VEDANTAM: Time is another concept that is also central to the way we see and describe the world. You can't know, but you can certainly know that if could listen to people 50 years from now, they'd sound odd. But also, I started wondering, is it possible that my friend here was imagining a person without a gender for this whole time that we've been talking about them, right? Our transcripts are provided by various partners and may contain errors or deviate slightly from the audio. This week, we revisit a favorite episode from 2021, bringing you two stories about how easy it can be to believe in a false reality even when the facts dont back us up. Podcasters use the RadioPublic listener relationship platform to build lasting connections with fans. The dictionary says both uses are correct. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Speaking foreign language). In this favorite episode from 2021, Cornell University psychologist Anthony Burrow explains why purpose isnt something to be found its somethi, It's natural to want to run away from difficult emotions such as grief, anger and fear. In the second episode of our "Relationships 2.0" series, psychologist Do you ever struggle to communicate with your mom? UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #1: (Speaking foreign language). ADAM COLE, BYLINE: (Singing) You put your southwest leg in, and you shake it all about. You know, lots of people blow off steam about something they think is wrong, but very few people are willing to get involved and do something about it. And in fact, speakers of languages like this have been shown to orient extremely well - much better than we used to think humans could. VEDANTAM: How the languages we speak shape the way we think and why the words we use are always in flux. No matter how hard you try to feel happier, you end up back where you started. So in terms of the size of differences, there are certainly effects that are really, really big. That's the way words are, too. Well, if you have a word like that and if it's an intensifier of that kind, you can almost guess that literally is going to come to mean something more like just really. So maybe they're saying bridges are beautiful and elegant, not because they're grammatically feminine in the language, but because the bridges they have are, in fact, more beautiful and elegant. You can find all Hidden Brain episodes on our website. John, you've noted that humans have been using language for a very long time, but for most of that time language has been about talking. That said, if you hear one or two pieces of music that you really love, feel free to email us at [emailprotected] and well do our best to respond to your request. Sometimes, life can feel like being stuck on a treadmill. And I thought, wow, first of all, it would be almost impossible to have a conversation like that in English where you hadn't already revealed the gender of the person because you have to use he or she. GEACONE-CRUZ: And you're at home in your pajamas, all nice and cuddly and maybe watching Netflix or something. Another possibility is that it's a fully integrated mind, and it just incorporates ideas and distinctions from both languages or from many languages if you speak more than two. Growing up, I understood this word to mean for a very short time, as in John McWhorter was momentarily surprised. BORODITSKY: So quite literally, to get past hello, you have to know which way you're heading. So we did an analysis of images in Artstor. When language was like that, of course it changed a lot - fast - because once you said it, it was gone. This week, we kick off a month-long series we're calling Happiness 2.0. There's a way of speaking right. VEDANTAM: Our conversation made me wonder about what this means on a larger scale. And he started by asking Russian-speaking students to personify days of the week. All sponsorship opportunities on Hidden Brain are managed by SXM Media. al, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2004. If you're studying a new language, you might discover these phrases not in your textbooks but when you're hanging out with friends. What Do You Do When Things Go Right? We also look at how. Hidden Brain Claim By Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam Podcasts RSS Web PODCAST SEARCH EPISODES COMMUNITY PODCASTER EDIT SHARE Listen Score LS 84 Global Rank TOP 0.01% ABOUT THIS PODCAST Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships. Time now for "My Unsung Hero," our series from the team at Hidden Brain telling the stories of . So LOL was an internet abbreviation meaning laugh out loud or laughing out loud, but LOL in common usage today doesn't necessarily mean hysterical laughter. But is that true when it comes to the pursuit of happiness? al, Group Decision and Negotiation, 2008. They're supposed to be painting something very personal. Maybe it's, even less than 100 meters away, but you just can't bring yourself to even throw your, coat on over your