In this episode, Dr David Yeager, professor of psychology at the University of Texas, Austin, discusses how people of any age can use growth mindset and stress-is-enhancing mindsets to improve motivation and performance. We explain the best mindset for mentors and being mentored and how great leaders motivate others with high standards and support. We also discuss why a sense of purpose is essential to goal pursuit and achievement. Whether you are a parent, teacher, boss, coach, student or someone wanting to improve a skill or overcome a particular challenge, this episode provides an essential framework for adopting performance-enhancing mindsets leading to success.
00:00:00 Dr. David Yeager
00:01:49 Sponsors: AeroPress & ROKA
00:04:20 Growth Mindset; Performance, Self-Esteem
00:10:31 “Wise” Intervention, Teaching Growth Mindset
00:15:12 Stories & Writing Exercises
00:19:42 Effort Beliefs, Physiologic Stress Response
00:24:44 Stress-Is-Enhancing vs Stress-Is-Debilitating Mindsets
00:29:28 Sponsor: AG1
00:30:58 Language & Importance, Stressor vs. Stress Response
00:37:54 Physiologic Cues, Threat vs Challenge Response
00:44:35 Mentor Mindset & Leadership; Protector vs Enforcer Mindset
00:53:58 Sponsor: Waking Up
00:55:14 Strivings, Social Hierarchy & Adolescence, Testosterone
01:06:28 Growth Mindset & Transferability, Defensiveness
01:11:36 Challenge, Environment & Growth Mindset
01:19:08 Goal Pursuit, Brain Development & Adaptation
01:24:54 Emotions; Loss vs. Gain & Motivation
01:32:28 Skill Building & Challenge, Purpose Motivation
01:39:59 Contribution Value, Scientific Work & Scrutiny
01:50:01 Self-Interest, Contribution Mindset
01:58:05 Criticism, Negative Workplaces vs. Growth Culture
02:06:51 Critique & Support; Motivation; Standardized Tests
02:16:40 Mindset Research
02:23:53 Outro
Courtney Conley is an internationally renowned foot and gait specialist. In this episode, Courtney delves into the intricate world of foot anatomy and functionality. She explores the complexities of the foot, discussing its anatomy, common injuries, and the importance of understanding its structure in preventing issues. She covers a range of foot ailments, factors contributing to them, treatment options, and prevention strategies. She delves into the significance of loading, balance, range of motion, and posture, emphasizing the crucial role of strength in preventing both injuries and falls. Additionally, she sheds light on the interconnectedness of the kinetic chain, from the leg muscles down to the foot, and how issues within this chain can cascade downstream, leading to various injuries and pathologies. Additionally, she provides a comprehensive overview of footwear, discussing suitable options for both adults and children to promote foot health and mitigate potential problems.
0:00:00 Intro
0:01:11 Why Courtney chose to specialize in the foot
0:04:12 The vital role of foot strength, function, and health in human movement and well-being
0:08:25 Anatomy of the rear foot and midfoot
0:19:10 The development of flat feet, the impact of footwear, and the benefits of going barefoot
0:23:20 Anatomy of the forefoot, common injuries, and why most injuries occur in the forefoot
0:31:00 Foot musculature and its role in maintaining foot stability and preventing deformities like bunions and hammer toes
0:41:00 The intrinsic musculature of the foot, plantar fasciitis, footwear, & more
0:54:41 Plantar fasciitis: diagnosis, causes, and treatment
1:03:45 Posterior leg muscles: strength assessment methods, role in ACL injuries, & more
1:09:27 Lateral and medial muscles: ankle stability, arch support, big toe stabilization, and exercises to strengthen and prevent injuries
1:13:56 Importance of strength of lower leg muscles for gait and preventing shin splints, stress injuries, & more
1:19:21 Tendinopathies and other common pathologies related to the anterior and lateral compartments of the foot
1:26:55 The importance of midfoot integrity and ankle dorsiflexion and a discussion of gait alterations
1:34:57 Proximal stability and its implications for posture and movement patterns
1:41:23 The age-related decline in foot sensation and strength
1:45:49 Common toe injuries, treatment, and how to prevent further progression of the injury
1:57:33 Preventing falls & managing arthritis with proactive foot care & exercises
2:06:20 Footwear: advice for picking shoes that promote foot health
2:19:05 Footwear for runners
2:23:39 The importance of prioritizing footwear that promotes natural foot movement & strength while considering individual comfort & foot health needs
The state of race relations in America seemed to be improving for decades, then crashed and burned over the last 5 years. What’s going on? Why is everyone so obsessed with race again and how can we move beyond race politics?
