Beat Your Genes Podcast

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**Beat Your Genes Podcast**

Evolutionary psychology with Dr. Doug Lisle, PhD and Nathan Gershfeld, D.C.

Most psychology advice treats your brain like a broken machine. Beat Your Genes starts somewhere different: your instincts aren’t broken. They’re just optimized for a Stone Age environment that no longer exists.

Dr. Lisle – Evolutionary psychologist, former Stanford lecturer, and co-author of The Pleasure Trap – has spent decades developing frameworks that explain human behavior from the ground up.

Nathan Gershfeld, D.C. – trained first as an electrical engineer and then spent 14 years as a Doctor of Chiropractic. He brings a systems thinker’s curiosity to every conversation. He mostly lets Dr. Lisle talk.

Topics include relationships and attraction, self-esteem, personality, depression and anxiety, willpower, the ego trap, and how pushy people exploit agreeable ones.

380+ episodes. New episodes every other week.

New here? Start at beatyourgenes.org/start-here

Latest Episodes:

296: Do minorities have low self-esteem, Interrupting, Neuroplasticity Dec 15, 2022

Show notes

Announcements: -On Feb 19, 2023, Dr. Lisle & Howk are doing a Live Seminar called the True to Life Series.

Registration link: www.TrueToLife.us -Episodes 294 & 295 will be released in the coming weeks.

In today's show the dr's discuss:

Do people feel disgust for themselves when they are a minority in the village? Like you've said, disgust evolved not just out of a sense of right and wrong, but also out of infection and threat. So, my question is, do (racial, sexual, etc) minorities suffer because their internal audience will be in tune with the majority community's sense of disgust and/or threat around them? How important is it to have people who look, think, love, and are like you for your self esteem?
What is the psychology behind interrupting people in conversation? I've read that we're "wired to tie up loose ends" meaning that it feels good to tie up a thought that may get forgotten about or change as the conversation carries on. Also, do you think most people really listen to what we are saying or are they just waiting for their turn to speak?
Can neuroplasticity be used to change personality ? or is it that the DNA remains the same thus the way new neurons or connections form is also predetermined ?

Host: Nathan Gershfeld

Interviewee: Doug Lisle, Ph.D. and Jen Howk, Ph.D.

Podcast website: www.BeatYourGenes.org

True to Life seminars with Dr. Lisle and Dr. Howk : www.TrueToLife.us

Intro & outro song: City of Happy Ones · Ferenc Hegedus

293: Child behavior problems, Do men cope by retreating? Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

In today's show, Dr. Lisle and Dr. Howk discuss:

How well does clinical evolutionary psychology explain and treat behavioural problems of children such as aggression or violence (often in cases even towards their own parents who have a reliable history of being loving and warm and not abusive). Any recommendations for literature/ reading sources/ books on psychology for people interested in dealing with aggressive kids?
I have been told often that men retreat from their romantic partner emotionally when they are upset, is that a gender difference in coping mechanisms or is it just that men are inherently less invested in relationships than women?
1)what impact has women's education and empowerment had on gender dynamics? 2)if left to our primal instincts i.e. hypothetically if in a place where humans are born and there is no culture to begin with, would men be inseminating attractive women left right and centre forcefully/ by overpowering them (especially adolescent fertile girls) or is there now a genetic component of mutual consent seeking ?

292: Ditzy girls, Gratitude, Quality of your internal audience, Empathy Oct 20, 2022

Show notes

Why do men seem to be so enraptured by "ditzy" girls? They trip over themselves trying to take care of her. Is it an behavioral manifestation of attractive estrogen levels in the woman?
How did gratitude and gratefulness come to evolve in human beings. if one analyses it, it is an extremely complex highly advanced thought process about how bad a situation could have been and the fact that its not one must accept, acknowledge and recalibrate one's esteem cues and status so as to not be sad/depressed/ low about a certain event.
How does one's personality influence the quality of the internal audience? I can imagine that someone higher in C would have a lower or maybe harsher internal audience.
I am curious about a few inferences I made about the interface between environment and personality. High conscientiousness and agreeableness implies a higher likelihood of accepting and following social norms. In other words, these genetic traits are responsible for preserving the cultural environment. On the other hand, a person with high conscientiousness but low agreeableness is more likely to develop and carry out their own credo, based more on their personal experiences and judgement. Does any of that pass the smell test, or better yet, is there research that supports or disconfirms any of it?
Over a period of million years, if we keep eating the way we eat (high fat salt sugar diet),would eventually those individuals get selected whose genetic variations are such that can tolerate the high fat diet and still survive for a hundred years. would that be a fitter, new species then ?
Could you explain empathy , the processes involved, the CB that we run, etc through the lens of evo psych. Also is empathy a cognitive process or it is a means to an end i.e. a signalling device?

