scripod.com
It's Not My Fault!

Overview

Shownote

Highlights

Transcript

Chapters

Pins

It's Not My Fault!

Hidden Brain

Sep 15
Hidden Brain

Hidden Brain

Sep 15
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

It's not easy for most of us to receive negative feedback. Even when the person delivering that feedback is constructive and reasonable, we often feel the urge to defend ourselves. This week, we look at the psychology of defensiveness with neuroscientist E...

Highlights

Receiving criticism is a common yet challenging experience, often triggering automatic defensive reactions even when feedback is well-intentioned. This episode delves into the science of why our minds resist constructive input and explores strategies to foster openness, growth, and deeper understanding in personal and professional conversations.
06:48
The brain conflates self with goodness, making criticism feel like a survival threat
21:02
Values affirmation makes people more receptive to coaching and feedback.
27:37
Self-transcendent values reduce brain reactivity to threat
34:57
Being transported into a story helps people process information less defensively and more analytically
48:54
Forgetting helps the brain focus on patterns by pruning irrelevant details.

Chapters

Why Do We Automatically Push Back Against Feedback?
00:00
When Criticism Feels Like a Threat to Who You Are
06:48
How Mindfulness and Values Open Us to Growth
16:53
Finding Purpose Beyond the Self to Stay Receptive
27:37
Can Stories Quiet Our Defenses and Teach Wisdom?
34:57
Is Forgetting Actually Good for Your Memory?
48:54
How Grief and Emotion Reshape What We Remember
1:09:39

Transcript

Shankar Vedantam: This is Hidden Brain. I'm Shankar Vedantam. Have you ever noticed, when you offer a friend or a colleague or a partner a suggestion for improvement, they often experience an urge to defend themselves? Rather than listen to how they might ...