Hidden Brain - Changing Our Mental Maps

As we move through the world, it's easy to imagine we're processing everything that happens around us and then deciding how to respond. But psychologist and neuroscientist Norman Farb says our brains actually navigate the world by coming up with mental maps. These maps act like an autopilot system, allowing us to navigate our lives more efficiently. But sometimes, they can lead us astray, leaving us stuck on a path of negativity and unhappiness. This week, in a favorite episode from 2024, we talk with Norman Farb about how we can update our internal maps and see the world more clearly. Then, Dave Evans answers your questions about radical acceptance.

Duration: 1h 44m
Broadcast on: 13 Jul 2026
Audio Format: other

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This is Hidden Brain, I'm Shankar Vedanta. In February 2024, two German tourists visited Australia. During one section of that trip in Queensland, they turned off the main road on the advice of Google Maps. They figured that the road up ahead was closed because of a rising river and the detour would take them to their destination. As one of them put it later, they trusted the map. We decided, OK, let's follow Google Maps because Google Maps knows maybe more than we know. The tourists told an Australian TV station and other media that they took a dirt path known as the "Langy Track." At first, things looked fine. Their off-road vehicle seemed up for the terrain. But about 40 miles in, the four-wheel drive Nissan Navara got bogged down. Its wheels sank into the mud. The Germans were stuck and they found they couldn't reach anyone for help. Recognizing they were in serious trouble, they decided to abandon their vehicle and trek back in the direction they'd come. I feel like in a movie, like in a pet movie, we tried to build a shelter. They didn't work really well, so we slept under the sky. Rain poured down on them. They had to watch out for pigs and snakes and crocodiles. The 40-mile journey took several days. The tourists made it back safely. Rangers later helped them retrieve their vehicle. But they had learned an important lesson. A map that's wrong can sometimes be worse than no map at all. Today, we explore the maps inside our own heads. What happens when these maps, which we have constructed ourselves, turn out to be inaccurate and how we can rediscover the path forward?

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