291: Is addiction more likely in sad people, Evo Psych in classrooms Oct 06, 2022

Show notes

In today's show, Dr. Lisle discusses:

Dear doctors, although addiction has been discussed extensively already im still trying to piece it together, thus would like your comments on the following: In a state of anxiety, stress and depression where we are getting negative esteem cues and dopamine levels are low, a substance that boosts dopamine can take one from 20 to say 80 on pleasure scale, whereas if you are content and calm that substance may take you from a 60 to say 70 or 80 which the brain doesnt recognise as a significant increment. does this mean that poeple who are sad are much more likely to get addicted to substances, much like the harvard study revealed?
Do you think it would be beneficial to include evolutionary psychology in school curriculums? At what age would children be able to grasp and understand these concepts? What impact would an awareness of our instinct to grade attractiveness and our genetic constraints of majorly being attracted to people 20% above and below ( depending on mating strategy) have on human relations and behaviour? Would it ultimately enrich life experiences?
My dad was a smoker in his twenties. my mom told me that he gave it up after the birth of my elder sister. growing up i remember that there was a sealed packet of cigarettes in a certain drawer that never moved, which my dad had kept to remind himself of the fact that he had quit and to practise willpower. after learning about channel factors this seems like a stupid decision in retrospect. what may be your comments on this?
Copyright Beat Your Genes Podcast

Host: Nathan Gershfeld

Interviewee: Doug Lisle, Ph.D. and Jen Howk, Ph.D.

Podcast website: www.BeatYourGenes.org

True to Life seminars with Dr. Lisle and Dr. Howk : www.TrueToLife.us

Intro & outro song: City of Happy Ones · Ferenc Hegedus

290: Need to understand, How BYG started, Childless, Bad Childhood & depression Sep 29, 2022

Show notes

In today's show, the dr's discuss:

How does evolutionary psychology approach the complex human need to understand how/why/when about the workings of the universe
hello! i am just curious how this podcast came into being and the aim behind it, as it appears to be an extremely altruistic dissipation of scientifically accurate advice and help. highly grateful for it. thankyou!
greetings! i am 23 years old, from a pretty conservative nation and feel i have missed out on many life experiences thus do not want a kid as i want the rest of my life completely for myself and for the pursuit of other achievements. today's seemingly increasingly apocalyptic world (due to climate change and resource shortage) further kills the desire to bring forth a child. i feel its the poorly lived childhood and early adult experiences that prevent me from wanting a kid. would it be possible to understand the psychology behind it with respect to the fact that childhood experiences don't shape our desires? why do some women not want kids?
Does having bad childhood experiences cause depression?
Who's philosophers view of the world do you agree with the most? What does Dr.Lisle think of the view of ancient Greek atomists?
Copyright Beat Your Genes Podcast

Host: Nathan Gershfeld

Interviewee: Doug Lisle, Ph.D. and Jen Howk, Ph.D.

Podcast website: www.BeatYourGenes.org

True to Life seminars with Dr. Lisle and Dr. Howk : www.TrueToLife.us

Intro & outro song: City of Happy Ones · Ferenc Hegedus

289: Ideal exercise, Resentment, Frustrated with dating, Getting better tips Sep 01, 2022

Show notes

What is the ideal level of exercise for one's health?
Five years ago, I was diagnosed with severe OCD. After two years of painstaking efforts, I successfully got off SSRI and recovered without the help of therapy sessions. During the height of OCD, my wife treated me with contempt, frustration, anger, hostility and total lack of compassion and patience. She justified that in the past - when were were still a new couple - that I was harsh, critical and rude towards her. How can I get over my resentments?
I feel like I am losing my mind in the dating world. I feel like men don't want to lift a finger for a relationship. Much less to even meet a girl and get laid. I'm on a dating site and get multiple likes or matches a day. I talk to guys over the app and they quickly give up. I talk to some longer term, meet up and it's like they don't want to put much effort into getting together. I think that at least 70% of it has to do with my kid and that takes some work and maneuvering. And no one seems willing to do it! It's like fast food dating or what?! I feel like I am over qualified for most these men, will settle for less, and I don't hardly get a "what's up babe". It's extremely frustrating and disappointing and makes me second guess myself every minute. I wish I could send you pictures of myself and pictures of these men I'd settle for and almost have to chase for their attention. I must be either uncalibrated or something has gone majorly wrong in the dating world.
I will be graduating from cosmetology school next month. As a professional hair stylist, tips will make up a significant part of my income. I am curious about the psychology of tipping. Is there anything that I can do to increase my chances of receiving a generous tip from my clients?

