Social Neuroscientist: "What Everyone Gets Wrong about Dopamine & Serotonin"

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Check out Magic Mind - https://www.magicmind.com/GIANTS20 Dr Taylor Guthrie is a social neuroscientist, researcher, and one of the leading experts in how our sense of self emerges from our relationships, our goals, and the powerful social forces around us We all assume we know what’s happening inside our own minds. But what if the way you describe your identity—your inner narrative, your motivations, your beliefs—turns out to be incomplete? What if you’ve spent your entire life overlooking how deeply social context shapes you? Taylor’s research suggests that most people don’t truly understand the hidden processes guiding how they think, feel, and behave Expect to learn why the self is far more malleable than you might believe, how close friendships literally alter the brain’s activity, why dopamine is more about drive than pleasure, how the default mode network weaves your memories into a cohesive story, whether so-called “quick brain hacks” truly live up to the hype, and the fascinating ways that shared group identity can both unify and polarise us This episode will make you question everything you thought you knew about your own mind .... 00:00 Intro: The Most Social Species On Earth 01:54 Why Should Anyone Care About Social Neuroscience?02:57 How Our Brains Evolved For Social Interaction 03:43 Language & Cooperation: The Human Advantage 05:04 Abstract Thinking & The Evolving Frontal Lobe 08:40 What Does It Mean To Have a “Self”? 10:47 How the Self Impacts Motivation & Memory 15:15 Seeing Others as Extensions of Ourselves 20:10 Shifting Selves Across the Lifespan 27:10 Redefining Goals: The Neuroscience of Change 34:55 Dopamine vs. Serotonin: A Complex Interaction 39:00 Intrinsic Motivation & Identity 42:50 Overcoming Bad Habits & Building New Paths 49:04 Mental Illness & the Self: Depression, Anxiety & Identity 56:00 Myths About Dopamine & “Quick Brain Hacks” 01:01:30 Cannabis, Psychedelics & Ego Dissolution 01:07:52 The Default Mode Network: A Master Conductor 01:13:10 Daydreaming, Self-Talk & Integrating Experience 01:21:59 Group Identity, Polarization & Belief Systems 01:30:25 Neuralink, AI & Real-Time Brain Data 01:40:52 The Potential & Risks of Brain-Tech Integration 01:48:45 Leaving Self-Limiting Beliefs Behind 01:56:15 Practical Takeaways for Changing Your Self-Concept 02:03:10 Final Reflections & Where Neuroscience Is Headed ... Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249 Other Awesome Companies I Work With Manta Eyewear -