513: Help Your Brain Learn, with Lisa Feldman Barrett

Lisa Feldman Barrett: Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain

Lisa Feldman Barrett is among the top one percent most cited scientists in the world for her revolutionary research in psychology and neuroscience. She is a University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University, with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. She is also Chief Science Officer for the Center for Law, Brain & Behavior at Harvard University.

In addition to her bestselling book How Emotions Are Made*, she has published over 240 peer-reviewed, scientific papers appearing in Science, Nature Neuroscience, and other top journals in psychology and cognitive neuroscience. She has also given a popular TED talk with nearly 6 million views and received a Guggenheim Fellowship in neuroscience and an NIH Director’s Pioneer Award.

In this conversation, Lisa and I discuss the lessons from her newest book, Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain*. We explore some of the common misperceptions about brain biology and examine how much energy use and conservation affects us. Then, we uncover how we can help ourselves — and others — learn better.

Key Points

• The primary purpose of your brain is to keep you alive. As a result, your brain predicts almost everything you do.
• Unlike how we perceive, sensing actually comes second for the brain. It’s wired to prepare for action first.
• Learning is an expensive use of energy. Leaders can cultivate environments for learning by providing stable environments that don’t burn unnecessary energy.
• Changing behavior in the heat of the moment isn’t likely, but we can change how our brain will predict outside of the moment.
• You are always cultivating your past, since today’s present becomes the past. That’s how you change the way your brain predicts in the future.

Resources Mentioned

• Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain* by Lisa Feldman Barrett
• Lisa Feldman Barrret’s website

Interview Notes

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