Hidden Brain

US 2.0: Living With Our Differences

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Conflicts are inevitable — both at a global scale and in our personal lives. This week, in the latest in our US 2.0 series, psychologist Peter Colem...

US 2.0: Win Hearts, Then Minds

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There's a saying that's attributed to the Dalai Lama: in the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher. It's a nice idea, but in reality,...

US 2.0: What We Have In Common

29 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The United States, we’re told, is increasingly a house divided. Conservatives and progressives are so alienated from each other that conversation is...

Are Your Memories Real?

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We rely on our memory to understand the world. But what if our memories aren't true? This week, we talk to psychologist Elizabeth Loftus about the mal...

Finding Focus

15 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We spend more and more of our lives staring at screens. Our cellphones, smartwatches and laptops allow us to communicate instantly with people across ...

Where Do Feelings Come From?

08 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Most of us feel that our emotions are reactions to those outside of us. Someone cuts us off in traffic, and we say that the other driver made us upset...

Making the Most of Your Mistakes

01 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When we're learning, or trying new things, mistakes are inevitable. Some of these mistakes provide us with valuable information, while others are just...

What Would Socrates Do?

25 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Humans have wrestled with questions about identity and purpose for millennia. So it’s no surprise that the insights of people who lived hundreds or ...

How to Believe in Yourself

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When was the last time you set a goal and struggled to reach it? Perhaps you're trying to write a novel but can't seem to get started. Or maybe you wa...

The Ugly Side of Beauty

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We like to tell kids, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” But from a very early age, we humans are doing just that — judging others based on ho...

The Mystery of Beauty

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Think about the last time you were struck by a gorgeous painting in a museum, or heard a song that brought you to tears. All of us know what it’s li...

Healing 2.0: The Power of Apologies

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why is it so hard to say 'I'm sorry?' In the final episode of our Healing 2.0 series, we talk with psychologist Tyler Okimoto about the mental barrier...

Healing 2.0: Disrupting Death

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2019, Justin Harrison's mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer. But by the time she died, he had figured out how to keep a part of her alive...fore...

Healing 2.0: Life After Loss

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You've probably heard that people who lose a loved one may go through what are known as the "five stages" of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depress...

Healing 2.0: What We Gain from Pain

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve all heard the saying, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” But is there any truth to this idea? This week, we explore the concept...

Healing 2.0: Change Your Story, Change Your Life

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We all tell stories about ourselves, often without realizing we’re doing so. How we frame those stories can profoundly shape our lives. In the kicko...

The Enemies of Gratitude

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of the mysteries of human behavior is that it’s often easier for us to focus on what’s going wrong than on what’s going right in our lives. ...

Follow the Anomalies

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As we move through our lives, we have to make decisions both big and small. Some are banal: What will I eat for breakfast today? Should I drive or bik...

How to Spot a Scam

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We like to think that con artists only prey upon the weak, or gullible. But psychologist Dan Simons says all of us can fall victim to scams, because t...

Escaping Perfectionism

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Perfectionism is everyone’s favorite flaw. It’s easy to assume that our push to be perfect is what leads to academic, athletic, and professional s...

The Secret to Great Teams

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's easy to think that the best teams are collections of highly accomplished or talented individuals, working under a skilled leader. But that's no g...

Outsmarting Yourself

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After we make a decision, we often tell ourselves a story about why our choice was the right one to make. It's a mental process that psychologist Elli...

How We Live With Contradictions

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Think about the last time you did something you knew was wrong. How did you explain your actions to yourself? All of us tell stories about why we do t...

Being Kind to Yourself

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How often do you say something negative to yourself that you'd never utter to someone else? Self-criticism can often feel like a way to hold ourselves...

You 2.0: Make the Good Times Last

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sorrows have a way of finding us, no matter how hard we try to avoid them. Joys, on the other hand, are often hard to notice and appreciate. This week...

You 2.0: Slow Down!