Expect to learn why anti-racism is just neo-racism, the difference between being colourblind and actually being racist, why your social class is more important than your ethnicity, whether MeToo hurt women more than helping them, if there is a realistic case for DEI, whether any race-based policies have ever worked and much more…
Drs. John and Julie Gottman are world-leading relationship researchers, studying couples for over 40 years, and publishing over 200 academic journal articles and 46 books. They are the co-founders of The Gottman Institute and Love Lab.
00:00:00 Intro
00:02:43 What mission are you on & Why study love?
00:07:06 Studying traits of successful couples
00:09:03 Link between relationships & our health
00:12:51 What is the love lab?
00:15:41 The misconceptions about relationships
00:17:52 How to connect with your partner
00:27:44 What is the 'attuned' framework?
00:32:46 Why does typical couples therapy often fail?
00:35:17 The 7 Principles of a successful marriage
00:38:45 Do partners' dreams need to be aligned?
00:40:45 69% of our problems are not solvable
00:48:41 What to do when your partner wants to change you
00:51:19 The four horsemen
00:58:21 What is flooding?
01:03:31 What's a 'caretaker' in a relationship
01:06:31 Conflict misunderstandings
01:08:34 How to become a master at conflict resolution
01:11:41 How to repair/fix relationship issues
01:19:22 What have you learnt about the role of kissing
01:22:25 The role of sex in a relationship
01:29:58 Our society is becoming more sexless
01:32:18 Men struggling to figure out where they fit into society
01:37:50 What do women really want in a man?
01:39:59 Talking about sex makes your sex life better
01:44:30 Betrayal in a relationship
01:45:14 The traits that show a failing relationship
01:49:20 Asking your partner about their dreams
01:51:28 Advice to give a relationship its best shot
01:53:21 The most interesting conclusions from The Love Lab
01:55:39 What does Julie mean to you, John
01:56:36 What does John mean to you, Julie
01:58:38 Why did you write this book
01:59:54 The Last Guest's question
Many of us discover alcohol as a teenager. We start to believe we can’t socialise, dance or talk to strangers without it – and we carry these myths with us long into adulthood. We think others will find us boring if we don’t drink. Hangovers become a celebrated end to a ‘great night out’. And we play down negative effects such as risky behaviour, poor sleep, low mood or junk food cravings.
Andy is passionate about reversing all these beliefs and behaviours. He explains his ‘ambivalence seesaw’ – a framework you can use to work out your current relationship with alcohol and start to shift it. We discuss why moderation isn’t a good tactic, why Dry January often fails, and why slip-ups are part of the learning process. And he shares some valuable advice on coping with social pressure to drink, and cultivating a kinder self-talk.
Dr Cal Newport, a professor of computer science at Georgetown University and author of numerous books on focus and productivity, discusses how to avoid digital distraction, specific systems to best arrange and update your schedule, and how to curate your work and home environment. This episode provides specific protocols for enhancing focus and productivity, time management, task prioritization, and improving work-life balance that ought to be useful for anyone, young or old, regardless of profession.
Neuroscientist Kristen Lindquist on how even on a biological level, emotions are entirely subjective. According to this neuroscientist, your emotions look different from those of someone who grew up on the other side of the world.
Kristen Lindquist, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, explores the concept of 'affective realism,' where our emotional experiences dictate our true reality. Emotions, Lindquist explains, are cultural artifacts, passed down like art or language, and are distinct reflections of both our biological makeup and our societal norms.
Individualistic societies like the United States and collectivist cultures like Japan interpret emotions like anger differently, leading to varied physiological responses. These findings suggest that there are no “universal emotional expressions,” that even facial muscle movements we associate with certain feelings are not globally recognized, but are instead interpreted through a cultural lens.
