#608 - Paul Bloom - How Does The Human Mind Work?

Dan Simons and Chris Chabris

In fact, they came to a book called invisible gorilla summarized by, by, uh, Dan Simons and Chris Chabris.

I think it's Ludwig Wittgenstein. And he says, the limits of my language mean the limits of my world.

St. Augustine

The classic example, which is St. Augustine in the Confessions.

Guest: Paul Bloom

Episode summary

Paul Bloom is Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Yale University and an author. The human mind is a mystery. If it wasn't for the fact that we experience it, the universe would give us absolutely no indication that consciousness existed. After an entire career studying psychology, Professor Bloom has some answers to the psychology questions we've all asked ourselves. Expect to learn whether you actually remember everything that you've ever experienced, whether we know why consciousness evolved at all, why we should remember Sigmund Freud, why babies are way smarter than you think, whether attachment theory is rubbish, if psychology can tell us how to live a good life and much more... Extra Stuff: Buy Psych - https://amzn.to/42JQ4PZ Follow Paul on Twitter - https://twitter.com/paulbloomatyale Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

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Dan Simons and Chris Chabris

The host discusses the unreliability of memory and how leading questions can create false memories. They reference 'I…

The host references Ludwig Wittgenstein to emphasize the connection between language and the richness of human experi…

St. Augustine

The host references St. Augustine's 'Confessions' to illustrate the concept of engaging in actions simply because the…

the sweet spot

Paul Bloom

The host discusses the complexities of happiness related to parenting, referencing the book 'The Sweet Spot' to highl…

John McWhorter

The host references John McWhorter to discuss the relationship between language and thought, emphasizing how language…

Blueprint

Plowman

The host discusses the importance of understanding behavioral genetics and its implications for personal development…

Moonwalking with Einstein

Joshua Foer

The host mentions 'Moonwalking with Einstein' to highlight the historical memory techniques discussed by Joshua Foer.…

How to Train Your Boyfriend

Diana Fleischman

The host briefly mentions Diana Fleischman's book 'How to Train Your Boyfriend' in the context of discussing behavior…

language and thought(2)memory techniques and attention(2)behavioral genetics education(1)evolutionary behaviorism(1)happiness and parenting(1)memory and perception(1)memory techniques discussion(1)perverse desires and behavior(1)

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Media mentions1

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What is #608 - Paul Bloom - How Does The Human Mind Work? about?

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for #608 - Paul Bloom - How Does The Human Mind Work? on Modern Wisdom.

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The conversation centers on language and thought.
A second recurring theme is memory techniques and attention.
Referenced books include Invisible Gorilla by Dan Simons and Chris Chabris and Ludwig Wittgenstein.
The strongest audience signal points to Psychology enthusiasts and professionals and Individuals interested in philosophy and linguistics.

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Which books are mentioned in #608 - Paul Bloom - How Does The Human Mind Work??

Invisible Gorilla by Dan Simons and Chris Chabris, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and Confessions by St. Augustine are the clearest linked books in this episode, each tied back to transcript timestamps and quote cards.

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Deep Dive(6)Passing Reference(4)

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Psychology enthusiasts and professionalsIndividuals interested in philosophy and linguisticsIndividuals interested in psychology and human behaviorParents and individuals interested in psychologyLinguistics enthusiasts and those interested in cognitive scienceEducators and parents interested in genetics

Books Mentioned

The full list below is ranked by how useful each mention is to a listener: stronger recommendation language, clearer quote context, and better timestamp support rise first.

Dan Simons and Chris Chabris

Best for Psychology enthusiasts and professionalsOften cited around memory and perception

“The excerpt discusses a classic experiment summarized in the book 'Invisible Gorilla' by Dan Simons and Chris Chabris, which illustrates how people can miss obvious things when their attention is focused elsewhere.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: memory and perception

For: Psychology enthusiasts and professionals

Key quote: “In fact, they came to a book called invisible gorilla summarized by, by, uh, Dan Simons and Chris Chabris.”

The host discusses the unreliability of memory and how leading questions can create false memories. They reference 'Invisible Gorilla' to illustrate how people often miss significant details due to selective attention.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Best for Individuals interested in philosophy and linguisticsOften cited around language and thought

“The speaker references a lesson learned from Ludwig Wittgenstein about the relationship between language and thought, specifically the idea that the limits of language define the limits of one's world.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: language and thought

For: Individuals interested in philosophy and linguistics

Key quote: “I think it's Ludwig Wittgenstein. And he says, the limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”

The host references Ludwig Wittgenstein to emphasize the connection between language and the richness of human experience. Wittgenstein's idea suggests that the limitations of our vocabulary can restrict our understanding and engagement with the world.

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St. Augustine

Best for Individuals interested in psychology and human behaviorOften cited around perverse desires and behavior

“The classic example, which is St. Augustine in the Confessions, describes an incident where he and his friends steal pears.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: perverse desires and behavior

For: Individuals interested in psychology and human behavior

Key quote: “The classic example, which is St. Augustine in the Confessions.”

The host references St. Augustine's 'Confessions' to illustrate the concept of engaging in actions simply because they are deemed wrong or forbidden. This example serves to highlight the complexity of human motivations and the allure of bad behavior.

