PsycHacks

In the moment before deciding to relapse into a bad habit, most people generally endorse some variant of the belief that "this time it will be different." No it won't. You've been down that road before -- hundreds, if not thousands, of times -- and you know where it takes you. That's because roads only go where they go. It's impossible for a fixed pathway to vary with respect to its destination. Pushing back against this irrational belief will significantly improve your chances of lasting behavioral change.

Behind every feeling is a thought. And the thought that is primarily responsible for the feeling of anxiety generally begins with the words: what if? What if I lose my job? What if I get sick? What if she says 'no'? In this episode, I will discuss the most effective rebuttal to these anxiety-provoking thoughts: a replacement cognition that begins with the words so what? So what if the feared thing happens? I will either find a way or make a way. I'll model how to do this with several concrete examples.

Bad things happen. Rather than abide in meaningless and malevolent universe, people create stories to make sense of what happened to them. However, these stories can either maintain a person in a traumatic posture or facilitate healing and resilience. Victim narratives -- in which the self is the object of another's action -- keep people stuck in the past. Hero narratives -- in which the self is the subject of its own action -- help people move forward.

"Theory of mind" is a clunky term from psychology that basically means that we unconsciously (and inevitably) project the content and structure of our own consciousness into the minds of others. This is because assuming others are like us facilitates cooperation is essential to the survival of a social organism like man. However, this also means that whether we're surrounded by enemies or potential allies is largely a function of our own mind. I'll discuss more in this episode.

While we live in a world of abundance, it is also the fact that the universe lives closed. This means that the default answer to any request is "no." This must obviously be the case, as a default answer of "yes" would imply a perfect world where all needs are satisfied and no action is necessary. That said, we can also become increasingly competent in mastering the strategies and technologies of action required to change an initial "no" into a subsequent "yes."

Other people represent both an opportunity to be seized and a problem to be solved. While most of us understand that we need other people for the fulfilment of our ends (opportunity), we also come to realize that other people are also in the perfectly inopportune position to frustrate those ends (problem). Most will consider our needs with indifference, criticism, or even cruelty. However, acceptance of the darkness and failings of both others and ourselves can help to improve your relationships in a reality-based way.

Nobody likes being indecisive. So what can you do when you're having trouble making up your mind? The coin flip technique is a simple way to clarify our own emotional preferences: it's fast, free, and easy to use. In this episode, I discuss what the coin flip technique is and how to use your emotional reactions to effectively inform your decision-making process. Try it out for yourself!

It natural to seek after closure following the rupture of an important relationship. However, most folks make the mistake of seeking closure from the other person. This is a disempowering and (generally) ineffective strategy. On the other hand, if we seek closure in ourselves, then we have the option of taking our power back and regaining our agency. Closure occurs when we make the decision to move on. It really is that simple.

In role playing games (RPGs), it's often the case that the side quests -- short, optional adventures on the path toward your ultimate goal -- can be more fun and interesting than the main story arc itself. Among other reasons, this is because they provide intermittent rewards that increase motivation toward long-term objectives. In this episode, I'll discuss how to identify appropriate side quests across life domains, increasing the novelty and diversity of your life experience.

Whether in business or relationships, it is a good rule of thumb to never reject yourself. Rather, force the other party to expend the necessary energy to reject you. Doing so creates a cost barrier that de-incentivizes rejecting behavior. On the other hand, if you're not receiving negative feedback, then assume that you're on the right track. Though you may be pessimistic about your own chances, others might have different criteria for satisfaction than you do.

In an auction house, the lot goes to the highest bidder. In a very real sense, the highest bidder wins because no one else in the room believed the lot was worth that much. This means that the highest bidder almost certainly overpaid, and could have secured the same lot with fewer resources. The auction house is a useful analogy for work. In what ways might you be overpaying for your returns? In this episode, I'll discuss how to increase your ROI through the strategic allocation of resources.

If you traffic in Stoic philosophy, then the concept of memento mori -- a reminder of death -- should be familiar to you. In this episode, I discuss the two immediate, existential advantages to appreciating your own mortality on a regular basis. In the first place, remembering you will die should help you to prioritize the things that really matter. And, in the second place, this reminder should allow you to let go of the "small stuff" more quickly and completely.

Turning down an offer isn't always pleasant. However, learning how to do so with confidence is an essential skill in order to safeguard your time and energy. Unfortunately, many people devalue the currency of their wills by providing "reasons" why an acceptance is infeasible or impractical. Rather than leaving the door open to an unwanted counter-offer, try practicing an alternative strategy. Just say no!