Lindquist's work invites us to consider our own emotional responses, encouraging a more open-minded approach to interpreting the feelings of others. Through this understanding, we can appreciate the unique perspectives each individual brings, to eventually unlock better solutions for understanding the world around us.
Dr Jordan Peterson speaks with author Abigail Shrier. They discuss her first book, “Irreversible Damage,” as well as her latest publication, “Bad Therapy: Why The Kids Aren’t Growing Up". From this, they break down the state of the therapeutic industry, the overgrown tendency of professionals to “treat the well, rather than the sick,” the existence and need for necessary trauma, and the now-generational impact of harmful therapy, and by extension, harmful parenting.
Dr Rhonda Patrick is an biomedical scientist, researcher and a podcaster. Determining the best actions to take for enhancing our health and extending our lives has grown more challenging. There are an unlimited number of wellness approaches at our disposal, thankfully Dr Patrick has dedicated her professional life to identifying the most evidence-based strategies for improving our health and longevity. Expect to learn if low omega 3s are worse for you than smoking cigarettes, what Rhonda’s thoughts are on vaping and nicotine, the best foods to boost your metabolism, the once a week workout that can de-age your heart by 20 years, how to get the benefits of heat exposure if you don’t have a sauna, the terrifying health risks of being too sedentary and much more…
Dr Andrew Huberman discusses the importance of oral health for dental and microbiome health and general physical and mental well-being. He explains science-supported protocols for strengthening your teeth and gums, including how to remineralize your teeth. He covers the best approaches and timing for brushing and flossing, tongue, gum, and oral microbiome care and how oral health is critically important to offset metabolic, cardiac, and brain diseases, including dementia. He also discusses proper nutrition for oral health, fluoride, and how sugar and mouth breathing can accelerate tooth decay. This episode ought to be of interest to everyone seeking to improve their physical health, mental health, and lifespan, given the critical role that oral health plays in all of these.
Everybody seemingly has some sort of problem they’re trying to “parent” out of their kids - they aren’t responsible, they won’t listen, they’re disrespectful - but what if every problem was caused by a few simple things? How would that change your approach to parenting and other relationships?
In this episode, Dr. Becky Kennedy shares insights on your relationship with your partner, regulating your emotions, setting screen time boundaries, and how parents get in the way. Almost everything she shares applies not just to parenting but to every relationship in your life - with your partner, your kids, your colleagues, and your customers.
You’ll learn how to frame things differently, repair a relationship after a heated argument, the three steps to regulate emotions, the key to unlocking the next level in all your relationships, and how to identify the core problems that trickle turn messy situations and how to fix them.
Dr Robert Glover is a therapist, coach and an author. Being nice is something many of us aspire to become. After all, who doesn’t want to be nice? Well Nice Guy Syndrome has been ruining the lives of many men for decades, so perhaps we should aspire to be something else. Expect to learn what is actually wrong with being a nice guy, why men become so afraid of putting their needs first, how to stop people pleasing without being a bad guy, why nice guys end up resentful and bitter, whether nice guys attract or repel women and much more…
Dr Stuart McGill is a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Waterloo and the chief scientific officer at Backfitpro Inc. where he specializes in evaluating complex cases of lower back pain from across the globe. In this episode, Stuart engages in a deep exploration of lower back pain, starting with the anatomy of the lower back, the workings of the spine, the pathophysiology of back pain, and areas of vulnerability. He challenges the concept of nonspecific back pain, emphasizing the importance of finding a causal relationship between injury and pain. Stuart highlights compelling case studies of the successful treatment of complex cases of lower back pain, reinforcing his conviction that nobody needs to suffer endlessly. He also covers the importance of strength and stability, shares his favorite exercises to prescribe to patients, and provides invaluable advice for maintaining a healthy spine.
