Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.
503 episodes transcribedThere 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...
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...
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...
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 new...
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...
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...
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...
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, we...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
In the second part of our series on implicit bias, we explore the relationship between beliefs and behaviors. We also talk with psychologist Mahzarin...
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...
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...
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...
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 going...
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...
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...