Host: Nathan Gershfeld

Interviewee: Doug Lisle, Ph.D. and Jen Howk, Ph.D.

Podcast website: www.BeatYourGenes.org

True to Life seminars with Dr. Lisle and Dr. Howk : www.TrueToLife.us

Intro & outro song: City of Happy Ones · Ferenc Hegedus

288: Anti-depressant news, Ruined by dating a hot guy, Finding a dream job Aug 18, 2022

Show notes

In today's show, the Dr's discuss new evidence about anti-depressant treament and then discuss the following questions:

I think I have messed up my dopamine reward system and I don't know how to fix it or if I want to. I am early 40's, single and have been in many relationships. I don't have trouble attracting men. I think if I just decided it was time then I would settle for one but to me it is boring and mundane and I only feel excited by unpredictable, magnetic dynamics with men. For the last couple of years I've had an online FWB who lives overseas. He has a bit of a high profile and so the reward I felt from attracting him and engaging with him long term has been really high. Now that I attracted someone so unattainable I can't get excited about anyone else. I didn't used to be like this. I had plenty of loser bfs in the past. Wtf is wrong with me? And if I don't fix it, will I end up alone and be a miserable old person?
My partner's parents are in their early 70s and still love what they do, jumping out of bed to start work each day as they did 40 years ago. Both work in creative fields. It's not clear if they found the perfect careers, or if they would take the same excitable, have-at-it attitude to any path they had followed. Are people who find their dream job genetically predisposed to do so? Is it in their own personalities to work with such passion and positivity or does everyone have that potential, if the right job comes along?

287: Dr. Howk on Current Events Aug 18, 2022

Show notes

In today's show, Dr. Jen Howk discusses some current events.

Host: Nathan Gershfeld

Interviewee: Doug Lisle, Ph.D. and Jen Howk, Ph.D.

Podcast website: www.BeatYourGenes.org

True to Life seminars with Dr. Lisle and Dr. Howk : www.TrueToLife.us

Intro & outro song: City of Happy Ones · Ferenc Hegedus

286: Pair bond must-haves, Spirituality & EvoPsych, Creating an alter ego Jul 21, 2022

Show notes

In today's show, the doctor's discuss:

If your relationship status is single, would you only look to someone with your diet lifestyle as someone you'd only be interested in dating and possible pair bond?
Can spirituality fit into evolutionary psychology?
My question is about creating an alter ego - Apparently sports people do it and David Goggins did it. David Goggins was a flake and overweight and had no prospects and by his own admission was a liar. Then he basically turned his life around and became a Navy seal and said he did it by inventing an Alter ego called Goggins. So does this suggest personality can be changed. I know current theory is it is largely inherited. He also said an important part of his transformation was the accountability mirror. You basically look in the mirror every day and be completely honest about who and what you are and then from there you can change what you don't like about yourself. Any merit in this?
Copyright Beat Your Genes Podcast

Host: Nathan Gershfeld

Interviewee: Doug Lisle, Ph.D. and Jen Howk, Ph.D.

Podcast website: www.BeatYourGenes.org

True to Life seminars with Dr. Lisle and Dr. Howk : www.TrueToLife.us

Intro & outro song: City of Happy Ones · Ferenc Hegedus

285: Roe v Wade, Body Positivity in Women, Blank Slate model appeal Jul 07, 2022

Show notes

In today's show, the dr's discuss:

Current events re: Roe v Wade
There is so much about "body positivity" on the media and women growing their body hair out especially. On social media I read mainly positive comments on this, but especially from women, while some men are making rather jokey comments. I was just wondering what might be the motivation for women who keep saying stuff like "good on her", "if only I was braver, I'd do the same", etc…?? Like they're all claiming that removal of body hair is forced on us by recent culture. Is it though? I personally as a women hate my body hair and have removed it since before puberty. To me it actually feels "natural" to remove it. So I wonder if there is any perspective on this specific topic from the evolutionary psychology perspective?
What is your erudite opinion on why the 'blank slate' model seem to particularly appeal to certain "character types" more than others.

Host: Nathan Gershfeld

Interviewee: Doug Lisle, Ph.D. and Jen Howk, Ph.D.

Podcast website: www.BeatYourGenes.org

True to Life seminars with Dr. Lisle and Dr. Howk : www.TrueToLife.us

Intro & outro song: City of Happy Ones · Ferenc Hegedus

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