Episode description

Today it’s great to chat with Christian Jarrett on the podcast. A cognitive neuroscientist by training, Christian is Deputy Editor of Psyche, a global digital magazine that illuminates the human condition. Christian has written about psychology and neuroscience for publications across the world, including BBC Future, WIRED, New York magazine, New Scientist, GQ Italia and The Guardian. He was the founding editor and creator of the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, presenter of their PsychCrunch podcast, and an award-winning journalist on The Psychologist magazine. His books include The Rough Guide to Psychology and Great Myths of The Brain. His latest book is Be Who You Want: Unlocking The Science of Personality Change.

Topics

[1:48] How Christian burst out of his shell

[4:32] The role of biology in temperament

[6:52] How working on your physical health can influence your personality

[8:11] How changing job roles can shape our personality

[10:07] How our peers shape our personalities

[12:17] The effect of stressors on a developing child’s personality

[17:16] The impact of a child’s environment on their personality

[20:04] The happy events in life that don’t positively affect personality

[23:46] The lemon juice personality test

[27:56] Christian’s thoughts on "cancel culture"

[31:03] Christian discusses personality disorders

[35:37] Why US presidents are more likely to display psychopathic traits

[39:30] Challenge mindset vs. threat mindset

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