Happiness 2.0: The Path to Contentment

Happiness 2.0: The Reset Button 

Sometimes we feel just one single feeling with overwhelming force. We're joyously happy. We're crushingly sad. But sometimes it's more complicated than that: We feel happy and sad at the same time. This week, we revisit a favorite 2022 episode with psychologist Naomi Rothman, who shares her research on the mixed emotion of ambivalence. She explores how being of two minds changes the way we think, and how it changes the way others see us. 

Did you catch the first two episodes in our Emotions 2.0 series? You can find them in this podcast feed, or on our website, hiddenbrain.org. Thanks for listening! 

For centuries, philosophers and theologians have warned about the dangers of pride and hubris. It’s an emotion that can make us arrogant, egotistical, and reckless. But psychologist Jessica Tracy suggests this caution is too broad. She argues that when we see pride only as a negative emotion, we miss out on all the powerful ways it can also be a driver of creativity, altruism, and accomplishment. 

Did you catch last week's conversation about collective emotions? It's the episode in this feed called "Emotions 2.0: When I Feel What You Feel."  

This week, we kick off our new series, Emotions 2.0, with a special double episode about the emotions we experience with other people. We often think that emotions like happiness or sadness live inside our individual minds. But if you’ve ever gone to a music concert in a big stadium or attended a political rally with like-minded voters, you know that emotions can move through crowds in powerful ways. We begin with psychologist Amit Goldenberg, who studies how emotions spread and ratchet up in intensity as more people experience them. Then, we bring you a favorite 2022 conversation with anthropologist Dimitris Xygalatas, who takes us inside the world of fire walking to explore the emotional power of rituals. 

If you love Hidden Brain, you can help support our work by becoming a member of Hidden Brain+! Your subscription includes bonus episodes you won't hear anywhere else, plus you'll be helping us to continue bringing you ideas and insights for years to come. You can sign up via Apple Podcasts or our Patreon page. Thanks for your support! 

We humans are a social species, and so it's not surprising that we care a lot about what other people think of us. It's also not surprising that many of us stumble when we try to manage others' views of us. This week, organizational psychologist Alison Fragale explains why that is, and offers better ways to win friends and influence people. 

Enjoy today's episode? Be sure to check out some of these other Hidden Brain conversations: 

How Others See You

You 2.0: How to See Yourself Clearly

Innovation 2.0: The Influence You Have 

I. Me. My. You. He. She. They. It. To. Of. For. These are all words we use without a second thought. But psychologist James Pennebaker says if we pay close attention to the patterns in speech and writing, we can understand profound things about others, and even ourselves.

For more on the relationship between language and our minds, check out this classic Hidden Brain episode: https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/watch-your-mouth/

It can sometimes be exciting when we don't know what's coming next. Other times, the unknown can be deeply troubling. This week, we talk with researcher Dannagal Goldthwaite Young about how we respond to uncertainty, and why this psychological trait plays a surprisingly large role in shaping our behavior, perspectives — even our political beliefs. 

If you'd like to learn more about the intersection between psychology and our political views, check out these other Hidden Brain episodes: 

Moral Combat

US 2.0: Not at the Dinner Table

US 2.0: What We Have in Common 

Money worries are one of the biggest sources of anxiety in our lives. Psychologist Brad Klontz says these worries are shaped by more than the number in our bank accounts — they’re often driven by our unconscious beliefs. This week, we bring you a favorite 2022 conversation with Klontz, who says it’s possible to identify and change what he calls our “money scripts.”

For more of our work, please consider joining our podcast subscription, Hidden Brain+. It's our home for conversations and ideas you won't hear anywhere else. Plus, you'll be providing vital support for the work that we do. If you listen on Apple Podcasts, you can find us at apple.co/hiddenbrain. If you use other podcast platforms or devices, you can sign up at support.hiddenbrain.org. Thanks for your support!