Hidden Brain

10/30/2025

This week on My Unsung Hero: In 2008, Prop 8 passed in California, leaving Kate Elsley feeling unwelcome in her own state. Then one stranger’s quiet courage on a train platform reminded her she wasn’t alone.

In 2008, Prop 8 passed in California, leaving Kate feeling unwelcome in her own state. Then one stranger’s quiet courage on a train platform reminded her she wasn’t alone.

10/30/2025

“It frustrates us. It triggers us. And that makes it hard for us to have an empathic understanding — or an even an accurate understanding — about what might be getting in that person's way.”

When people do bad things, we often think it's because they're bad people, or they're being stubborn, or they're simply not trying hard enough. We attempt to help them fix this behavior through rewards and punishments, or we just encourage them to try harder. This week, Stuart Ablon shares a psychological insight that shows us a better way to inspire change.

Podcast Episode · Hidden Brain · 10/27/2025 · 1h 12m

10/29/2025

There’s still time to see Hidden Brain live! 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

Are there parts of our minds that are hidden from us? This question launched the Hidden Brain podcast ten years ago. Since then, the program has helped millions of listeners accomplish their goals, improve their relationships, and develop a deeper understanding of their emotions. Now, host and creat...

10/28/2025

It can be frustrating when people do things we don't want them to. A friend cancels plans at the last minute. A child refuses to get dressed for school. Before long, resentment sets in. The temptation is to push harder. More reminders, more rules, more consequences. But the techniques we use to get people to alter their behavior are often strikingly ineffective. This week, psychologist explains why these methods fail, and offers better ways to help the people we care about make lasting change.

https://www.hiddenbrain.org/podcast/reframing-the-battle-of-wills/

10/24/2025

This week on My Unsung Hero: At 15, Eric Schwartz lost his mother to su***de. When he returned to school, most adults avoided the subject — until his chorus director gave him a wordless hug.

When he was 15, Eric lost his mother to su***de. When he returned to school, most adults avoided the subject — until his chorus director got up from the piano and gave him a wordless hug.

10/24/2025

Breakups are hard. Psychologist Antonio Pascual-Leone says there are things we do that often make breakups even harder. This week, we conclude our Love 2.0 series with an episode on how to move on when a relationship ends.

https://apple.co/42RB5oO

10/23/2025

“There's kind of a moment where I realized that this was an opportunity to honor the relationship. I was unhappy that it was ending, but at the same time, it was somebody I learned a lot from. This was somebody I cared for. Who cared for me."

Breakups are hard. Psychologist Antonio Pascual-Leone says there are things we do that often make breakups even harder. This week, we conclude our Love 2.0 series with an episode on how to move on when a relationship ends.

Podcast Episode · Hidden Brain · 10/20/2025 · 1h 20m

10/22/2025

For many of us, navigating the end of a relationship is one of the hardest things we’ll ever do. This week, we conclude our Love 2.0 series with psychologist Antonio Pascual-Leone, who shares the most common mistakes we make when it comes to splitting up, and techniques that can help us ease the pain. Then, our latest edition of Your Questions Answered. Cognitive scientist Phil Fernbach returns to respond to listeners’ thoughts and questions about the “illusion of knowledge.”

For many of us, navigating the end of a relationship is one of the hardest things we will ever do. This week, we look at the most common mistakes we make when it comes to splitting up, and techniques to ease the pain.

10/17/2025

This week on My Unsung Hero: In high school, Elizabeth Vaughan wanted to give up singing — until a classmate’s words helped her believe in herself again. That classmate? Former NFL player Rodney Peete:

In high school, Elizabeth’s choir solo ended in embarrassment after her high note came booming through the mic. But a classmate's kind words restored her confidence just when she needed it.

10/16/2025

No one will deny that long-term relationships are hard. In fact, there’s evidence that they're getting even harder. This week, as we continue our Love 2.0 series, we revisit a favorite episode about the history of marriage and how it has evolved over time. We talk with historian Stephanie Coontz and psychologist . And we’ll explore ways we can improve our relationships — by asking less of them.

https://www.hiddenbrain.org/podcast/reimaginingourrelationships/

10/16/2025

“Our spouse has replaced a lot of what we used to look to our broader social network to help us do.”

Psychologist Eli Finkel says marriages have become “all-or-nothing” relationships. He argues that if we want to save the institution of marriage, we must update our expectations of it. This week, we revisit an episode all about how marriage has changed over the years— and how we can make it better.

Podcast Episode · Hidden Brain · 10/13/2025 · 1h 36m

10/15/2025

“Most of what we think of as traditional marriage was not traditional at all but a rather recent invention.”

No one will deny that long-term relationships are hard. In fact, there’s evidence that they're getting even harder. This week, as we continue our Love 2.0 series, we revisit a favorite episode about the history of marriage and how it has evolved over time. We talk with historian Stephanie Coontz and psychologist Eli Finkel. And we’ll explore ways we can improve our relationships — by asking less of them.

There are signs it's getting even harder. In this episode, we explore how long-term relationships have changed over time and whether we might be able to improve marriage by asking less of it.