pajamas, and put your boots on, and go outside and walk those, hundred meters because somehow it would break the coziness, and it's just too much of, an effort, and you can't be bothered to do it, even though it's such a small thing. UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #3: (As character) I'm willing to get involved. Official Website Airs on: SUN 7pm-8pm 55:27 Happiness 2.0: The Reset Button Feb 27 Many of us rush through our lives, chasing goals and just trying to get everything done. When we come back, we dig further into the way that gender works in different languages and the pervasive effects that words can play in our lives. Having a sense of purpose can be a buffer against the challenges we all face at various stages of life. Whereas speakers of a language like Spanish might not be quite as good at remembering who did it when it's an accident, but they're better at remembering that it was an accident. The categorization that language provides to you becomes real, becomes psychologically real. This week, we kick off a month-long series we're calling Happiness 2.0. : A Data-Driven Prescription to Redefine Professional Success, by Lawrence S. Krieger and Kennon M. Sheldon, George Washington Law Review, 2015. This week on Hidden Brain, psychologist Adam Grant describes the magic th It's never going to. BORODITSKY: Yeah. And there are consequences for how people think about events, what they notice when they see accidents. So in English, I might say that Sam (ph) broke the flute. Why researchers should think real-world: A conceptual rationale, by Harry T. Reis, in Handbook of Research Methods for Studying Daily Life, 2012. You know, I was trying to stay oriented because people were treating me like I was pretty stupid for not being oriented, and that hurt. It goes in this pile. You can search for the episode or browse all episodes on our Archive Page. Let's start with the word literally. And, I mean, just in terms of even sounds changing and the way that you put words together changing bit by bit, and there's never been a language that didn't do that. : The Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Benefits of Sharing Positive Events, Shelly. And if you don't have a word for exactly seven, it actually becomes very, very hard to keep track of exactly seven. Hidden Brain explores the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior and questions that lie at the heart of our complex and changing world. But that can blind us to a very simple source of joy that's all around us. And so to address that question, what we do is we bring English speakers into the lab, and we teach them grammatical genders in a new language that we invent. I think that it's better to think of language as a parade that either you're watching, or frankly, that you're in, especially because the people are never going to stand still. It is the very fabric, the very core of your experience. Shankar Vedantam, host of the popular podcast "Hidden Brain" has been reporting on human behavior for decades. And then when I turned, this little window stayed locked on the landscape, but it turned in my mind's eye. Please note that your continued use of the RadioPublic services following the posting of such changes will be deemed an acceptance of this update. It's part of a general running indication that everything's OK between you and the other person, just like one's expected to smile a little bit in most interactions. And it sounds a little bit abrupt and grabby like you're going to get something instead of being given. There's not a bigger difference you could find than 100 percent of the measurement space. Purpose can also boost our health and longevity. VEDANTAM: One of the things I found really interesting is that the evolution of words and language is constant. Social Functionalist Frameworks for Judgment and Choice: Intuitive Politicians, Theologians, and Prosecutors, by Philip Tetlock, Psychology Review, 2002. So act like Monday. A free podcast app for iPhone and Android, Download episodes while on WiFi to listen without using mobile data, Stream podcast episodes without waiting for a download, Queue episodes to create a personal continuous playlist, Web embed players designed to convert visitors to listeners in the RadioPublic apps for iPhone and Android, Capture listener activity with affinity scores, Measure your promotional campaigns and integrate with Google and Facebook analytics, Deliver timely Calls To Action, including email acquistion for your mailing list, Share exactly the right moment in an episode via text, email, and social media, Tip and transfer funds directly to podcastsers, Earn money for qualified plays in the RadioPublic apps with Paid Listens. So new words are as likely to evolve as old ones. But that can blind us to a very simple source of joy that's all around us. But can you imagine someone without imagining their gender? It's natural to want to run away from difficult emotions such as grief, anger and fear. Our