The Optimistic American - Audio Edition - Unpacking Psychopathy, Power, and Agency with Dr Emily Bashah

Mar 8, 2023

Blind Spot Biases: How to Overcome the Addictive Desire to Always be Right

In this episode of The Optimistic American, Paul Johnson sits down with Dr. Emily Bashah to discuss cognitive biases and blindspots and how they relate to you being able to find your sense of agency. They break down common biases that affect our everyday lives and how you can use love and connection to counter people who get high from being right. * Paul and Emly start the conversation by defining blindspots and cognitive biases - and how they relate to being able to find your sense of agency. * Paul uses one of his favorite movies, The Matrix, to describe biases and the ability to see things as they are. * Emily shares a fun little exercise that makes it possible to navigate typical biases and why not all stereotypes are inherently bad. * Paul and Emily discuss why some people have this inherent need to always be right. * Did you know that there's a heightened dopamine release when you feel like you're winning an argument? Paul explains that this is why some people are addicted to the high of always being right. * Paul highlights how you can use love and connection to counter people who get high from being right. * Paul explains how the hormone released when you're proven wrong can sometimes feel like enduring physical pain. * Paul and Emily talk about the power of love and how inspirational people like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi used it to drive change. * Emily talks about cognitive biases and the need to be right from a relationship and political point of view. * Paul believes the smartest people often don't have all the answers and don't see the need for intellectual superiority. * Paul and Emily analyze the difference between a narcissist and a psychopath. * Emily reveals that the reason most relationships fail is the lack of intimacy - relationships these days are transaction-based with little to no commitment. * Emily goes through the graph of what you know about yourself and what people know about you - and ways to identify deep blindspots. * Paul and Emily discuss the difference between System 1 and System 2 thinking. * According to Paul, nobody wants to hear your analysis of them. The best way to do it is to start by talking about yourself and opening with a question. * We all have biases; if you think you're unbiased, then you're the one with a problem. Mentioned in This Episode: optamerican.com Addictive Ideologies: Finding Meaning and Agency When Politics Fail You by Dr Emily Bashah and Hon Paul Johnson Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High by Kerry Patterson et al

1 hr 8 min