logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2021
52m 28s

Is It Better to Know?

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
About this episode
Being able to see what’s happening around us can help us make smart decisions. But knowledge — especially knowledge of how others perceive us — can also hold us back, mire us in needless worry, and keep us from achieving our potential. This week, we look at the paradox of knowledge. 
Up next
Oct 5
When Bad Things Happen to Good People
When historian Kate Bowler was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer, she became fascinated by the ways people try to impose order on events they can't control. She joins us to explore what it means to live fully when life offers no satisfying explanation for the tragedies we may face. ... Show More
1h 32m
Sep 28
How to Make a Difference: Part 2
Think about the last time you had a discouraging thought. Maybe you told yourself, "This won't work. I'm not cut out for this." Did you take that thought as fact? Last week, we talked with psychologist Martin Seligman about why some people come to believe that their actions don’t ... Show More
49m 9s
Sep 21
How to Make a Difference: Part 1
Why do some people act on the possibilities before them, while others come to believe that nothing they do will make a difference? Psychologist Martin Seligman describes his groundbreaking research on learned helplessness, and explains how the stories we tell ourselves about setb ... Show More
48m 10s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2020
You Are Too Close To See The Truth
<p>Perspective is an amazing gift, but it's also important to recognize its limitations. If you're struggling to solve something, take a step back and ask for a new opinion. You might know too much to be able to adequately solve it.</p> 
2m 6s
Dec 2020
Sense of Curiosity
The idea that we know all information needed sets up barriers in the mind, preventing us from being curious and learning. In today’s podcast, we discuss keeping a genuine sense of curiosity. Want more Andy? Try Headspace today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoic ... Show More
4m 14s
Apr 2022
Not Knowing
Not knowing can feel deeply uncomfortable. But it can also open us up to new possibilities and discoveries. Thinking we know all the answers can really limit our perspectives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 
4m 45s
May 2020
Check the Facts
While feelings give us valuable information, they also can lead us to make poor decisions sometimes. In this episode, Kate and Michelle walk you through how to check the facts to ensure you're making decisions from your wise mind instead of from your emotion mind. Support the sho ... Show More
1h 14m
Dec 2020
30. Why Do We Seek Comfort in the Familiar?
<p>Also: is a little knowledge truly a dangerous thing?</p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p> 
35m 12s
Oct 2024
There's More To Be Present To
<p>Our perception is limited by our current level of awareness, information, and understanding. </p> <p><strong>New to the podcast? </strong><em>Check out some of the most popular episodes from the past that collectively serve as the</em><a href="https://grow.selfimprovementdaily ... Show More
3m 31s
Apr 2019
Wisdom
What is happening to us, now that we have access to all the world’s knowledge at our fingertips? If the headlines are to be believed, we are swimming upstream through relentless waves of alternative facts, drowning in an ocean of misinformation. And the internet? It’s the culprit ... Show More
28m 36s