Shankar Vedantam

This is our unabridged interview with Shankar Vedantam. We all like to believe that we live our lives rationally, deliberately, and consciously. But what if our conscious decision-making is just the tip of the iceberg? “ I feel like I have a full picture of what's happening inside my own mind,” says Shankar Vedantam. But it turns out “there is a large portion of our mind that's working outside of our conscious awareness.” Shankar founded Hidden Brain Media in order to teach people what science has uncovered about our brains. In this episode, he discusses why we’re not as autonomous as we think we are, and the profound implications for the ways we act, think, and live. ⁠⁠ Show Notes, Resources, and Transcript⁠ for abridged episode with Shankar Vedantam ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join NSE+ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — our subscriber-only community — for ad-free listening , member-only bonus content , and early access to live show tickets . Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, religion and spirituality, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @nosmallendeavor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @leeccamp ⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all like to believe that we live our lives rationally, deliberately, and consciously. But what if our conscious decision-making is just the tip of the iceberg? “ I feel like I have a full picture of what's happening inside my own mind,” says Shankar Vedantam. But it turns out “there is a large portion of our mind that's working outside of our conscious awareness.” Shankar founded Hidden Brain Media in order to teach people what science has uncovered about our brains. In this episode, he discusses why we’re not as autonomous as we think we are, and the profound implications for the ways we act, think, and live. ⁠ Show Notes, Resources, and Transcript⁠ for abridged episode with Shankar Vedantam ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join NSE+ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ — our subscriber-only community — for ad-free listening , member-only bonus content , and early access to live show tickets . Your membership helps make No Small Endeavor sustainable. No Small Endeavor: An award-winning podcast that asks what it means to live a good life. Through conversations with leading thinkers across theology, philosophy, psychology, politics, and the social sciences, we explore human flourishing, meaning and purpose, faith and culture, science and religion, virtue and character, religion and spirituality, community, and the practices that help shape a good life grounded in truth, beauty, and goodness. Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠ @nosmallendeavor ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Host Lee C. Camp: Lee has worked as a professor of theology & ethics for more than 25 years, teaching and writing on topics of faith & politics, inter-religious dialog, and human flourishing at the intersection of theology, moral philosophy, and social sciences. Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠ @leeccamp ⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Practical strategies for navigating difficult relationships and building new connections. Shankar Vedantam is host of the Hidden Brain podcast and radio show, where he explores the hidden patterns that drive human behavior. He is the author of the books, The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Wage Wars, Control Markets and Save Our Lives , and Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self- Deceiving Brain . In this episode we talk about: How to stop trying to change your partner Useful tools for overcoming conflict The challenging practice of "eating the blame" The concept of "useful delusions" How to manage a breakup (of any kind) The real secret to finding closure The value of micro interactions with strangers And more Related Episodes: The Surprising Upsides of Self-Deception Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram , TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Additional Resources: Shankar's TED Talks Hidden Brain Live Tour Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here. Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here. To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

The beloved radio show and podcast “Hidden Brain” is celebrating its 10th anniversary. On today’s episode, we speak directly with the host, Shankar Vedantam, about why the show is so successful and needed in today’s world. Vedantam also tells us what is next for the show.

Tom's first guest today is Shankar Vedantam, the creator and host of Hidden Brain, a weekly podcast and radio show heard every Sunday afternoon at 2:00 here on WYPR. Shankar is coming to the Lyric Theater in Baltimore Saturday night with his Hidden Brain Perceptions Tour, a live event that's traveling cross country to celebrate ten years of this award-winning program. The animating question since the inception of Hidden Brain has been: Are there parts of our minds that are hidden from us? Shankar joins Tom on Zoom from Washington, DC, to share some of the insights he's gained from a decade of Hidden Brain explorations. If you have questions or comments for Shankar, you're welcome to join us! Email us at midday@wypr.org or call us at 401.662.8780. The Hidden Brain Perceptions Tour comes to the Lyric Theater in Baltimore Saturday night. The show starts at 7pm. For ticketing information, click here.