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the sweet spot

Paul Bloom

Best for Parents and individuals interested in psychologyOften cited around happiness and parenting

“The speaker reflects on a book titled 'the sweet spot' and discusses the debate between hedonism and meaning in life.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: happiness and parenting

For: Parents and individuals interested in psychology

Key quote: “I remember learning about Kahneman and Dan Gilbert, and they had two different conceptions of happiness.”

The host discusses the complexities of happiness related to parenting, referencing the book 'The Sweet Spot' to highlight differing perspectives on hedonism and meaning. The conversation emphasizes how personal disposition affects one's experience of happiness and fulfillment in life.

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John McWhorter

Best for Linguistics enthusiasts and those interested in cognitive scienceOften cited around language and thought

“The speaker discusses John McWhorter's observations on the relationship between language and thought, particularly regarding obscenities and their connection to taboo subjects.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: language and thought

For: Linguistics enthusiasts and those interested in cognitive science

Key quote: “The one simple example is by John McWhorter, where he points out that so many of our obscenities have to do with God.”

The host references John McWhorter to discuss the relationship between language and thought, emphasizing how language reflects our cognitive processes. McWhorter's insights help illustrate the complexities of how we use language to convey our thoughts and the misconceptions surrounding the influence of language on our thinking.

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Blueprint

Plowman

Best for Educators and parents interested in geneticsOften cited around behavioral genetics education

“There was a chart in Plowman's book, Blueprint, which relates to the heritability of traits.”

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Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: behavioral genetics education

For: Educators and parents interested in genetics

Key quote: “There was a chart in Plowman's book, Blueprint.”

The host discusses the importance of understanding behavioral genetics and its implications for personal development and parenting. They reference Plowman's book, 'Blueprint', to highlight how public education could benefit from this knowledge.

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Moonwalking with Einstein

Joshua Foer

Best for Individuals interested in improving their memory skillsOften cited around memory techniques discussion

“He wrote a book called moonwalking with Einstein, where he outlays the sort of the historical, the classical memory techniques.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: memory techniques discussion

For: Individuals interested in improving their memory skills

Key quote: “He wanted to, he's a writer. He wrote a book called moonwalking with Einstein, where he outlays the sort of the historical, the classical memory techniques where you basically got to make vivid associations between things.”

The host mentions 'Moonwalking with Einstein' to highlight the historical memory techniques discussed by Joshua Foer. This reference serves to illustrate the challenges of memory and attention in everyday situations.

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How to Train Your Boyfriend

Diana Fleischman

Best for Individuals interested in psychology and relationship dynamics.Often cited around evolutionary behaviorism

“Diana Fleischman has a book coming out called How to Train Your Boyfriend, which she terms evolutionary behaviorism.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: evolutionary behaviorism

For: Individuals interested in psychology and relationship dynamics.

Key quote: “Yeah, she's got a book coming out called How to Train Your Boyfriend.”

The host briefly mentions Diana Fleischman's book 'How to Train Your Boyfriend' in the context of discussing behaviorism and reinforcement techniques. They highlight the idea that positive reinforcement can be applied to relationships, although it feels somewhat uncomfortable.

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Friends

Robin Dunbar

Best for Individuals interested in improving their memory and social skills.Often cited around memory techniques and attention

“The speaker mentions learning about the stroke response from Robin Dunbar's book 'Friends', highlighting its insights into human behavior.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: memory techniques and attention

For: Individuals interested in improving their memory and social skills.

Key quote: “You want to remember people's names. You've got to make a freaking effort.”

The host briefly mentions the book 'Friends' by Robin Dunbar in the context of discussing memory and attention. It serves as a reference point for understanding social connections and their impact on memory retention.

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Make It Stick

Peter C. Brown

Best for Individuals interested in improving their memory skillsOften cited around memory techniques and attention

“Peter C. Brown that wrote make it stick was like episode 20 on the show.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: memory techniques and attention

For: Individuals interested in improving their memory skills

Key quote: “Peter C. Brown that wrote make it stick was like episode 20 on the show, I think.”

The host mentions 'Make It Stick' in the context of discussing memory techniques and the challenges of remembering names and faces. This reference highlights the importance of attention and effort in memory retention, as emphasized by the book's author, Peter C. Brown.

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Invisible Gorilla

Modern Wisdom · 11:08

In fact, they came to a book called invisible gorilla summarized by, by, uh, Dan Simons and Chris Chabris.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Modern Wisdom · 52:05

I think it's Ludwig Wittgenstein. And he says, the limits of my language mean the limits of my world.

Confessions

Modern Wisdom · 46:10

The classic example, which is St. Augustine in the Confessions.

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Mentioned at 11:08

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Dan Simons and Chris Chabris

The host discusses the unreliability of memory and how leading questions can create false memories. They reference 'Invisible Gorilla' to illustrat…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Mentioned at 52:05

Check price Jump to mention

The host references Ludwig Wittgenstein to emphasize the connection between language and the richness of human experience. Wittgenstein's idea sugg…

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Mentioned at 46:10