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s understandable that we sometimes dwell on things that upset us. But our negative emotions can keep us from savoring the good things in our live...

You 2.0: Your Future Is Now

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever set a goal and had a really difficult time sticking to it? Maybe you decide you want to save more money, or go to the gym more often. Th...

You 2.0: How to Break Out of a Rut

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are times in life when the challenges we face feel insurmountable. Authors succumb to writer's block. Athletes and artists hit a plateau. People...

The Truth About Honesty

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Think about how often you hold back honest opinions of someone else because you don’t want to hurt their feelings. But there are times when this wel...

Learning From Your Mistakes

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

No matter who you are, it's guaranteed that at some point in life you'll make a mistake. Many of us find failures to be uncomfortable — so we try ou...

The Path to Enough

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we bring you the second part of our conversation on the perils of too much pleasure. Psychiatrist Anna Lembke explains the neuroscience beh...

The Paradox of Pleasure

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

All of us think we know what addiction looks like: it’s the compulsive consumption of drugs, alcohol, or nicotine. But psychiatrist Anna Lembke argu...

How Others See You

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's not easy to know how we come across to others, especially when we're meeting people for the first time. Psychologist Erica Boothby says many of u...

The Best Years of Your Life

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Aging isn’t just a biological process. Our outlook and emotions also change as we age, often in ways that boost our well-being. Psychologist Laura C...

When to Eat the Marshmallow

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Think about the last time you resisted watching yet another episode of your favorite TV show, or decided not to have a second piece of cake at a frien...

Between Two Worlds

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Determination, hard work and sacrifice are core ingredients in the story of the American dream. But philosopher Jennifer Morton argues there is anothe...

Seeking Serenity: Part 2

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the second part of our series on the science of meditation, Richard Davidson continues his endeavor to unite seemingly opposite ways of understandi...

Seeking Serenity: Part 1

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In graduate school, neuroscientist Richard Davidson learned to use scientific tools as a way to examine the brain. At the same time, he also started s...

Success 2.0: Getting to the Top and Staying There

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are plenty of talented people in the world. So why do only a tiny percentage of us reach the highest peaks of achievement? This week, we conclud...

Success 2.0: The Psychology of Self-Doubt

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We all have times when we feel like a fraud. In the latest installment of our Success 2.0 series, we revisit a favorite 2021 conversation with psychol...

Success 2.0: The Obstacles You Don't See

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Think about the last time you tried to bring up an idea at work, and it was shot down. What did you do? Most of us think the best way to win people ov...

Introducing Hidden Brain+

14 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Do you love the ideas we explore on Hidden Brain and want more of them? Then please join Hidden Brain+, our new podcast subscription. You’ll find ne...

Success 2.0: Getting What You Want

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We all rely on incentives to get people to do things they might otherwise avoid. Parents reward kids for doing their homework. Companies offer bonuses...

Success 2.0: Taking the Leap

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

American culture celebrates those who persevere in the face of adversity. So how do we know when to walk away from something that's not working? Today...

A Secret Source of Connection

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We all have moments in our lives when we see someone who could use a helping hand. It could be a friend who recently went through a breakup, an elderl...

Remember More, Forget Less

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It happens to the best of us — we blank on someone's name, or forget an important meeting, or bomb a test we thought we'd ace.   Today on the show,...

Crying Wolf

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It used to be that we tried our best to conceal disadvantages, hardships, and humiliations. But new research explores a curious shift: some people are...

The Snowball Effect

06 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why do some companies become household names, while others flame out? How do certain memes go viral? And why do some social movements take off and spr...

Less is More

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At every stage of life, there are moments when we need buy-in from other people. Yet most of us make a fundamental error when we try to persuade other...

How To Make Amends

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When James and Donovan first met, they knew little about each other, except that Donovan had stolen James' bike. Donovan got caught, and spent a month...

Made of Honor

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Stories help us make sense of the world, and can even help us heal from trauma. They also shape our cultural narratives, for better and for worse. Thi...

