Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett

It could be a flower holder. It could be a measuring cup. The meaning of the vessel is what I do with it in the moment. That's its meaning. And so the meaning of the vessel isn't in the vessel. And it's also not only in my head. The meaning is the transaction. It's the relationship between the features of this vessel, this object, and the signals in my brain, which are creating my actions.

It could be a flower holder. It could be a measuring cup. The meaning of the vessel is what I do with it in the moment. That's its meaning. And so the meaning of the vessel isn't in the vessel. And it's also not only in my head. The meaning is the transaction. It's the relationship between the features of this vessel, this object, and the signals in my brain, which are creating my actions.

In fact, even the fact that this is a solid object, the property of solidity is not in the object. It's because I have a body of a certain type with certain features that makes me experience this as solid. The solidity isn't in me and it's not in the object. It's in the relationship between the two. That means everything, everything you experience is partly of your own making.

In fact, even the fact that this is a solid object, the property of solidity is not in the object. It's because I have a body of a certain type with certain features that makes me experience this as solid. The solidity isn't in me and it's not in the object. It's in the relationship between the two. That means everything, everything you experience is partly of your own making.

You don't have a sense of agency about it because it happens really automatically. It's happening automatically now as we're talking. It's happening faster than you can blink your eyes. But it's still happening. And that means if you are partly, even though you don't have a sense of agency, you are partly in control and also therefore responsible for the meaning that is being made.

You don't have a sense of agency about it because it happens really automatically. It's happening automatically now as we're talking. It's happening faster than you can blink your eyes. But it's still happening. And that means if you are partly, even though you don't have a sense of agency, you are partly in control and also therefore responsible for the meaning that is being made.

And when I said at the outset of our conversation that my goal was to try to, you know, as a science communicator, was to try to explain to people that they have more control over their lives. They have more control over who they are in any given moment than they think they do, to give them more agency in their lives. This is exactly what I mean. You... You don't have an enduring identity.

And when I said at the outset of our conversation that my goal was to try to, you know, as a science communicator, was to try to explain to people that they have more control over their lives. They have more control over who they are in any given moment than they think they do, to give them more agency in their lives. This is exactly what I mean. You... You don't have an enduring identity.

You are who you are in the moment of your action. And actions are a combination of the remembered past, so stuff your brain is using to predict, that your brain's assembling super automatically, and the sensory present, right? So if you wanna change who you are, you wanna change what you feel, you wanna change what your impact is on someone else, you have a couple of choices.

You are who you are in the moment of your action. And actions are a combination of the remembered past, so stuff your brain is using to predict, that your brain's assembling super automatically, and the sensory present, right? So if you wanna change who you are, you wanna change what you feel, you wanna change what your impact is on someone else, you have a couple of choices.

You can try to go back into the past and change the meaning of what's happened before so that you'll remember differently, you'll predict differently in the future. That's what psychotherapy is. That's what, you know, heartfelt conversations at two o'clock in the morning are with your friends or whatever. That's really hard shit. Doesn't always work so well.

You can try to go back into the past and change the meaning of what's happened before so that you'll remember differently, you'll predict differently in the future. That's what psychotherapy is. That's what, you know, heartfelt conversations at two o'clock in the morning are with your friends or whatever. That's really hard shit. Doesn't always work so well.

The other thing that you can do, though, is if you realize that whatever you experience now becomes the seeds for predictions later, then you can invest in creating new experiences quite deliberately for yourself now. You can expose yourself to new ideas. You can... Expose yourself to people who are different than you.

The other thing that you can do, though, is if you realize that whatever you experience now becomes the seeds for predictions later, then you can invest in creating new experiences quite deliberately for yourself now. You can expose yourself to new ideas. You can... Expose yourself to people who are different than you.

You can practice cultivating particular experiences like you would practice any skill. And that will... Any new... Concepts you learn, new experiences you have in the moment, if you practice them, they become automatic predictions in the future.

You can practice cultivating particular experiences like you would practice any skill. And that will... Any new... Concepts you learn, new experiences you have in the moment, if you practice them, they become automatic predictions in the future.

Exactly.

Exactly.

Right, and remember, it's actually, the thinking comes after the action, right? So what will happen is the next time that you are approaching a table where a silver cup might be, your brain will already be starting to prepare the actions to go get the flowers.

Right, and remember, it's actually, the thinking comes after the action, right? So what will happen is the next time that you are approaching a table where a silver cup might be, your brain will already be starting to prepare the actions to go get the flowers.