Hidden Brain - Blowing Up Your Life

Have you ever had a flash of insight that hit you when you least expected it? How did it change your life? Psychologist Anthony Klotz studies the "jolts" that shake us out of our routines, and how these moments can help us make more intentional decisions about the people we want to become. Then, psychologist Ap Dijksterhuis returns to the show to answer your questions about a very specific kind of jolt: creative breakthroughs.

Duration: 1h 34m
Broadcast on: 07 Sep 2026
Audio Format: other

What are the signs that it might be time to leave your job? In a bonus conversation for Hidden Brain+ subscribers, Anthony Klotz talks with us about when it makes sense to quit, and why so many people who do quit regret not doing so sooner. If you're not yet a Hidden Brain+ subscriber, you can access a free seven-day trial at support.hiddenbrain.org or apple.co/hidden brain.

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This is Hidden Brain. I'm Shankar Vedanta. The poet Robert Frost wrote about two roads diverging in a yellow wood, a moment when a traveler must choose a path not knowing where either one leads. In the poem, the traveler is indecisive, first looking down one path and then another. The last lines of that poem have become some of the most famous lines in American poetry. Two roads diverged in a wood and I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference. Perhaps you've had moments when you confronted a similar fork in the road. Should you stay in the city you're living in or move? Should you stay with the person you're with or leave? Should you stick with the job you have or look for a new one?

Many of us peer down the different paths before us, trying to figure out which one will make us happy. But like that traveler in the woods, we find there isn't enough evidence one way or the other. We go weeks, months or years, paralyzed by indecision. And then something happens. Maybe it's something big. We get a serious medical diagnosis or someone we love dies. Or maybe it's something small. You get a traffic ticket or someone looks at you funny. And all of a sudden your dilemma is over. You know which way to go. You know which path to choose. Today on the show and in a companion episode on Hidden Brain Plus, we examine the unexpected experiences that give us clarity. We look at how and why they are so powerful and we explore techniques to make the best use of these moments. Stepping into the future and leaving the past behind, this week on Hidden Brain. When it comes to my policy, farmers gives it to me straight so there's no surprises. It's your coverage. You should never be confused. You hear that? An insurance provider with a conscience. We're a choir. But yes, we had that too. Straight forward coverage you can literally understand. That's what you get when. You have farmers, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum. Learn more at farmers.com, underwritten by farmers truck or fire insurance exchanges or affiliate products not available in every state. Support for Hidden Brain comes from Southern New Hampshire University. Science consistently tells us learning starts with motivation. That's why SNHU offers over 200 flexible, affordable online programs to help you get where you want to go. Take classes that spark your curiosity, shape your skill set and prepare you for what's next. A degree can help move you forward no matter what motivates you. Start yours at snhu.edu/brain. Support for Hidden Brain comes from Land Rover. Even the boldest journey starts small with a single decision to go somewhere new. Purpose built and courage driven, the Defender 110 combines on-road presence with off-road capability. It looks tough because it is with a raised hood and an exterior engineered for durability. Inside, capability meets comfort with seating for five and the option for seven plus refined finishes and thoughtful design. The Defender event is on now. Explore enhanced offers at landroverusa.com.

All of our lives are made up by a series of moments. Most of them pass by without our notice. We are busy or we are on autopilot or we are paying attention to something else. But all of us also have moments that stand out. At these times, you can suddenly see your own life clearly. You know what to do going forward. At University College London, psychologist Anthony Klotz studies these moments. He spent years examining how they inform what we do and how they can reveal whom we want to become. Anthony Klotz, welcome to Hidden Brain. Thanks for having me. Anthony, I want to start with an experience that you had all the way back

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