Revealing Your Unconscious: Part 2

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the second part of our series on implicit bias, we explore the relationship between beliefs and behaviors. We also talk with psychologist Mahzarin ...

Revealing Your Unconscious: Part 1

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Would you consider yourself to be prejudiced against people who are different from you? Most of us would say no. But in the late 1990s, researchers cr...

How Your Beliefs Shape Reality

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As you move through the world, it's inevitable that your way of seeing things won't always align with the people around you. Maybe you disagree with t...

Happiness 2.0: The Reset Button

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many of us rush through our lives, chasing goals and just trying to get everything done. But that can blind us to a very simple source of joy that's a...

Happiness 2.0: Surprising Sources of Joy

23 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes, life can feel like being stuck on a treadmill. No matter how hard you try to feel happier, you end up back where you started. What’s goin...

Happiness 2.0: Cultivating Your Purpose

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Having a sense of purpose can be a buffer against the challenges we all face at various stages of life. Purpose can also boost our health and longevit...

Happiness 2.0: The Only Way Out Is Through

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's natural to want to run away from difficult emotions such as grief, anger and fear. But what happens when these feelings catch up with us? This we...

Happiness 2.0: The Path to Contentment

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many of us believe that hard work and persistence are the key to achieving our goals. But is that true when it comes to the pursuit of happiness? This...

When You Need It To Be True

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When we want something very badly, it can be hard to see warning signs that might be obvious to other people. This week, we revisit a favorite episode...

Persuasion: Part 2

23 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Think back to the last time someone convinced you to do something you didn't want to do, or to spend money you didn't want to spend. What techniques d...

Persuasion: Part 1

16 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We all exert pressure on each other in ways small and profound. We recommend movies or books to a friend. We convince a colleague to take a different ...

Who's In Your Inner Circle?

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you think about the people in your life, it's likely that they share a lot in common with you. Maybe they like the same kinds of food, or enjoy the...

Who Do You Want To Be?

02 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We all have to make certain choices in life, such as where to live and how to earn a living.  Parents and peers influence our major life choices. But...

You, But Better

26 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's the time of year when many of us make resolutions for the year ahead. We pledge to quit smoking, eat better, or get more exercise. Then a few wee...

How to Complain Productively

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We often look down on people who complain a lot. Yet when something goes wrong in our own lives, many of us go straight to griping, grumbling and kvet...

An Ancient Solution to Modern Problems

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

People in every country and culture mark important milestones, such as births, marriages and deaths, with intricately choreographed scripts. We even a...

The Secret to Gift Giving

05 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With the holidays upon us, many of us are hunting for that special something for the special someones in our lives.  It's how we show we care about t...

Relationships 2.0: What Makes Relationships Thrive

28 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone wants to be loved and appreciated. In the final episode of our Relationships 2.0 series, we revisit a conversation with psychologist Harry Re...

Relationships 2.0: When Did Marriage Become So Hard?

21 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

No one will deny that marriage is hard. In fact, there's evidence it's getting even harder. This week on the show, we revisit a favorite episode from ...

Relationships 2.0: An Antidote to Loneliness

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When you go to a medical appointment, your doctor may ask you several questions. Do you smoke? Have you been getting exercise? Are you sleeping? But r...

Relationships 2.0: The Power of Tiny Interactions

07 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As you're going about your day, you likely interact with family, friends and coworkers. These relationships can help you feel cared for and connected....

Relationships 2.0: How To Keep Conflict From Spiraling

31 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to conflict, most of us just want to shut it down. But psychological research is increasingly taking a different approach to discord, wi...

A Better Way to Worry

24 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Anxiety is an uncomfortable emotion, which is why most of us try to avoid it.  But psychologist Tracy Dennis-Tiwary says our anxiety is also trying t...

Thriving in the Face of Contradiction

17 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We all face tough decisions in life, whether we're juggling the demands of work and family or deciding whether to take a new job. These situations oft...

Did I Really Do That?

