logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2020
49m 2s

The Influence You Have

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
About this episode
Think about the last time you asked someone for something. Maybe you were nervous or worried about what the person would think of you. Chances are that you didn't stop to think about the pressure you were exerting on that person. This week, we explore a phenomenon that psychologists refer to as "egocentric bias," and look at how this bias can lead us astray. 
Up next
Jul 6
Waking Up Your Spiritual Brain: Part 2
Last week, we talked with psychologist Lisa Miller about the science of spirituality. Today, we explore what those ideas can look like in everyday life. Miller explains why moments of connection, spiritual practices, and even periods of suffering can sometimes open the door to de ... Show More
1h 33m
Jun 29
Waking Up Your Spiritual Brain: Part 1
Food, safety, and strong relationships are essential to our survival. Psychologist Lisa Miller says our brains also crave something else: transcendence. She suggests that spirituality is a universal human capacity, and that feeling connected to something larger than ourselves may ... Show More
50m 5s
Jun 22
Stepping Out of the Shadows
Why does one bad experience have the power to overshadow an otherwise good day? Psychologist Alison Ledgerwood explores the negativity bias, the deeply human tendency to hold on to what went wrong and overlook what went right. She explains why our minds are drawn to losses and th ... Show More
1h 28m
Recommended Episodes
May 2021
People Pleasing, Paralyzed By Doubt & Processing Your Feelings
What are the different ways we people please? Is it because we’re scared of confrontation? And why do some of us miss out on experiences because we’re scared we’ll regret trying it? We talk about this and also taking criticism, confidence, and knowing yourself. Socials: @teenager ... Show More
57m 45s
Sep 2021
How Stay Guard To The Entrance Of Your Mind!
Lets look at how your amazing mind can work against you. At how your sense feed your mind information that can either serve you or go against you. In this podcast, we look at how you can be more aware to what you input into your mind to get the desired outputs and results you wan ... Show More
11m 35s
Jun 2024
The Cult of You
Do you ever stop to notice how much pressure society puts on you to act a certain way, to be a certain way all the time? Well that’s socialization baby and we are here to expose it and let you know you can pave your own path! Join us to learn practical ways to spot socialization ... Show More
1h 2m
May 2019
The Fallacy of Alignment: Fundamental Attribution Error, Part 2
How do we consider and predict the actions and intentions of others? How much do we lean on an individual’s presumed internal disposition versus the particulars of their situation? In this Stuff to Blow Your Mind two-parter, Robert and Joe consider the fundamental attribution err ... Show More
34m 47s
Aug 2020
The Spotlight Effect
Ever feel like everyone in the Zoom call is looking at you? Ever astonished to find your contribution to a project goes unrecognized, or that your latest faux pas didn’t destroy you? Perhaps you’re not the central character in this narrative after all. In this episode of Stuff to ... Show More
1h 9m
Nov 2016
Ep 6. What The Heck Is a Cognitive Bias?
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">In this episode Kelli and Erica explore what cognitive biases (aka thinking biases) are and how they influence the way we perceive the world. Certain thinking biases can actually cause us to see the world through anxiety-tinted glasses. Lucky for us ... Show More
54m 18s
Dec 2020
It’s the word “pressure” for me
We make timelines in our minds for how we want our lives to go. But what happens when you put pressure on your spouse to meet your deadlines? The Ellises are going back to their conversation about pressure – the good and the bad that can come of it. Dead Ass. Learn more about you ... Show More
1h 1m
May 2021
mind your own business
Often it can feel like drama is all around us, like it follows us and we can’t get away from it. Or, we find ourselves seeking it when we know it’s bad for us. This week Emma is chatting about all things drama: how it occurs, why we’re drawn to it, and provides insight an example ... Show More
1h 10m
Feb 2024
The Illusion of Control, Part 1
In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe discuss our psychological tendency to overestimate our control over events, with implications for everything from gambling and paranormal beliefs to our movements through everyday life. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri ... Show More
39m 48s
May 2025
Escaping the trap of “I have reasons, you have excuses”
When that person up ahead in the right turn only lane puts their blinker on way too late and starts to merge across the solid line towards your lane, what are your thoughts about that person? When you you distinctly recall asking your partner to empty the recycling bin yesterday, ... Show More
18m 52s