Psychology Takeaway Podcast

Today Ralph and Jim focus on one of the seven deadly sins. To refresh your memory here is a list:

 (1) vainglory, or pride

 (2) greed, or covetousness,

(3) lust, or inordinate or illicit sexual desire

(4) envy

(5) 

gluttony, which is usually understood to include drunkenness

 (6) wrath, or anger

(7) sloth

We focus on the first one which we rename hubris  because of some comments made by a retired U.S. General.

 

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A Basic Hubris Definition

It means arrogance and excessive pride. This can be something a character feels internally, but it usually translates to the character's actions. A modern, real-life example of hubris might be a politician who thinks he's too beloved to lose an election and chooses to skip campaigning.

 

Is hubris positive or negative?

Based on the ancient Greek meaning, hubris is always seen as negative. It refers to too much pride or arrogance, and does not refer to simple self-confidence or ambition, traits which can be neutral or even positive.

 

What causes hubris?

Hubris Syndrome is an 'acquired personality change' ie. Molded over a period of time. It is sparked by a specific trigger – exercising power. In other words, people who appear normal achieve positions of leadership, but once in power seem to alter their behavior.

 

How does hubris affect our society?

When found alongside contempt for the advice and criticism of others, hubris causes leaders to significantly overreach themselves, taking risky and reckless decisions with harmful, sometimes catastrophic consequences for themselves, their organizations, institutions, and even for society .

 

This is where our concerns about President Putin led us.

A Putin profile: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/763/the-other-mr-president

 

There was a song called "Put on a Happy Face" that was popular many years ago. Well, Jim and Ralph discover that it might not be the best advice for people suffering from clinical depression.

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Definition, signs for and treatment of smiling depression: https://www.healthline.com/health/smiling-depression

Popular teen comedian talks about his near fatal experience with depression: https://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_breel_confessions_of_a_depressed_comic

A list of depressed comedians: https://psychologia.co/comedians-and-depression/

Sarah Silverman

“I was put on Xanax at 13,” she says in “Laughing Matters,” a new documentary that digs deep into the journeys of 12 comedians as they juggle telling jokes and their own struggles with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. Learn more at: https://nypost.com/2019/10/10/sarah-silverman-i-took-16-xanax-a-day-as-a-teen/

 

Today Ralph and Jim look at “fake news”. They discuss the motives behind spreading it and how to evaluate the veracity of content of news posted online.

 

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In this Ted Talk we are warned that we may all be guilty of promulgating fake news:

https://www.ted.com/talks/christina_nicholson_fake_news_it_s_your_fault

A 14 year old unpacks the terms CRAPP and Fable as acronyms to help us the identify real and fake news: https://www.ted.com/talks/hannah_logue_how_to_spot_fake_news

This is the Wikipedia site that Jim mentioned. It is comprehensive but if you print it you will use a lot of paper, not to mention ink: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fake_news

 

Today Jim and Ralph explore the link between depression and sleep. Does depression cause sleep disorders or do sleep disorders cause depression. Tune in and listen as we unpack this complex relationship.

 

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This study adds to the evidence that, particularly for middle-school boys and girls, inadequate sleep is a risk factor for early adolescent obesity. Future research needs to examine the relationship longitudinally and to study potential mediators of the relationship.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1038/oby.2010.242

Not depressed by not feeling great? You may be languishing. This Ted Talk by Adam how to combat feeling of emptiness and alienation .

https://www.ted.com/talks/adam_grant_how_to_stop_languishing_and_start_finding_flow

Six tips for getting a better night’s sleep.

https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_walker_6_tips_for_better_sleep

We need to be able to talk about depression.

https://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_breel_confessions_of_a_depressed_comic

Here is what the Mayo Clinic writes about transcranial stimulation.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/transcranial-magnetic-stimulation/about/pac-20384625

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ralph and Jim look at active listening and importance of it at the personal and even the geo-political level.

We also preview upcoming Podcast topics and foreshadow the coming Video Podcasts.

 

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What is Deep Listening and how you can learn how to do it - https://www.mindful.org/deep-listening/

An article from Forbes about Deep Listening - https://www.forbes.com/sites/nazbeheshti/2020/01/30/reclaim-the-lost-art-of-deep-listening/?sh=7c837f593d83

Ted Talk on the difference between hearing and listening - https://youtu.be/_QHfOuRrJB8

We talked about Narative Therapy in this Podcast. Here is a link that will tell you more about it - https://youtu.be/_QHfOuRrJB8

 

Ralph and Jim Look at studies that report on memory improvement.

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Seven Ways to Improve your memory

This is a short but helpful video - https://youtu.be/4xSwAySqE48

Most Effective Way to Improve Memory

This site is oriented toward student learning and memory -  https://youtu.be/G49R744t4Ew

Brain Exercises - Weird Memory Games To Improve Your Memory -

https://youtu.be/WNfTEl6sJ-4

Today Ralph and Jim look at a recent study out of McGill University that identified 3 factors that were highly predictive of mental health problems. We discuss those factors and their implications for early identification and intervention.

 

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Here are the links  that we promised in the Podcast.

Jon Ronson talks about the Psychopath test (this is funny): https://youtu.be/xYemnKEKx0c

The Lunch Lady talks about providing healthy and appealing school lunches (you will understand why we mentioned her when you listen to the Podcast: https://youtu.be/IVJv91n39Q8

Here is the link to the Positive Psychology website: https://positivepsychology.com/

If you liked Ronson (above), here is another story that may make you smile and scratch your head.

Jon Ronson tells the story of how his parents decided to commission a family portrait, and how things went awry because of the brilliant but troubled local artist they hired for the job. In the story, Jon circles in a reluctant orbit around his parents, and his parents are in a rather energetic orbit of their own. Jon’s new podcast series is Things Fell Apart: Eight Strange Tales from the Culture Wars. (13 minutes): https://www.thisamericanlife.org/214/family-physics/act-two-10

 

 

 

Jim and Ralph explore methods for improving memory. Exercise,  sleep and specific training all work.

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How to increase your memory for words: https://youtu.be/JsC9ZHi79jo

A “memory athlete shares her story: https://youtu.be/_gA2lcNWloU

Ancient methods of memory encoding: https://youtu.be/k9kpJtHI8jQ

Role of the hippocampus: https://youtu.be/2K3GAaC2SEI

Today Jim and Ralph talk about the long term consequences of adverse childhood experiences on physical health, mental health and social competence.

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Here is the Ted Talk by Nadine Harris that we mentioned in the podcast: https://youtu.be/95ovIJ3dsNk

More about childhood trauma: https://youtu.be/8NkZO3_h7vI

How can we heal the wound: https://youtu.be/x-7khA9g8m4

Jim and Ralph discuss mask wearing, forgiveness and the importance of reading for enjoyment.

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Here is the link to the study on forgiveness that Ralph and Jim discussed: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211208110307.htm

Here is the link to reading for pleasure and later verbal skills: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210316165011.htm

The link to the mask wearing news is here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/13/face-masks-make-people-look-more-attractive-study-finds