0:00:00 Intro 0:00:30 Peter’s experience with debilitating back pain 0:14:11 Anatomy of the back: spine, discs, facet joints, and common pain points 0:24:48 Lower back injuries and pain: acute vs. chronic, impact of disc damage, microfractures, and more 0:31:30 Why the majority of back injuries happen around the L4, L5, and S1 joints 0:37:20 How the spine responds to forces like bending and loading, and how it adapts do different athletic activities 0:45:12 The pathology of bulging discs 0:48:33 The pathophysiology of Peter’s back pain, injuries from excessive loading, immune response to back injuries, muscle relaxers, and more 0:59:36 The three most important exercises Stuart prescribes, how he assesses patients, and the importance of tailored exercises based on individual needs and body types 1:12:46 The significance of strength and stability in preventing injuries and preserving longevity 1:25:33 Stuart’s take on squats and deadlifting: potential risks, alternatives, and importance of correct movement patterns 1:37:08 Helping patients with psychological trauma from lower back pain by empowering them with the understanding of the mechanical aspects of their pain 1:46:59 Empowering patients through education and understanding of their pain through Stuart’s clinic and work through BackFitPro 1:56:08 When surgical interventions may be appropriate, and “virtual surgery” as an alternative 2:05:48 Weakness, nerve pain, and stenosis: treatments, surgical considerations, and more 2:11:21 Tarlov cysts: treatment and surgical considerations 2:13:34 The evolution of patient assessments and the limitations of MRI 2:18:40 Pain relief related to stiffness and muscle bulk through training 2:26:49 Advice for the young person on how to keep a healthy spine 2:39:24 Resources for individuals dealing with lower back pain
In an age where a seemingly endless amount of gimmicky back products are in circulation, a definitive guide to self-assessment and rehabilitation is more essential than ever. Back Mechanic guides you through a self-assessment of your pain triggers, then shows you how to avoid these roadblocks to recovery. Then effective exercises are coached in a step by step progressive plan. Spine expert, Dr Stuart McGill used his 30 years of research findings and clinical investigations to create this evidence-based guide that has helped thousands reclaim their lives. This knowledge is now available to you in this richly illustrated book. You will become your own best Back Mechanic and advocate.
Dr Daniel Lieberman is the Chair of the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. His research focuses on how the human body has evolved to be the way it is. He is the author of the best-selling books, ‘The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease’ and ‘Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding’.
In this conversation Dr Daniel Lieberman and Steven discuss topics, such as if human evolution is going backwards and what we can learn from hunter-gatherers.
00:00:00 Intro 00:02:00 What do you do, and why do you do it? 00:03:09 Are we actually a good species? 00:05:11 Do our ancestors hold the answer to all our health needs? 00:07:32 Have we evolved to eat meat? 00:10:33 How did we learn to hunt and gather? 00:17:03 Have we evolved to breathe wrong? 00:19:28 Why do we sweat? 00:24:23 When did our brains get so big? 00:29:55 Why do we struggle to diet? 00:38:31 Modern-day mismatched diseases 00:42:41 Why did you write a book about food? 00:45:02 Has our culture moved too fast? 00:46:15 We've decided to live with diseases rather than prevent them. 00:50:13 The modern foods we eat have affected the way we look. 00:53:02 Is cancer a consequence of our modern society? 00:58:34 How our bodies store energy 01:05:23 The keto diet and fasting 01:09:44 Are we too comfortable as a society? 01:14:59 Puberty has changed, and we’re going into it earlier than ever before. 01:16:37 The dangers of sitting down all day like we do. 01:20:08 What should people take away most from this conversation? 01:24:16 The products we put on our bodies, are they toxic? 01:30:06 The last guest's question
South Korea is an incredible country with a vibrant culture... but it’s also undergoing what’s possibly the worst mental health crisis in the world.
So between playing video games, hosting a reader meet-up and eating some of the spiciest f*cking food of my life, Mark went out to discover what intense social pressures foster such high rates of anxiety and depression.
Active learning: Someone tells you what to learn, how to learn it, on a set schedule, on pre-selected standardized topics.
Passive learning: You let your mind wander with no intended destination. You read and learn broadly, talk to people from various backgrounds, and stumble haphazardly across topics you had never considered but spark your curiosity, often because it’s the topic you happen to need at that specific time of your life.
Most of what I’ve learned in life has come from passive learning.
