When you're feeling intense emotions, your mind can start convincing you of things that aren't true.
In this episode, I sit down with Spencer Greenberg, a mathematician and psychology researcher, to explore why our brains distort reality, why painful thoughts can feel so convincing, and how to stop believing every story your mind tells you.
We talk about anxiety, depression, negative thought loops, intrinsic values, social comparison, critical thinking, conspiracy thinking, community, and why the stories we tell ourselves can either keep us stuck or help us move forward.
Spencer Greenberg is the founder of Clearer Thinking, host of the Clearer Thinking Podcast, and author of The 12 Levers: The Complete Psychological Toolkit for Improving Your Life.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction: When Emotions Lie
(01:45) Mood Cycles Explained
(02:57) Stories We Tell Ourselves
(04:26) Anxiety & Depression Patterns
(05:40) Success Driven by Fear
(07:44) Intrinsic Values Framework
(11:17) Values vs Algorithms
(14:48) Mapping 22 Values
(18:11) Cults and Unmet Needs
(22:36) Joy and Connection
(24:43) Spencer’s Origin Story
(26:13) Critical Thinking Nuance
(31:53) Cognitive Miserliness
(33:01) Politics Breaks Thinking
(34:41) Scout Versus Soldier
(36:50) Polarization Future Outlook
(39:41) Media Gatekeeping Tradeoffs
(41:14) Conspiracy Cargo Cults
(45:57) Why Conspiracies Spread
(47:30) Mindfulness Thought Defusion
(53:21) Social Comparison Misery
(55:42) Intrinsic Values
(57:31) Resources And Book Plug
(58:44) Advice To Younger Self
(59:51) Final Thanks
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