logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2016
20m 32s

Episode 46: Blessings in Disguise?

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
About this episode
We have lots of ways to describe the good that can come from bad: a blessing in disguise, a silver lining — but what if the bad thing was truly awful? This week on Hidden Brain, framing and re-framing a tragedy. 
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
Jul 2025
How do I know if I'm being punished or tested? | Mufti Menk Podcast
Is every hardship a punishment? Not always. Sometimes, what seems bad is actually the biggest blessing. How? And when does success become a punishment?For more Clips from scholars like Mufti Menk, listen to Inside Islam Podcast — available on Apple and Spotify Hosted on Acast. Se ... Show More
2m 49s
Oct 2022
Letting The Universe Guide You
Has something bad or weird ever happened and you feel like it's a big tragedy until you look back on it in the future and realize if it hadn't happened some other good thing wouldn't have either? In this episode we talk about learning to trust the universe, focusing on the presen ... Show More
27m 31s
Jun 2017
S3E5 - 'Accident or Emergency?'
After last week's devastating clithanger, it's time to finally discover Belinda's fate... is it good or is it bad? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 
37m 19s
Feb 2022
Toxic positivity — when happiness becomes harmful
We're urged to stay positive and keep up a cheerful disposition ... but sometimes things are just awful, aren’t they? On All in the Mind this week we look at why we engage in toxic positivity, why it's so damaging when we do and whether something called 'tragic optimism' could be ... Show More
31m 20s
May 2024
The Perspective Of A Wheelchair
<p>What&#39;s a tragedy for one person can genuinely be a blessing for another. </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.selfimprovementdailytips.com/7-funda ... Show More
3m 31s
Jul 2022
Dark Social Attribution: Friend or Foe? - Most Clicked #32
In this episode, we discuss whether dark social attribution is a friend or foe. Are there better ways to leverage this than what currently exists? 
13m 23s
Nov 2021
S1 Ep37: Waking Up to Miraculous Talents
Traumatic brain injuries can be life-altering. Imagine surviving one and coming out the other side completely different. Furthermore, imagine suddenly being able to do things you’ve never done, like master a musical instrument, instantly calculate huge sums in your head or recall ... Show More
29m 34s
Aug 2020
Translation
<p>How close can words get you to the truth and feel and force of life? That's the question poking at our ribs this hour, as we wonder how it is that the right words can have the wrong meanings, and why sometimes the best translations lead us to an understanding that's way deeper ... Show More
1h 5m
Aug 2021
Reasons to Be Cheerful (Ep. 417 Rebroadcast)
<p>Humans have a built-in “negativity bias,” which means we give bad news much more power than good. Would the Covid-19 crisis be an opportune time to reverse this tendency?</p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.co ... Show More
52m 35s