An ultra-processed food (UPF) is any food that’s processed industrially and created for big-business profit, rather than to provide nutrients. And here in the UK, UPF makes up 60 percent of the average diet. The trouble is, says Chris, UPFs have been shown to be the leading cause of early death in the world, ahead of tobacco. Even if you remain at what is considered a healthy weight, consuming UPFs still leaves you vulnerable to things like Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, dementia, anxiety, depression, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer and eating disorders.
In this conversation, Chris provides a clear definition of the difference between processing and ultra-processing, and explains how our toxic food environment is designed to be addictive. We also discuss a whole range of different topics such as the need to see obesity as a condition and not an identity and the seemingly revolutionary idea that re-prioritising food shopping and cooking as a vital, enjoyable part of our day, could be a first step towards the societal change that’s urgently needed.
00:00:00 Intro
02:17:00 What Mission Are You On?
04:48:00 Mental Illness and Where It Comes From
08:25:00 Is Happiness Something We Be Should Chasing?
14:14:00 How The Modern World Is increasing Suicide Rates
21:04:00 The Modern World Is Shining A Light On Our Own Wrong Doings
21:07:00 What Is Romantic Love
26:18:00 Why People Have Daddy Issues
29:57:00 How Do We Become Aware Of Our Own Destructive Cycles?
37:56:00 Conflict Resolution
40:49:00 True Love and Total Honesty
42:17:00 Sexless Relationships aand How To Navigate Them
46:12:00 Why Does Sex Matter?
52:26:00 How Do We Stop Our Partners Getting Bored Of Us?
55:19:00 Core Habits A Long Last Relationship Needs
01:05:08 Can We Ever Truly Heal From Our Traumas?
01:07:18 The Power Of Distance In A Relationship
01:11:54 Ads
01:12:47 Why Did You Write A Book Called The Therapeutic Journey
01:20:44 What Is Resilience?
01:22:42 What Do You Hope People Will Learn From This Book?
01:25:44 The Last Guest's Question
00:03:02 Improving and Reviving People’s Relationships
00:06:17 The Impact of Childhood on Relationship Patterns
00:13:16 Navigating Couple Dynamics
00:24:41 Invest in Your Relationship
00:31:57 Reviving the Spark
00:34:51 The Words You Need To Use In Your Relationship
00:38:03 Transforming Conflict into Connection
00:46:36 Challenges of Connection in the Next Generations
00:49:27 Are Younger Generations Less Resilient?
00:51:19 Eroticism
00:56:44 Managing Expectations on Your Relationship
00:59:55 Romanticism in Relationships
01:02:17 The Power of Communication
01:06:25 Feminism, Gender Roles, and Sexual Dynamics
01:12:09 Are Couples Having Less Sex?
01:17:40 The Impact of Pornography on Relationships
01:19:42 Why Relationships Can Go Sexless For Years and How To Fix It
01:30:13 The Sex Game
01:35:56 The Real Reason People Cheat
01:42:41 Introducing New Things into Your Relationship
01:52:24 Actionable Advice for Couples
00:00 Introduction 00:36 Lesson #1: People respect you only as much as you respect yourself 06:02 Lesson #2: You give power to those you blame 10:40 Lesson #3: The quality of your relationships dictates the quality of your life 17:31 Lesson #4: People aren't thinking about you as much as you think they are 23:39 Lesson #5: Nothing meaningful in life is easy 28:38 Lesson #6: Love occurs in proportion to your willingness to get hurt 34:36 Lesson #7: Be slow to judge. Everyone is doing their best
Arthur Brooks is a social scientist, professor at Harvard University, columnist for The Atlantic, and bestselling author. In this episode, Arthur returns to the podcast to discuss his new book, Build the Life You Want. He delves into the nuanced concept of happiness, differentiating between momentary feelings and overall wellbeing. He explains the importance of understanding one’s personality pattern with respect to positive and negative emotions in order to better self-manage emotions. He delves into the three key elements of happiness, offering practical strategies for enhancing those specific domains through methods such as metacognition, transcendent experiences, discipline, minimizing self-focus while directing attention outward, and more. Through personal examples, Arthur demonstrates that one can actively track well-being levels and take intentional steps to cultivate happiness and enhance overall well-being.
Hal Hershfield is a psychologist who studies the emotional connection we have to our “future selves.” He talks with Maya about tactics we can use to strengthen this connection, and why it matters.