transcripts are provided by various partners and may contain errors or deviate slightly from the audio. MCWHORTER: Yeah. And a girl goes in this pile. GEACONE-CRUZ: It describes this feeling so perfectly in such a wonderfully packaged, encapsulated way, and you can just - it rolls off the tongue, and you can just throw it. Rightly Crossing the Rubicon: Evaluating Goal Self-Concordance Prior to Selection Helps People Choose More Intrinsic Goals, by Kennon M. Sheldon, Mike Prentice, and Evgeny Osin, Journal of Research in Personality, 2019. VEDANTAM: Still don't have a clear picture? And it irritates people, but there's a different way of seeing literally. MCWHORTER: Those are called contronyms, and literally has become a new contronym. So you can't know how the words are going to come out, but you can take good guesses. But if you prefer life - the unpredictability of life - then living language in many ways are much more fun. And so I was trying to keep track of which way is which. to describe the world. Many of us believe that hard work and persistence are the key to achieving our goals. Today's episode was the first in our You 2.0 series, which runs all this month. Today in our Happiness 2.0 series, we revisit a favorite episode from 2020. Athletic Scholarships are Negatively Associated with Intrinsic Motivation for Sports, Even Decades Later: Evidence for Long-Term Undermining, by Kennon M. Sheldon and Arlen C. Moller, Motivation Science, 2020. But what happens when these feelings catch up with us? You know, there's no left leg or right leg. VEDANTAM: My guest today is - well, why don't I let her introduce herself? Follow on Apple, Google or Spotify. Purpose can also boost our health and longevity. Today in our Happiness 2.0 series, we revisit a favorite episode from 2020. When we come back, I'm going to ask you about why languages change and whether there are hidden rules that shape why some words are more likely to evolve than others. Imagine how we would sound to them if they could hear us. We'll begin with police shootings of unarmed Black men. And the answer should be, north, northeast in the far distance; how about you? But I think that we should learn not to listen to people using natural language as committing errors because there's no such thing as making a mistake in your language if a critical mass of other people speaking your language are doing the same thing. Our transcripts are provided by various partners and may contain errors or deviate slightly from the audio. But that can blind us to a very simple source of joy thats all around us. Go behind the scenes, see what Shankar is reading and find more useful resources and links. He's also the author of the book, "Words On The Move: Why English Won't - And Can't - Sit Still (Like, Literally).". Additional Resources Book: The transcript below may be for an earlier version of this episode. GEACONE-CRUZ: It describes this feeling so perfectly in such a wonderfully packaged, encapsulated way. And if the word bridge is masculine in your language, you're more likely to say that bridges are strong and long and towering - these kind of more stereotypically masculine words. It's natural to want to run away from difficult emotions such as grief, anger and fear. Young people have always used language in new and different ways, and it's pretty much always driven older people crazy. BORODITSKY: I had this wonderful opportunity to work with my colleague Alice Gaby in this community called Pormpuraaw in - on Cape York. In this favorite 2021 episode, psychologistAdam Grantpushes back against the benefits of certainty, and describes the magic that unfolds when we challenge our own deeply-held beliefs. That was somehow a dad's fashion, and that I should start wearing flat-fronted pants. Now, many people hear that and they think, well, that's no good because now literally can mean its opposite. ), The Sourcebook of Listening Research: Methodology and Measures, 2018. I'm Shankar Vedantam. As soon as you move the leg, it becomes a different leg. But, in fact, they were reflecting this little quirk of grammar, this little quirk of their language and in some cases, you know, carving those quirks of grammar into stone because when you look at statues that we have around - of liberty and justice and things like this - they have gender. Researcher Elizabeth Dunn helps us map out the unexpected ways we can find joy and happiness in our everyday lives. He's a defender of language on the move, but I wanted to know if there were things that irritated even him. You can support Hidden Brain indirectly by giving to your local NPR station, or you can provide direct support to Hidden Brain by making a gift on our Patreon page. And if that is true, then the educated person can look down on people who say Billy and me went to the store or who are using literally, quote, unquote, "wrong" and condemn them in the kinds of terms that once were ordinary for condemning black people or women or what have you.