We all like to believe that we live our lives rationally, deliberately, consciously. But what if our conscious decision making is just the tip of the iceberg? “ I feel like I have a full picture of what's happening inside my own mind,” says Shankar Vedantam. But it turns out “there is a large portion of our mind that's working outside of our conscious awareness.” Shankar founded Hidden Brain Media in order to teach people what science has uncovered about our brains. In this episode, he discusses why we’re not as autonomous as we think we are, and the profound implications for the ways we act, think, and live. Show Notes Resources mentioned this episode: “Hidden Brain” by Shankar Vedantam Hidden Brain Website Shankar’s TED Talk Similar NSE episodes: Dacher Keltner: How Awe Will Transform Your Life Kristin Neff: The Power of Self-Compassion Amishi Jha: Push-ups for Your Brain Heather Holleman: The Art of Conversation PDF of Lee's Interview Notes Transcription Link Want more NSE? JOIN NSE+ Today! Our subscriber only community with bonus episodes designed specifically to help you live a good life, ad-free listening, and discounts on live shows Subscribe to episodes: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Google | YouTube Follow Us: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube Follow Lee: Instagram | Twitter Join our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com See Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: Tokens Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is our purpose, both individually and collectively? What lies in the balance of who we are now and who we will become? In Part Two of this episode, the Surgeon General and Shankar Vedantam, host of “Hidden Brain,” go deep into conversation about our individual and national quest for meaning and purpose. This episode becomes deeply personal as both host and guest reveal their family’s hopes for coming to America, and the unimaginable ways in which those dreams were realized. They find themselves asking where else on earth has what America can offer? And how can we remember and reinforce our ideals at moments the noise becomes too great? (03:23) How can we encourage young people to dream about the future? (09:21) How can we bring freshness and curiosity to our daily lives? (11:57) What does it mean to be a tourist in our own lives? (15:28) What is the power of having purpose in our lives? (22:39) What’s the difference between goals and purpose? (25:39) How would Dr. Murthy bolster America’s sense of purpose? (28:58) What is the enormous possibility that the United States offers? (30:16) What story of America did Dr. Murthy see in the crowd at his swearing in ceremony? (32:51) Who are Shankar Vedantam’s Unsung Heroes? We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls . Shankar Vedantam , Host, “Hidden Brain” Podcast Instagram: @hiddenbrain X: @hiddenbrain Facebook: @hiddenbrain About Shankar Vedantam Shankar Vedantam is the host and executive editor of the Hidden Brain podcast and radio show. Shankar and NPR launched the podcast in 2015, and it now receives millions of downloads per week, and is regularly listed as one of the top 20 podcasts in the world. The radio show, which debuted in 2017, is heard on more than 425 public radio stations across the United States. Vedantam was NPR’s social science correspondent between 2011 and 2020, and he spent 10 years as a reporter at The Washington Post . From 2007 to 2009, he was also a columnist, and wrote the Department of Human Behavior column for the Post. Vedantam and Hidden Brain have been recognized with numerous journalism awards, including the Edward R Murrow Award, and honors from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the International Society of Political Psychology, the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists, the Austen Riggs Center, the American Psychoanalytic Association, the Webby Awards, the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors, the South Asian Journalists Association, the Asian American Journalists Association, the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, the American Public Health Association, the Templeton-Cambridge Fellowship on Science and Religion, and the Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellowship. In 2009-2010, Vedantam served as a fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. Shankar Vedantam speaks internationally about how the “hidden

Have you ever had a moment when you’ve wanted to reach out to someone you haven’t seen in awhile, but something stops you, like the worry you’ll say the wrong thing? Or have you had the experience of assuming that someone who disagrees with you must also dislike you? It turns out, our mind can play tricks on us that make it harder to connect. Shankar Vedantam, host and creator of the podcast ”Hidden Brain” joins the Surgeon General for a two-part conversation that travels across science and deeper philosophical questions about life. In this first conversation, Shankar explains the “hidden brain,” the part of the mind that function outside of our awareness, making unconscious decisions and judgments. They ponder the paradox of how social anxieties keep us from connecting, but how acts of connection and kindness have far greater impact and power than most of us realize. Offering both science and personal stories, Shankar and Dr. Murthy help us work through our fears of connecting. And help us close the gap between our values, like kindness, and our actions. (04:04) How does Shankar Vedantam describe the origins of the Hidden Brain podcast? (06:18) How can we understand if our hidden brain is helping us? (08:34) How does our hidden brain keep us from connecting with other people? (14:04) What does it mean to express gratitude to someone else? (18:39) How has Dr. Murthy cultivated his sense of kind and warmth? (24:20) How can we tell a better story about the nature of our humanity? (29:36) How did Shankar Vedantam become a translator of science? (33:12) How do listeners respond to the Hidden Brain podcast? (36:12) How are ideas for Hidden Brain podcast episodes developed? We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls . Shankar Vedantam , Host, “Hidden Brain” Podcast Instagram: @hiddenbrain X: @hiddenbrain Facebook: @hiddenbrain About Shankar Vedantam Shankar Vedantam is the host and executive editor of the Hidden Brain podcast and radio show. Shankar and NPR launched the podcast in 2015, and it now receives millions of downloads per week, and is regularly listed as one of the top 20 podcasts in the world. The radio show, which debuted in 2017, is heard on more than 425 public radio stations across the United States. Vedantam was NPR’s social science correspondent between 2011 and 2020, and he spent 10 years as a reporter at The Washington Post . From 2007 to 2009, he was also a columnist, and wrote the Department of Human Behavior column for the Post. Vedantam and Hidden Brain have been recognized with numerous journalism awards, including the Edward R Murrow Award, and honors from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the International Society of Political Psychology, the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Association of Black Journalists, the Austen Riggs Center, the American Psychoanalytic Association, the Webby Awards, the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors, the South Asian Journalists A

The NPR host, Shankar Vedantam, has introduced a new series titled "Healing 2.0" as part of his show "Hidden Brain." This series, running throughout November, explores the latest insights on coping with emotional pain. Radio Catskill's Tim Bruno interviewed Vedantam to discuss why he chose to launch this series during the holiday season, which is typically regarded as the happiest time of the year.

Today, Shankar Vedantam, host of "Hidden Brain," walks us through the surprising role of self-deception in human flourishing.

How well would you say you know yourself? Do you feel like the same person you were 10 years ago? Today’s guest, Shankar Vedantam, loves these kinds of questions and what they reveal about what we believe about ourselves and how we actually behave. Shankar is a science writer and the creator and host of the podcast “Hidden Brain”. In this episode, Shankar shares why he’s fascinated by the things we THINK we know, uncovers examples of what our brains hide from us, and shares how we can use that knowledge to live the lives we want to be living. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts . For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host of the "Hidden Brain" podcast Shankar Vedantam, debuts on the show to share a thought-provoking message about our past, present and future selves and what we can do to be our best. Source: You Don’t Actually Know What Your Future Self Wants | Shankar Vedantam | TED Connect with Shankar Vedantam: Book: Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain Podcast: Hidden Brain Hosted by Malikee Josephs (Pronounced Muh leek Jo seffs) Give Me A Shout: Follow Me On Instagram @ DepressionDetoxShow . Email me: mj@depressiondetoxshow.com. Support The Show : Donate