The Hidden Brain: Friday Faves and Feels #7
If there was a summary of the change in how I address my own compulsive behaviors it would be this:
Before: I fought my undesirable behavior with prayer, will power, and accountability partners.
Now: I address my undesirable behavior with knowledge about how my brain works, and prayerful gratitude that it usually does.
Our brains direct our body’s functions. And our interactions with the world, such as how we perceive and respond to the things happening around us, are shaped by the activity of neurons and the chemical processes within them. Understanding brain function well can help us understand why certain stimuli affects us the way they do, how to adjust our reactions appropriately, and how to make better decisions in our daily life.
This is why The Hidden Brain podcast quickly became one of my favorites. I believe it’s helped me to be a better person.
In it, American journalist, writer, and NPR science correspondent, Shankar Vedantam, explores the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior and questions that lie at the heart of our complex and changing world.
This week, in what seemed like one of the most serendipitous things to happen in my life recently, the episode was about how we can better understand and control our cravings. All cravings… food, nicotine, alcohol, drugs, sex…you name it. The episode is called, The Curious Science of Cravings.
To be completely honest and transparent, my ego took a hit when I first listened to it, because this episode was basically my eBook in podcast form. I suddenly wondered why I’m working on an eBook when people who know better than me are already so much more effective than me sharing this information well. Then I remembered…
I haven’t had an original thought in my life. You probably haven’t either. I should share the stuff because I’m excited to learn it.
It’s like they say, if everyone agrees with you, then you’re late to the conversation. But perhaps the conversation is still worth having.
I told my ego to step aside and take it as a sign that we’re on the right track.
Shankar’s guests are world-renowned scientists providing insights on the latest neurological studies and such. This episode’s guest was Judson Brewer, a doctor and professor at Brown University’s School of Public Health. I was pleased to discover the his most recent book, The Craving Mind: From Cigarettes to Smartphones to Love - Why We Get Hooked and How We Can Break Bad Habits is included with the Amazon Audible membership. I picked it up for no extra money. I haven’t listened yet, but you can find it here.
I highly recommend The Hidden Brain podcast. Try this week’s episode first.