In today's day and age, there is a lot of talk about "identity." However, who exactly is the "I" that is asserting its existence? In this episode, I'll discuss a simple thought exercise that will help you to determine where to draw the boundary between your true self and the rest of the universe. I will also briefly discuss how the logical conclusions of this exercise generally map onto the world's spiritual traditions.

Most of us use the words "need" and "want" interchangeably. However, there are important differences between the two concepts that differentially impact our emotional experience. Since "need" is technically associated with survival, it carries with it the threat of extinction. As a result, "need" can transform a mundane task into a life-or-death struggle. If you suffer from generalized anxiety, examine your habits around these two concepts.

One of the best credit sequences in the history of cinema comes at the end of Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill, Vol. 2." Among other things, it implicitly teaches an important life lesson: the vast majority of people will be indifferent to antagonistic to you. However, if you have just a couple of allies in your fight, you can overcome hordes of adversities and legions of difficulties

"Enough" is a quantity that does not exist in reality. So applying the modifier to other things -- enough money, enough achievement, enough power -- is technically inaccurate. Rather, "enough" is a concept that exists in our minds. It's a decision -- supported by an act of the will -- that our current circumstances are sufficient. Understanding this distinction opens the possibility for greater contentment and happiness in our lives.

What is the best virtue with which to approach life's difficulties? Should we always strive for safety? Or is being strong a better approach? "Safe, smart, brave, strong" is my personal mantra when I go on adventures in the wilderness. In this episode, I unpack the reasoning behind the progression of these virtues, and explain how this perspective can be generalized to other domains of life.

In the wake of a significant loss, it's human nature to search for meaning: "why did this happen?" And while this question can produce some useful answers, the process of questioning should always be limited and time-bounded. This is because no "why" questions have perfectly satisfying answers -- just "good enough" ones. In this episode, I'll talk about how to break out of the pattern of obsessive rumination that can occur when falling into the trap of "why."

Some young people today harbor extremely negative beliefs about money. However, while money has been (and continues to be) used inappropriately, it is actually used constructively in the vast majority of cases. In this episode, I'll discuss how money is effectively utilized to incentivize altruism. It's a subtle trick of the mind by which we collectively transcend self-interest by appealing to self-interest.

As I've mentioned in previous episodes, values can be expensive. So are they worth it? In today's episode, I discuss the value of values, namely: their unrivaled capacity to serve as decision-making heuristics. By looking through the "lens" of a given value, incongruent pathways at the Crossroads of life are filtered out -- making it much easier to answer the eternal question: "what should I do?"

Have you ever been in a situation where you just can't seem to do anything right by another person? It's possible that you fell into a rather unpleasant relational trap: the no-win conversation. In this episode, I'll help you identify the signs that you've fallen into such a conversation, and discuss the communication skill that you'll need to get yourself out of the predicament: emotional reflection.

The ability to forgive is an absolutely essential life skill, and one that no one really teaches us how to do. Forgiveness is an intrapersonal -- not interpersonal -- behavior that prevents our hearts from becoming embittered after we suffer at the hands of others. In this episode, I'll walk you through a step-by-step process by which -- over time -- you can transform anger and hatred into pity and compassion.

The tale of Bluebeard is an old fairy tale from Western Europe, but its lessons are still applicable today. We all have skeletons in our closet. The question is how these secrets in our hearts ought to impact our relationships. Keep in mind that if you want perfect transparency, then you can't expect perfect goodness. Some doors should just remain closed.

Overcoming emotional manipulation is an important life skill. From a guilt-tripping mother to a fearmongering politician, there are those in the world who would use our emotions to further their own agendas. Breaking the pattern requires us to (a) accept responsibility for our own emotional reactions, and (b) tolerate our distressing emotions without taking action. I'll walk through how to do this in today's episode.

One of the fundamental skills in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the block-and-replace technique. This technique -- which entails blocking negative thoughts and replacing them with more reality-based alternatives -- undergirds the entire process of cognitive restructuring, which is an effective way of sustainably changing thoughts and beliefs. In this video, I'll discuss how this is done with some concrete examples.

The disconfirming emotional experience is the very heart of the therapeutic process. It is the necessary and sufficient condition for significant personal change. In essence, a disconfirming emotional experience is when a person has the experience of passing through a feared situation only to emerge unscathed on the other side. With repetition, this contributes to the development of a felt sense that things will kinda be okay, which will force an update of outdated mental models.

