Hidden Brain

Exploring the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior | Team: Host and Executive Editor Shankar Vedantam & Executive Producer @taranoelleboyle

[Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain]

New to Hidden Brain? Here's a great place to start. https://t.co/eOBF1ShjDE

[Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain]

“It appears that as a result of that missed sleep, the risk of a car crash goes up. And that's exactly what we observe in the data.”

Too many of us walk around in a sleep-deprived haze, thinking our fatigue only affects our own productivity or mood. But according to researcher Chris Barnes, the effects of sleep deprivation go far beyond the individual.

https://t.co/wNpekP1K7O

[Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain]

You probably recognize yourself in at least one of these. Maybe more than one.

And that's good news. The moment you can see the script you've been following, you can start to rewrite it. So which one is yours?

[Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain]

The third script is money status, where your net worth becomes your self-worth, and you spend to be seen.

The fourth and final script is money vigilance. If you follow this script, you save and plan and keep a cushion for the future. This is the most healthy script, as long as you're careful not to let it curdle into never letting yourself live.

[Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain]

Some of us spend money out of anxiety, chasing a good feeling that never lasts. Others save relentlessly and never enjoy what they've stashed away.

There's a hidden pattern behind these behaviors: money scripts. Psychologist Brad Klontz has found four common scripts that can subtly shape our behavior. 🧵

[Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain]

The first script is money avoidance. Money avoiders believe deepdown that money is dirty and the rich are greedy, so they may earn less and sabotage themselves.

The second script is money worship. Money worshippers believe more money fixes everything, so they spend and chase and never feel full.

[Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain]

All through the month of October, we’re bringing you some of the stories that have deeply resonated with us over the past five years.

This week: Lila Hoffa struggled to express herself in writing until her third-grade teacher showed her a way to bring all her stories to life.

https://t.co/lqX4TGsoGw

[Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain]

“You can see the same person behaving more or less unethically on different days based in part on how much and how well they slept the night before.”

Millions of us move through our days without getting enough sleep. This week, sleep researcher Chris Barnes explains how chronic exhaustion can impair our judgment and make small problems feel like major crises. He explores the forces that keep us from getting the rest we need and offers practical strategies for better sleep.

Plus, psychologist Rachel Zoffness returns to answer your questions about the experience of pain, in our latest installment of "Your Questions Answered."

https://t.co/l3f6l9K2xS

[Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain]

Scale that up from a movie night to a whole country, and you get people marching along with a belief almost no one actually holds.

So the next time you bite your tongue in a room where your opinion really matters, remember the person beside you may holding back as well. Say what you really think, and you may find you were never alone.

[Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain]

You've probably told a lie today. Maybe a few. You agreed with someone you thought was wrong. You called the food great when it wasn't.

It feels like politeness. But it's why you keep saying yes to things you don't want. And so does everyone else in the room. 🧵

[Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain]

But in reality, only the host had fun. And since everyone agreed with the plan, they figured the whole group loved it.

So they suggest another movie night. And another. Nobody speaks up, and a night that no one enjoyed slowly becomes a tradition no one wanted.

[Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain]

The danger is that the pressure keeps building where no one can see it. And then the smallest thing sets off the collapse.

Every group and every relationship has these hidden fault lines. You either release them slowly, or you wait for the earthquake.

[Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain]

This is what makes a hollow thing look solid. It hides how weak it really is.

Governments are just one example. A workplace, a friendship, a marriage can appear harmonious, while under the surface there are major fault lines.

[Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain]

Then the wall fell, and the truth came flooding out. The true believers had mostly been acting.

They were so convincing that even the people running the country couldn't tell real loyalty from performance.

[Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain]

East Germany looked like one of the most loyal, unified nations on earth. Right up until the Berlin Wall came down.

The moment it did, almost no one would admit they'd ever supported the Communist regime. 🧵

[Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain]

For decades, everyone performed the same belief. Anyone who spoke against the system was crushed.

So each person kept quiet, sure they were the only one who had doubts.

[Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain]

Why is lasting happiness so difficult to achieve? Psychologist George Loewenstein explores the forces within our own minds that can undermine our well-being. He explains why satisfaction fades so quickly, while negative emotions can distort the way we see our lives. He also offers ways to better understand these forces and lessen their power over us. https://t.co/oP0VdLHvIW

[Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain]

All through the month of October, we’re bringing you some of the stories that have deeply resonated with us over the past five years.

This week: Four years after his mother's death, Brad returned to the Manhattan diner where he'd last seen her and found unexpected comfort in a group of strangers.

https://t.co/RL5GE1Dvmp