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NEW Episode 1169 · Season 1 Oct 29, 2026 · 2 hr 28 min

35 Emotions Explained By Evolutionary Psychology - Rob Kurzban - #1169

Rob Kurzban is a psychologist and an author. Expect to learn why we should view emotions through the lens of evolution, the hidden reason why humans aren’t filled with existential anxiety at all times, what happens to your brain when you don’t express gratitude often, the secret message depression might be trying to communicate to your subconscious, what the most difficult emotions to explain are, and much more… Sponsors: Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription to the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get the brand new Whoop 5.0 and your first month for free at https://join.whoop.com/modernwisdom Get 160+ lab tests for just $365 and save an extra $25 at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/deals⁠ Get ChatGPT to explore ideas, solve problems, and learn faster at ⁠https://chatgpt.com Timestamps: (00:00) How Evolution Explains Our Emotions (01:21) Why Do Humans Need Emotions at All? (03:44) How Emotions Measure and Motivate (08:09) The Hidden Intelligence of Body Maintenance (11:17) Why Humans Are So Good at Pooping (13:24) How the Body Uses Nausea as a Tactical Response (17:31) The Evolutionary Reason We Fear Small Spaces (21:21) Why You’re Not Attracted to Your Siblings (30:59) The Most Surprising Thing About Anxiety (35:46) How Much Anxiety Is Actually Normal? (39:37) Why Everyone Feels Overstimulated (40:44) Can Panic Actually Be Useful? (42:53) Are Aesthetic Pleasures Different From Sensory Pleasures? (45:10) Why Humans Love Grooming Each Other (51:57) Where Does Our Spice Tolerance End? (55:40) What Is Fun and Excitement? (58:01) Is Music Just Sexual Signalling? (01:03:35) How Hunger Can Work Against Us (01:09:44) Which Emotions Are Uniquely Human? (01:18:01) Nature vs Culture: Where Do Emotions Come From? (01:20:22) Why Jealousy Is So Unflattering (01:26:58) Is Evolutionary Psychology Accurate? (01:33:54) Is Empathy Really Investment Advice? (01:37:19) Why Gratitude Is More Powerful Than You Think (01:49:22) Does Clinical Psychology Actually Work? (01:50:55) What Depression Does to Your Behaviour (01:57:06) Contempt vs Resentment: What’s the Difference? (02:00:13) What Embarrassment Does to Your Body (02:05:22) Why Do We Feel Shame and Guilt? (02:09:28) The Personal Relationship to the Mind and Attention (02:11:45) The Emotions Robert Has Changed His Mind About (02:14:04) The Hardest Human Emotion to Explain (02:15:21) Which Emotion Causes the Most Damage Today? (02:20:57) How to Use Your Emotions to Improve Your Life (02:27:20) Where to Find Robert Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/books⁠ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: ⁠https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom⁠ Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠ #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠ #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: ⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠ - Get In Touch: Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast⁠ Email: ⁠https://chriswillx.com/contact⁠ - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00 How Evolution Explains Our Emotions 2:28:08
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