#428: Professor Paul Gilbert - How Evolution Made Us Vulnerable to Ourselves

Professor Paul Gilbert is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Derby, a Visiting Professor at the University of Queensland, and the founder of Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT). For more than 40 years, he has combined research into the evolutionary foundations of mental health with clinical work as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist. He also founded the Compassionate Mind Foundation in 2006 to promote the scientific understanding and application of compassion. Professor Gilbert is regarded as one of the world's leading authorities on compassion, shame, self-criticism and mental wellbeing. In this conversation, we explore the evolutionary origins of the human mind, why we suffer psychologically, the science of compassion, consciousness, intelligence, shame, self-compassion, and what modern psychology still needs to understand about the human condition.00:00 – What Is the Human Mind Actually For?10:12 – Why Can Humans End Up Hating Themselves16:56 – Have We Underestimated How Social the Human Mind Is?20:26 – Is Modern Life Mismatched to the Human Brain?25:52 – Why Mental Health Depends on Psychological Flexibility31:15 – Does Greater Intelligence Mean Greater Suffering?33:15 – Is Consciousness Inherently Painful?38:29 – The Evolutionary Origins of Shame44:10 – What Compassion Really Is (It's Not Just Kindness)54:06 – Can Compassion Defeat Hatred?58:43 – Why Self-Compassion Is So Difficult1:06:18 – What Future Psychologists Must Understand About the MindConnect with us:https://freedompact.co.uk/newsletter​ (Healthy, Wealthy & Wise Newsletter)https://www.Instagram.com/freedompactpodhttps://www.twitter.com/freedompactpod Email: [email protected] (business enquiries, guest suggestions, appreciation, feedback, and anything else)Resources from Professor Paul Gilbert:The Compassionate Mind Foundation:The Compassionate Mind Foundation promotes the scientific understanding and practical application of compassion to improve mental health and wellbeing. It offers workshops, training, educational resources and information about Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT).https://www.compassionatemind.co.uk**Support the Compassionate Mind Foundation**If you found this conversation valuable, please consider supporting the Foundation's work through a donation:https://www.compassionatemind.co.uk/donationLearn more about Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)Evolution and Compassion Focused Therapy: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.586161/fullThe Evolution of Care and Share versus Control and Holdhttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.582090/fullEvolution-Informed Compassion-Focused Therapy and Buddhist Approaches to Insight Meditationhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-023-02141-4Meta-analysis of Compassion Focused Therapy:Petrocchi et al. (2023): *The Impact of Compassion Focused Therapy on Positive and Negative Mental Health Outcomes.Professor Paul Gilbert's Talks:Creating a Compassionate World: https://www.compassionatemind.co.uk/creating-a-compassionate-worldEvolutionary Foundations of Compassion Focused Therapy (Royal College of Psychiatrists)https://youtu.be/swwFEKWoxHgA Disorder for Everyone (AD4E): https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ufp2FxoFhYQ&feature=youtu.beAdditional Resources:The Voices Withinhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRqI4lxuXAwOpen-access paperhttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00152/full