A “drop-dead shocker” (Washington Post Book World) that uses evolutionary psychology to explain human mating and the mysteries of love If we all want love, why is there so much conflict in our most cherished relationships? To answer this question, we must look into our evolutionary past, argues prominent psychologist David M. Buss. Based one of the largest studies of human mating ever undertaken, encompassing more than 10,000 people of all ages from thirty-seven cultures worldwide, The Evolution of Desire is the first work to present a unified theory of human mating behavior. Drawing on a wide range of examples of mating behavior — from lovebugs to elephant seals, from the Yanomamö tribe of Venezuela to online dating apps — Buss reveals what women want, what men want, and why their desires radically differ. Love has a central place in human sexual psychology, but conflict, competition, and manipulation also pervade human mating — something we must confront in order to control our own mating destiny.
Are we our own worst enemies when it comes to romance? What if instead, we dated like a scientist, using equations and analysis, rather than feelings and attraction to find love.
In this new episode Steven sits down with dating coach and behavioural scientist, Logan Ury.
Logan is a behavioural expert, dating coach and Director of Relationship Science at the dating app, Hinge. She is also the author of the book, ‘How To Not Die Alone’, which outlines the scientific theories she uses with her clients to help them find love.
In this conversation Logan and Steven discuss topics, such as:
Why Logan is a dating coach and her work with Hinge How she helps people get out of their own way and find their dating blindspots The ways that modern dating is very new for history Researching the dating habits of Gen Z Hiring a dating coach for herself How Logan found her husband at work Attachment theory and its importance for dating How you can change your attachment style The negativity bias and how our brain runs on ancient software Why you should go for a securely attached person who may seem boring The reasons that securely attached people are the heroes of the dating world Why people are so addicted to f**k boys The importance of taking a break during a fight Understanding our dating patterns and how we can change them The secretary problem and the maths of when to stop looking and choose someone Digital Body Language and how it impacts dating Why people confuse ‘ick’s’ for dealbreakers Why you should overcome your ‘ick’s’ The 3 most common dating tendencies and unrealistic expectations Why the dating environment is so important How to date like a scientist Why you shouldn't try to be perfect on a date Vulnerability as a magnet for connection The post date 8 checklist Why you should ignore the spark and focus on the slow burn What things matter less than people think for relationships and what do they underestimate Why you need to be able to fight well in a relationship The tips and tricks to a dating profile Why vulnerability is strength The difference between a maximiser and a satisfier
Dr Chris Palmer is Director of the Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education at McLean Hospital, Massachusetts and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
He shares some of the profound insights he's gained over almost 30 years as an academic psychiatrist. He combines years of clinical, neuroscience and metabolic studies into one unifying idea: that mental disorders are not caused by a chemical imbalance. Instead, they are metabolic disorders of the brain, caused by dysfunction in our mitochondria.
It’s a theory that connects physical, mental and emotional health, and it’s the topic of his excellent new book, . Chris doesn’t deny the roles trauma, psychological and social factors can play in poor mental health. But he explains the link between these factors and our metabolism, and how diet and lifestyle interventions can help. Excitingly, Chris explains that making changes to our diet and lifestyle actually offer far more hope for long-term remission than existing treatments, which generally aim to only reduce symptoms.
As Chris reveals, his own experience with trauma and mental illness is what drives him to try and help millions of people around the world who are still suffering. Chris is advocating for a transformation in the way we view and treat mental health. And, if that happens, it won’t just help ease an epidemic of depression, anxiety and other conditions – it also has the potential to address all of the chronic diseases that are underpinned by metabolic dysfunction.
Dr Gabrielle Lyon is a functional medicine physician and Founder of the Institute of Muscle-Centric Medicine.
Most health advice focuses on shedding excess weight. But what if your longevity, healthspan, resilience and quality of life was more determined by gaining muscle than losing fat? This isn't a bodybuilder's coping strategy, it's new science backed by mountains of data.
Expect to learn why the quality of your life is a direct correlation to your muscle health, whether it's more dangerous to be over-fat or under-muscled, whether exercise is more important than nutrition, Gabrielle's favourite hacks for getting more protein in every day, whether protein timing matters, if it's possible to achieve this with a plant-based diet and much more...
