Skip to content
Why Am I Unhappy? episode artwork

Oct 12, 2026 1 hr 33 min

Why Am I Unhappy?

from Hidden Brain Hosted by Hidden Brain Media

We often imagine that feelings of unhappiness come from outside us — in our circumstances or the difficult people in our lives. But what if the forces that erode our happiness come from within? Psychologist George Loewenstein joins us to explore why our minds nudge us toward the negative, even when we want to feel happy. He also offers ways to better understand these forces and lessen their power over us. And on Your Questions Answered, psychologist Alison Ledgerwood returns to respond to your questions about our tendency to focus on the negative. What if your emotions aren't reactions to the world, but predictions that your brain is making? We discuss this mind-bending idea on our YouTube channel. Check it out, and be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any of our upcoming videos!

Episode details come from the podcast's RSS feed.

Embed this episode

We often imagine that feelings of unhappiness come from outside us — in our circumstances or the difficult people in our lives. But what if the forces that erode our happiness come from within? Psychologist George Loewenstein joins us to explore why our minds nudge us toward the negative, even when we want to feel happy. He also offers ways to better understand these forces and lessen their power over us. And on Your Questions Answered, psychologist Alison Ledgerwood returns to respond to your questions about our tendency to focus on the negative.

Ready to play

Why Am I Unhappy?

0:00 1:33:59

No transcript yet.

Requests help us decide what to transcribe next.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this episode of Hidden Brain?

This episode is 1 hour and 33 minutes long.

When was this Hidden Brain episode published?

This episode was published on October 12, 2026.

Can I download this Hidden Brain episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.