Dr Taylor Guthrie is a social neuroscientist, researcher, and one of the leading experts in how our sense of self emerges from our relationships, our goals, and the powerful social forces around us
We all assume we know what’s happening inside our own minds. But what if the way you describe your identity—your inner narrative, your motivations, your beliefs—turns out to be incomplete?
What if you’ve spent your entire life overlooking how deeply social context shapes you? Taylor’s research suggests that most people don’t truly understand the hidden processes guiding how they think, feel, and behave
Expect to learn why the self is far more malleable than you might believe, how close friendships literally alter the brain’s activity, why dopamine is more about drive than pleasure, how the default mode network weaves your memories into a cohesive story, whether so-called “quick brain hacks” truly live up to the hype, and the fascinating ways that shared group identity can both unify and polarise us
This episode will make you question everything you thought you knew about your own mind.
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00:00 Intro: The Most Social Species On Earth
01:54 Why Should Anyone Care About Social Neuroscience?02:57 How Our Brains Evolved For Social Interaction
03:43 Language & Cooperation: The Human Advantage
05:04 Abstract Thinking & The Evolving Frontal Lobe
08:40 What Does It Mean To Have a “Self”?
10:47 How the Self Impacts Motivation & Memory
15:15 Seeing Others as Extensions of Ourselves
20:10 Shifting Selves Across the Lifespan
27:10 Redefining Goals: The Neuroscience of Change
34:55 Dopamine vs. Serotonin: A Complex Interaction
39:00 Intrinsic Motivation & Identity
42:50 Overcoming Bad Habits & Building New Paths
49:04 Mental Illness & the Self: Depression, Anxiety & Identity
56:00 Myths About Dopamine & “Quick Brain Hacks”
01:01:30 Cannabis, Psychedelics & Ego Dissolution
01:07:52 The Default Mode Network: A Master Conductor
01:13:10 Daydreaming, Self-Talk & Integrating Experience
01:21:59 Group Identity, Polarization & Belief Systems
01:30:25 Neuralink, AI & Real-Time Brain Data
01:40:52 The Potential & Risks of Brain-Tech Integration
01:48:45 Leaving Self-Limiting Beliefs Behind
01:56:15 Practical Takeaways for Changing Your Self-Concept
02:03:10 Final Reflections & Where Neuroscience Is Headed
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