Dating in the modern world is more fraught than ever. Men and women are finding themselves confused and lost as they try to make sense of a mating landscape which becomes ever more difficult to navigate.
Expect to learn why Sadia’s Instagram has been banned 3 times, why nice guys have such a hard time in relationships, whether men and women can actually be friends, whether hot women tend to be crazier, how to stop being a jealous partner, whether body count actually matters, why married couples cheat, what Love Island is doing to our view of romance and much more...
In this clip, Dr Tommy Wood explains why cognitive decline in later life is not inevitable and the steps we can take now to keep our brain healthy at any age.
Melissa Kearney is a University of Maryland economist professor, and an author known for her research in the field of economic demography. Declining marriage and birth rates frequently dominate discussions about the future of society, but what is the impact of separated parents on the kids who grow up in these homes? Melissa has spent years assessing the data, and her findings are absolutely terrifying.
Expect to learn how single-parent households are massively worsening class divides, what happens to kids who grow up with only one parent, what is driving the decline in American marriage rates, what Melissa is hearing from both men & women who don’t want to marry, just how many of the problems we’re seeing in the modern world are downstream from single-parent households, whether the decline in marriage and birth rate are at all correlated, what can be done about this issue and much more...
00:00:00 Response to Melissa’s Book 00:02:27 What Has Been Happening to Marriage Rates? 00:07:46 How College Degrees Are Influencing Childbirth & Marriage Rates 00:14:52 Are Women Misjudging What Men Want? 00:25:30 Why Are Declining Marriages a Bad Thing? 00:30:20 Differences in Kids Raised in Two-Parent & One-Parent Homes 00:41:35 Cohabiting Vs Marriage 00:50:25 The Lack of Substitute Father Figures for Boys 00:58:30 Consequences of Eroding Chivalrous Norms 01:08:24 How Many of Societal Problems Are Due to Single-Parent Households? 01:10:10 The Connection Between Marriage Rates & Birth Rates 01:20:25 Melissa’s Interventions to Increase Marriage Rates 01:28:30 Where to Find Melissa
By loading kids with high expectations and micromanaging their lives at every turn, parents aren't actually helping. At least, that's how Julie Lythcott-Haims sees it. With passion and wry humour, the former Dean of Freshmen at Stanford makes the case for parents to stop defining their children's success via grades and test scores. Instead, she says, they should focus on providing the oldest idea of all: unconditional love.
In Lying, author and neuroscientist Sam Harris argues that we can radically simplify our lives and improve society by merely telling the truth in situations where others often lie. He focuses on "white" lies - those lies we tell for the purpose of sparing people discomfort - for these are the lies that most often tempt us. And they tend to be the only lies that good people tell while imagining that they are being good in the process.
00:00 - The Worst Advice Young Husbands Are Given 00:29 - How do you argue with your wife effectively? 00:44 - Rule #1: You Are Talking To The Person You Love 02:56 - Rule #2: Emotions Don't Trump Reality 06:44 - Rule #3: The Secret Sauce To Winning
00:00 - Intro 00:31 - The Three Stages Of Growing Up 00:38 - Their First Lesson 01:18 - What Just Happened To My Little Boy? 02:36 - When Things Began To Change 02:59 - Necessary Challenges 03:45 - Sacrificing For That Which Is Noble 04:47 - The Lesson Taught By Example 05:14 - Before You Know It... 05:40 - The Final Stages Of Preparation 05:50 - It's His Alone To Earn 06:25 - The Hardest Part Of Being A Father 07:20 - One Of My Earliest Memories 08:35 - Legacy 09:05 - When I Get Tired
Antifragility is the idea of putting pressure on a system, or human, the system or human actually grows bigger and stronger.
Antifragile systems are all around us. One example of this is our muscular system. We go to the gym to lift weights. By doing so we are putting pressure on our system to help it grow stronger. The human body is an antifragile system.
From a psychological perspective, antifragility comes in the form of PTG, or post-traumatic growth. After we experience a stressful event, we learn and grow to become more resilient.
