“We can't change their sacred value, But we can change what they're willing to do for their sacred value.” — Nafees Hamid
BRAIN WAVES
Good news. When good things happen to you — like a raise or a job promotion — do you keep it to yourself or do you spread the news? Sometimes telling others about our windfalls can feel like bragging. But a recent study makes the case for sharing our wins. In the study, 300 volunteers checked in regularly with researchers for a period of ten days. During the check-ins, they shared how grateful they felt, how recently they’d had a social encounter, and whether they’d shared good news during that encounter. If they did share good news, they also reported how close they felt to the person afterward. The overall finding? When people shared positive news, they reported feeling more grateful and closer to the person they shared with. Researchers called it capitalizing on positive events — we can squeeze even more happiness out of a happy moment when we share it with others.
Calm down. Passion is a good thing, but too much of it might backfire on us. Researchers had hundreds of study volunteers complete a daily diary about how passionately they felt about their jobs, and how effective they thought they were at their jobs. But they also asked their peers about their performance, too. Overall, they found that passion was associated with overconfidence about one’s performance. Why does this happen? The research team (which included former Hidden Brain guest Adam Galinsky) wondered if “passionate employees may be more likely to take on challenging tasks beyond their expertise, attempt to ascend the hierarchy prematurely, and insufficiently delegate tasks to others.”
Fighting hedonic adaptation. Our minds tend to get accustomed to things. In our daily lives, this means we take wonderful things for granted. How can we see the world with fresh eyes? Listen to learn more.
ON THE HIDDEN BRAIN PODCAST
Out Of The Rabbit Hole: Cognitive scientist Nafees Hamid studies the minds of people drawn to radical or fringe ideas. This week, he takes us on a deep dive into the motivations of people on the brink of extremism — and those who have already been radicalized. We examine what prompts people to turn to violence, and how to pull them back from the seductive appeal of extremist ideas.
ON THE MY UNSUNG HERO PODCAST
Andy Davis’ Story: A favorite from the archives: In a time of grief, a stranger's family gave him the ultimate gift.
Don’t forget to send us the story of your unsung hero! Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.
HIDDEN BRAIN+ IS EXPANDING!
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MIND GAMES
What five-letter word typed in all capital letters can be read the same upside down?
LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE
What do the numbers 11, 69, and 88 all have in common?
Answer: They all read the same way when turned upside down.
A MOMENT OF JOY
Have an idea for Hidden Brain? A story you want to share with us? Send an email to ideas@hiddenbrain.org. Listen to us on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music or your favorite podcast platform.