One of the easiest ways to get more from therapy is to rule out confounds before engaging the services of a therapist. Basically, this means that you should first try excluding any other factors that could plausibly influence your situation and observe the effect on your problem. This will help save time (and money), and clarify the objective of the clinical work, which will make your overall experience with therapy more effective and rewarding.

Many young adults arrive in their mid-20s with an expectation that life will continue to be a constant, structured progression (much like it has been up until that point). They have a chronic "fear of missing out," which seducing them into believing that life is somehow happening somewhere where they're not. However, this is not the case. In point of fact: this is it. Life is as full and complete now as it ever will be. Passing through the gateway of disappointment brings peace and acceptance.

Behind most angry emotions are thoughts containing the concept of "should." However, the suffering that results from this connection indicates that we may be using the concept of "should" incorrectly. Indeed, there's a "right way" and a "wrong way" to use this concept. In this video, I will discuss the differences between these two usages, and why the "right way" will help up stay safe and get what we want.

With privilege comes responsibility. And one of the responsibilities associated with occupying a privileged position of leadership is to bite one's lip. The captain can't complain (downward). Don't exacerbate the vulnerability associated with being in a dependent position by openly discussing worries, gripes, fears, and anxieties. The buck stops with you.

Confronting a friend about his or her disrespectful or destructive behavior can be one of the hardest things to do in a relationship. Say nothing and you collude to enable the behavior. Come down too hard and you risk alienating the other. In this video, I discuss how to accomplish this difficult task by speaking from your own experience about the natural, emotional consequences of the other's actions.

Many people live with the constant, low-grade fear of disappointing others. While this can ultimately be resolved by overcoming the fear of abandonment, the fear of disappointment can be significantly reduced by examining its rational basis. In this video, we'll discuss justified (versus unjustified) disappointment, so that you can reduce your exposure to unnecessary suffering.

In the course of your life, you are bound to encounter new and unexpected problems that you've never seen before. How can you respond confidently to a difficulty that you have no experience overcoming. In this podcast, I talk about two tricks for dealing successfully with just such a situation: looking at others and refocusing on your ability.

Some people carry the wounds and scars of past sufferings with them for the remainder of their lives. As a result of their pain, their lives have been irrevocably altered, and certain dreams may now no longer come to pass. How do these people turn this significant potential liability into a personal asset? The suffering of our past is redeemed through loving participation in our present.

One of the many ways people's minds can prove to be their own worst enemies is when they engage in fantasy narratives around important decisions in their lives. This is what I call "playing dress-up." This tendency is generally rooted in a lack of clarity about one's real desires -- which, in turn, is based on a dearth of accurate self-knowledge. Fit the opportunity to you -- not the other way around.

Why do you have bad habits? If a behavior is causing you significant distress, why can it still be so difficult to change despite the obvious pain that it causes? The answer to this question lies in an analysis of the function a given behavior performs in the context of your life. Most likely, on some level, you believe that the habit's persistence is still a net positive. To really change a behavior, you need to find other, more adaptive ways to perform the same function as your bad habit.

The hard truth about relationships is that everyone is entirely unique and completely replaceable. However, the key to making yourself (almost) irreplaceable in the context of any particular relationship is to prioritize how over what. This means that -- provided you continue to perform the duties associated with your role -- the way in which you show up is more important than what exactly you're doing when you arrive. After all: there's always another rodeo in town.

In any given sport, the one playing the game is not simultaneously the one enforcing the rulebook. Yet in our lives, we all too often decide not to make the attempt if our efforts might run afoul of the (usually unwritten) rules. Let the referees referee. If you're playing the game, focus on playing the game, and learn to foul appropriately. If no one is blowing the whistle, then there's a good chance you're still in bounds.

A paradoxical truth lies at the heart of all human relationships, namely: everyone you know is both entirely unique and completely replaceable. Success in life depends on your ability to keep both of these facts in your mind at the same time. When you do this, relationships become their proper size: neither too big nor too small.

Setting effective boundaries with difficult or toxic people in order to safeguard your peace of mind is an essential life skill. Unfortunately, too many people operate under the false impression that boundary-setting is about controlling the other to prevent future abusive behavior. In reality, setting boundaries is about controlling yourself to respond to the target behavior in such a way as to disincentivize its recurrence by changing the operant reinforcement contingency.