You've been told depression is a chemical imbalance in your brain. That the way you think is distorted. That's the story we've heard for decades. What if I tell you a Cornell psychologist has spent 30 years arguing depression isn't a defect at all, but a signal your body is sending to keep you from harm?. 🧵

“A lot of these assumptions we have about human potential are really outdated and just wrong.” Measures like IQ tests tend to categorize our abilities. But as @sbkaufman explains, these tests only tell us so much. open.spotify.com/episode/…

"My marriage is broken because I'm doing something wrong." That's what most of us assume when we're struggling. What if I tell you the expectations of modern marriage are higher than they've ever been in human history?🧵

Ever noticed how people instinctively defend themselves when receiving feedback? Maybe you’ve caught yourself doing it, too. This week, we continue our conversation with neuroscientist Emily Falk to explore why we tend to push back against suggestions—and how we can become better listeners. Plus, how to offer feedback in a way that truly resonates. hiddenbrain.org/podcast/i…

It’s almost time for our next Hidden Brain live show! Join Shankar at the Orpheum in Los Angeles on November 22. He’ll be sharing seven key insights from Hidden Brain’s first decade. More info and tickets at hiddenbrain.org/tour/

You want to get up earlier. You really do. It would make your morning so much smoother. But that alarm goes off and, against all reason, you do it — you hit the snooze button. In this week’s episode, why our minds often conspire against our best interests, and how we can regain some control. apple.co/3IaGL62

Steph Curry can thread passes to teammates he isn't even looking at. Watch him do it and it looks like magic. It isn't. There's a specific reason his brain can do this, and it's not a simple matter of talent.

Just a few days left until our next Hidden Brain live show! Join Shankar at the Orpheum in Los Angeles on November 22. He’ll be sharing seven key insights from Hidden Brain’s first decade. More info and tickets at hiddenbrain.org/tour/

When it comes to our goals, plans, or pursuits, it’s very easy to get lost in romantic ideas about the future. The poetry, if you will. But the poetry can often get in the way of the planning and preparation needed to execute those ideas in the first place. In this week’s episode, we talk to @huggyrao about how to combine poetry and plumbing to turn vision into reality. open.spotify.com/episode/…

In January 2009, John Roberts was swearing in Barack Obama as president of the United States. Both men had spent decades in the public eye. Roberts was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Obama had campaigned coast to coast. But there was a simple sentence that kept tripping them up.🧵

We like to think our choices, our thoughts, and our habits are entirely our own. But in reality, our individual choices are often echoes of centuries of cultural evolution. This week, a conversation with anthropologist @JoHenrich about how culture, history, and psychology intersect. open.spotify.com/episode/…

Nearly two billion people across the globe live with chronic pain. And psychologist @DrZoffness says much of that pain is being mistreated. This week, what's really happening when we experience pain, and how to address it. t.co/oqyUtWU39C

In the late 17th century, a Swiss medical student named Johannes Hofer watched homesick soldiers stationed far from their mountain homes. They couldn't eat or sleep. He decided their condition was a brain disease and gave it a name: nostalgia. 🧵