logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2017
24m 19s

Money Talks

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
About this episode
How do you spend your money? On shoes, cars, coffee, fancy restaurants? You might think you use money just to, you know, buy stuff. But as Neeru Paharia explains, the way we spend often says a lot about who we are, and what we want to project. We use money to express our values — by going to the local coffee shop instead of Starbucks, or by boycotting — or b ... Show More
Up next
Jul 27
You Are Not Ordinary
Stories about unlikely heroes have captivated people for thousands of years. This week, social scientist Ben Rogers explores why the "hero's journey" resonates so deeply, and how the stories we tell about our own lives can shape our sense of purpose. He explains why seeing oursel ... Show More
1h 35m
Jul 20
How to Combat Pain
Pain feels like a simple message from the body. If your elbow hurts, there must be something wrong with your elbow. If your back is painfully stiff, you need some work done on your back. But psychologist Rachel Zoffness says our minds play a much larger role in our experience of ... Show More
50m 24s
Jul 13
Changing Our Mental Maps
As we move through the world, it's easy to imagine we're processing everything that happens around us and then deciding how to respond. But psychologist and neuroscientist Norman Farb says our brains actually navigate the world by coming up with mental maps. These maps act like a ... Show More
1h 34m
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2023
The Art of Spending Money
<p>The first episode -- who knows where this will go?<br/><br/>There is a science to spending money – how to find a bargain, how to make a budget, things like that.</p><p>But there’s also an art to spending. A part that can’t be quantified and varies person to person.</p><p>In <a ... Show More
33m 23s
Feb 2024
A Few Thoughts on Spending Money
<p>Behavioral finance is now well documented. But most of the attention goes to how people invest. But the study of how you spend money might be far more interesting -- and practical. How you spend money can reveal an existential struggle of what you find valuable in life, who yo ... Show More
12m 45s
Aug 2023
How I spend my money as a minimalist (why I'm not frugal)
<p>What do you spend your hard-earned money on?</p> 
9m 13s
Apr 2025
Introducing: What We Spend
Imagine if you could ask someone anything you wanted about their finances. On What We Spend, people from across the country and across the financial spectrum are opening their wallets—and their lives—to tell you everything: what they make, what they want, and—for one week—what th ... Show More
11m 5s
Dec 2024
The Art of Spending Money
Scott breaks down the best and worst purchases he’s ever made, and why he prefers spending money on experiences rather than things. He also shares how his childhood still impacts the way he thinks about spending. Scott and Ed then discuss how to navigate spending in common situat ... Show More
1h 3m
Dec 2022
The emotions behind your money habits | TED Business
Your money habits reveal a lot about you: your hopes, fears, dreams and other deep personal truths you may not even be aware of, says accountant Robert A. Belle. He shares how taking stock of your transaction history can unlock surprisingly valuable insights about what drives you ... Show More
14m 3s
May 2022
Is Your Money Emotional?
Is your money in it's feelings? On this week's episode we share something a bit lighter from an episode we did on the RETV network on how people feel about money and our perspectives on handling money where your personal and professional life is concerned. 
25m 32s
Apr 2025
Introducing: What We Spend
Imagine if you could ask someone anything you wanted about their finances. On What We Spend, people from across the country and across the financial spectrum are opening their wallets—and their lives—to tell you everything: what they make, what they want, and—for one week—what th ... Show More
2m 35s