249 - The Power of Surprise (rebroadcast)

You Are Not So Smart

Science, Psychology, Brain, Business, Mental Health, Culture, Neuroscience, Mind, Health

4.6 • 1.8K Ratings

🗓️ 24 December 2022

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, Micheal Rousell, author of The Power of Surprise, explains the science of surprise at the level of neurons and brain structures, and then talk about how surprises often lead to the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves, the different personal narratives that guide our behaviors and motivations and goals, and, perhaps most importantly, our willingness to be surprised again so that we can change and grow.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the You Are Not So Smart Podcast.
0:28.0	So not all surprises produce beliefs, changes, but all belief changes probably were triggered
0:53.3	by surprise.
1:00.3	Not all surprises trigger belief change, but almost all belief change is triggered by surprise.
1:08.5	I love that idea, and it's the thesis of a new book by Michael Rezel titled The Power
1:14.8	of Surprise.
1:17.0	Here's Michael.
1:18.3	Well, currently I'm a professor emeritus from Southern Oregon University.
1:26.3	Most of the time I've been a professor at Southern Oregon.
1:32.7	Prior to that I was a school teacher, a psychologist, a counselor, I work in, it was probably one
1:41.9	of the things I enjoyed most, just like coached volleyball and hockey and lots of sports throughout
1:47.3	my life.
1:48.3	I enjoyed athletics and I really enjoyed working with young people and helping them become
1:53.9	more exciting and interesting and better and more equipped with things in their life.
1:59.3	Yeah, that part is really crucial to the soul of the book, but in the book, Michael also
2:04.4	explains the science of surprise at the level of neurons and brain structures, the interplay
2:11.2	of chemicals in the nervous system like dopamine and serotonin and the evolutionary history
2:16.9	of how all those things came together to create this flow chart of sorts that illustrates
2:23.3	how we go from experiences to pattern recognition to expectations and then what happens when
2:30.0	we are surprised.
2:33.0	When novelty and ambiguity subverts those expectations leading to a neurochemical, psychological
2:39.8	kaleidoscope of emotions and cognitions that not only create the subjective experience
	...

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