10 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever been falsely accused of something? Many of us think there’s only one way we’d act in such a situation: we’d defend ourselves. We’...

Watch Your Mouth

03 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you're bilingual or multilingual, you may have noticed that different languages make you stretch in different ways. This week, we revisit a favorit...

Taking Control of Your Time

26 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Many of us feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. We struggle to make time for all the competing demands at work and at home, and inevitably ...

How to Really Know Another Person

19 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

So often, we think we know what other people are thinking. But researchers have found that our attempts at reading other people go wrong more often th...

Decoding Emotions

12 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We like to think that all humans are born with the same core emotions: anger, fear, joy, sadness and disgust.  But what if that's not true? This week...

Making the World a Safer Place

05 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

All of us want to feel safe in our daily lives. Yet when we think about crime, our first response is often a blanket approach: find the bad guys, and ...

You 2.0: How to Open Your Mind

29 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the United States, we often praise people with strong convictions, and look down on those who express doubt or hesitation.  In this favorite 2021 ...

You 2.0: Overcoming Stage Fright

22 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The pressure. The expectations. The anxiety. If there’s one thing that many of us have in common, it’s the stress that can come from performing in...

You 2.0: The Mind's Eye

15 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some challenges can feel insurmountable. But psychologist Emily Balcetis says the solutions are often right in front of our eyes. This week, as part o...

You 2.0: How To See Yourself Clearly

08 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How well do we know ourselves? Maybe the better question to ask is how well can we truly know ourselves? Psychologist Tim Wilson says introspection on...

You 2.0: Befriending Your Inner Voice

01 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You know that negative voice that goes round and round in your head, keeping you up at night?  When that negative inner voice gets switched on, it's ...

Reframing Your Reality: Part 2

25 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We often assume that we see ourselves and the world around us accurately. But psychologist Alia Crum says that our perceptions are always filtered thr...

Reframing Your Reality: Part 1

18 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We often assume that we see ourselves and the world around us accurately. But psychologist Alia Crum says that our perceptions are always filtered thr...

Separating Yourself from the Pack

11 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever gotten into a heated argument about politics? Maybe you’ve said something you're not proud of during game night with friends, or booed...

What We Gain from Pain

04 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We've all heard the saying, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." But is there any truth to this idea? This week, we explore the concept of post...

A Founding Contradiction

27 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." Those words, penned by Thomas Jefferson 246 years ago, continue to inspire ...

The Premonition

20 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When Paul Burnham was a teenager, he received what felt like a premonition: he would die at the age of 54. Now, he's 54. This week, what his story of ...

Why You're Smarter Than You Think

13 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

From the time we are schoolchildren, we are ranked and sorted based on how smart we are. But what if our assumptions about intelligence limit our pote...

Do Less

06 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The human drive to invent new things has led to pathbreaking achievements in medicine, science and society. But  our desire for innovation can keep u...

Money 2.0: Let's Go Shopping!

30 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What do the things you buy say about you? Many of us like to think of ourselves as immune to slick advertising and celebrity endorsements. But like it...

Money 2.0: The Rich and the Rest of Us

23 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Where do you stand on the income ladder? Do you think of yourself as rich, as poor, or as somewhere in between? Our perceptions of wealth — our own,...

Money 2.0: Emotional Currency

16 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What’s the point of money? The answer might seem obvious: we need it to get paid for our work and to buy the things we need. But there’s also a de...

Money 2.0: Why We Bust Our Budgets

09 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Have you had a recent surprise expense? You're not alone. More than half of American households report facing an unplanned financial shock in the last...

Money 2.0: Rewrite Your Money Story

02 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Money worries are one of the biggest sources of anxiety in the lives of Americans. This week, we kick off our new "Money 2.0" series with psychologist...

The Logic of Rage

25 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Neuroscientist Doug Fields was on a trip to Europe when a pickpocket stole his wallet. Doug, normally mild-mannered, became enraged — and his fury t...