Dr Anna Machin is an evolutionary anthropologist at Oxford University, a researcher into the role of fatherhood across time and an author.
The modern world has made dads surplus to requirements in many ways. The deadbeat dad is such a meme in sitcoms and cartoons now that it’s no surprise men don’t feel they have a role in child rearing. But just how important are fathers to the development of boys and girls? And what don’t we know about their impact?
Expect to learn how fathers saved the human race when babies heads got too big, whether it’s normal for dads to not feel love for their baby when it’s born, the most important ways dads can bond with their kids, whether dads are more important to girls’ or boys’ development, what pushback Anna got for writing a pro-father book and much more…
Male Inquality - Big Think with Richard Reeves
Boys and men are falling behind. This might seem surprising to some people, and maybe ridiculous to others, considering that discussions on gender disparities tend to focus on the structural challenges faced by girls and women, not boys and men.
But long-term data reveal a clear and alarming trend: In recent decades, American men have been faring increasingly worse in many areas of life, including education, workforce participation, skill acquisition, wages, and fatherhood.
Gender politics is often framed as a zero-sum game: Any effort to help men takes away from women. But in his 2022 book Of Boys and Men, journalist and Brookings Institution scholar Richard V. Reeves argues that the structural problems contributing to male malaise affect everybody, and that shying away from these tough conversations is not a productive path forward.
01:35 Men in education 07:26 Class matters 07:53 Men in the workforce 10:54 Men in the family 13:00 Deaths of despair
Is marriage dying? - Big Think with Richard Reeves
Marriage in the U.S. has fundamentally transformed over the past century. In general, women have far greater legal and economic power in marriages than they did just decades ago, and while it was once difficult for women to file for divorce, today women do so at twice the rate of men. What’s more, gay marriage has been legal in all 50 states since 2015.
Still, other aspects of marriage in the U.S. have remained remarkably unchanged. As journalist and Brookings Institution scholar Richard Reeves points out, a college-educated woman today is about just as likely to get married as her mother was — and even a bit more likely to stay married.
But the same is not true for Americans on the lower end of the socioeconomic scale. As Reeves notes in this Big Think video, it’s important for all humans to have strong and meaningful relationships, whether within the context of marriage or not. The question is how to best ensure that the most people can build those relationships.
What the sexual revolution has done to modern families - Big Think with Richard Reeves, Judith Butler and more
How has the sexual revolution reshaped our understanding of relationships and family? After the sexual liberation movement of the 1960s and 1970s began upending traditional norms, Americans started seeing greater personal freedoms and a more flexible understanding of relationships, sexuality, and family roles.
One lasting impact is that marriage is now based primarily on choice rather than societal expectations, and men are no longer always expected to be the head of the household.
But despite the clear benefits of increased egalitarianism and personal liberty, the sexual revolution arguably came with trade-offs. As journalist Louise Perry notes, one example is that far more children are being raised in broken homes today than they were decades ago, even though nearly every conceivable metric shows that it’s better for children to have married parents.
Forget "I'll be happy when...". If you can't be happy when pursuing a goal you won't be happy when you achieved it.
Expectations cause a lot of unhappiness. Often we suffer because we believe a thought that argues with reality. Reality has no concept of that something "should" have happened or someone "should" have behaved a particular way. This is simply our own personal belief, that is creating a happiness gap between reality and our imagined reality.
You don't know your future. If you are pained by external things, it is not that they disturb you, but your judgement of them that disturbs you, and it is in your power to wipe out that judgement.
The story of the Chinese farmer:
Once upon a time there was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away. That evening, all of his neighbours came around to commiserate. They said, “We are so sorry to hear your horse has run away. This is most unfortunate.” The farmer said, “Maybe.”. The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and in the evening everybody came back and said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky. What a great turn of events. You now have eight horses!” The farmer again said, “Maybe.”. The following day his son tried to break one of the horses, and while riding it, he was thrown and broke his leg. The neighbours then said, “Oh dear, that’s too bad,” and the farmer responded, “Maybe.”. The next day the conscription officers came around to conscript people into the army, and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg. Again all the neighbours came around and said, “Isn’t that great!” Again, he said, “Maybe.”.
