Show Notes
Humans appear to need some kind of purpose to our existence. It might be directed at spiritual enlightenment, furthering the well-being of the species, personal growth, getting good at something, or even just collecting stamps. Robert and Jamie discuss this as part of their examination of things that act as sources of wants and needs. They also delve briefly into the related topic of 'transcendence' - the sense of there being something beyond the physical world. Like other sources of wants and needs, these can be extremely pervasive and powerful influences on our behaviour and need to be considered when examining why people do things and how we can influence what they do. The full list of things we like and dislike can be found in this substack article. Before they get into the nitty-gritty of the topic, Robert raves about a new musical phenomenon, Angine do Poitrine. For anyone interested, here is a link to one of the very rapidly growing list of YouTube videos. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange
More from Unlocking Behaviour Change
Robert has been to China, and goes on about what an amazing time he had ...! In what’s left of the episode, Robert and Jamie give an overview of how to think about ‘active communication’ when it comes to changing behaviour.
In the previous episode, Robert castigated economics and economists' concept of 'utility' as fundamentally flawed, leading to models whose predictions keep being wrong. This week, Robert sketches out a way of thinking about utility that could improve economic modelling, yield more accurate predictions, and provide a more rational basis for macro-economic policy. A bold claim ... but this is a podcast, not an academic paper! Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange Ask a question at: https://www.unlockingbehaviourchange.com
Robert has a bone to pick with economic theory . . . In fact, he wants to pick its bones clean and start over with a much better theory for everyone! Join the duo as they discuss what economic theory gets wrong and how it might be put right . . . Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange Ask a question at: https://www.unlockingbehaviourchange.com
Derisory amounts of money paid for a piece of work called an 'honorarium' seem ok when if they were a 'fee', it would be insulting! Robert and Jamie discuss how we react differently to the same things when they are classified and labelled differently. This includes clinical diagnoses, where receiving a 'diagnosis' can be a huge relief to sufferers but can also carry stigma. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange Ask a question at: https://www.unlockingbehaviourchange.com
Robert and Jamie discuss the crucial question of how we classify and label things: one of the most basic things that we do in our mental and social world. But in an infinitely complex universe, putting things into boxes is fraught with difficulties, and classifications lie at the heart of important disputes. Want more? Check out our latest books: Energise: The Secrets Of Motivation: https://shorturl.at/bbA7y React: Harness Your Animal Brain: https://shorturl.at/yiFQ9 Sign up to Robert’s Substack: https://robertwest100.substack.com/ Subscribe to the UBC YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@unlockingbehaviourchange Ask a question at: https://www.unlockingbehaviourchange.com