The 12 Best Hidden Brain Episodes
Hidden Brain is one of the most interesting and enlightening podcasts out there, exploring the patterns that work behind-the-scenes in our lives. Using psychology, history, anthropology, neuroscience, and more, host Shankar Vedantam interviews experts to investigate wide-ranging phenomena. Whether you want to find happiness or have deep relationships or understand the root of religion, Hidden Brain episodes will uncover some of the deepest questions we have about ourselves and what it means to be human. For the most fascinating episodes, check out our roundup of the best episodes of Hidden Brain, full of recommendations from Podyssey’s community of Hidden Brain fans.
Last Updated: Jan 26th, 2022
1) When Did Marriage Become So Hard?
Living “happily ever after” with a partner is becoming increasingly challenging these days. Hidden Brain examines why more marriages and long-term relationships are failing. Learn about the history of marriages, the risks of high expectations, and how to improve your love life. Whether you’ve said your vows or not, there’s a lot to take note here in this best Hidden Brain episode.
2) Buying Attention
In the age of the attention economy, our attention has been hijacked for ads that tell us to “buy, buy, buy”. Author and professor, Tim Wu discusses the history and rise of “attention merchants” that engineers consumer demand for things we don’t need. In this episode, you’ll get to know the backstory of how our attention has been commodified and sold by these attention merchants from newspapers to radio to apps.
3) The Ventilator
If you found yourself with an untreatable illness where your quality of life becomes almost non-existent, would you still choose to live? Hidden Brain explores this hard-to-answer-question through the story of a nurse who constantly faces these questions at work and at home. This must-listen episode reveals what it means to be human at the brink of death.
4) Ep. 71: The Fox and the Hedgehog
Keep your tissue box close by for this touching Hidden Brain episode that follows a cosmetic surgeon who has dedicated his life to helping people. He’s what the Greek poet Archilochus calls a “hedgehog” — a person who makes bold decisive actions — and his altruism comes into conflict when he encounters nuanced people who are “foxes.” Is it better to be a hedgehog or a fox? The Hidden Brain podcast takes us on a journey of cognitive biases and how we can better reconcile our relationships with people who think differently from ourselves.
5) Bullshit Jobs
You might have seen colleagues watch Youtube videos or play games all day at work, and you asked yourself: “Is that guy actually doing anything?” Or maybe that person that was doing nothing was actually you. This hilarious episode investigates what anthropologist and author David Graeber calls “bullshit jobs” — jobs that feel pointless and gut-wrenchingly boring. Understand why these lame jobs exist and how they affect our psychology.
6) You 2.0: Deep Work
Getting into a “flow state” for deep work is becoming increasingly difficult these days with all the distractions around us. The constant mini interferences may seem like a small price to pay, but the little dings on our time add up. In this episode, Cal Newport, computer scientist and author of “Deep Work”, gives us tips on how to think deeply so we can focus and immerse ourselves in meaningful work. This useful and pragmatic episode is definitely a fan favorite that should also be on your best-of Hidden Brain episode list.
7) Creating God
What is religion really? Social psychologist Azim Shariff argues that religion comes from a deep human need that can be evaluated scientifically and academically. This top Hidden Brain episode is bound to turn some heads with its arguments that our religious piety originated from Darwinian evolution and creating god was necessary for our species’ proliferation.
8) Where Happiness Hides
We’re all striving towards happiness, but somehow, it always seems to escape us. Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky challenges how we think about happiness. She argues that happiness is all around us if we know where to find it. Sonja offers concrete tips on how to get into the elusive mood and relish every moment of it. If you’re looking for the secret to happiness, look no further, because it’s all within this best Hidden Brain episode.
9) The Tale of the Cowboy Philosopher
A daughter never understood her awkward father until she discovered that he was a conman. This touching family story follows a woman’s journey on rediscovering her dead father twice over. Her baffling story will tear at your heartstrings and make you rethink the layers of our identities we all carry with us, but seldom reveal fully to everyone we know.
10) Red Brain, Blue Brain
We often think that political ideologies are influenced by our histories, families, and our lived experiences. This best Hidden Brain episode argues that we actually lean left or right politically because of how our brains are wired at its core. Keep an open mind as you hear how genetics influence everything from what we eat to who we will vote for.
11) Between Two Worlds
Achieving the American dream is the ultimate destination for many. However, underneath that goal is an untold story of isolation and loneliness from those you love the most. Philosopher Jennifer Morton unveils the hidden costs and sacrifices of social mobility and whether it's really worth it for individuals and society-at-large to climb the social ladder. This thought-provoking episode is definitely one of the best episodes of Hidden Brain of all time.
12) The Match
This Hidden Brain episode is unlike any of the others. Instead of examining a human condition, host Shankar Vedantam tells us a story that started with a listener letter they received. This heart-touching story will redefine what a “life-changing” podcast means. We don’t want to reveal too much, but be sure to listen to this episode and keep a box of tissues close by, because you’re going to need it!