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Course Introduction
[Teacher Wei says] This is a psychological-insights program based on 30 new books from overseas, but it is by no means just a book-summary show; serious and scientifically minded, but never stiff or boring; filled with awe for human nature, while still more than happy to poke fun and crack jokes about it.
[What the students say] It is packed with so much good stuff that you need to listen several times to fully digest it, yet while listening you keep thinking, Wow, this is so much fun—I never knew you could look at it that way. I want to listen again. You simply cannot stop.
[Every new book] is handpicked by Old Wei with the strictest scientific eye, from sources including the NY Times bestseller list, Goodreads recommendations for new books, and KIRKUS reviews of new psychology books. Each comes from a top psychologist or professional science writer anywhere in the world and brings together the latest research in psychology. None has been published domestically or translated into Chinese, and each gets Old Wei’s exclusive take;
[Every episode] does more than extract the best ideas from a book. Old Wei digs into the logic underneath, connects it to everyday life, and entertainingly weaves together all kinds of psychological knowledge, helping you build an entirely new scientific framework for understanding things. You also get concrete action guides and reading notes, plus psychological Q&A—an all-out search for answers you can actually trust.
Buy this program and you will get, at an amazing value and with remarkable efficiency:
The reading list runs through six major modules (see the syllabus for the specific titles):
Course Syllabus
- 01 Opening Words | Why Read Some Great Books on the Cutting Edge of Psychology
- 02 Big-Name Recommendation | Columnist Ma Xujun: Stand at the Source of Psychological Knowledge with Zhichao Wei
- 03 Lesson 001 | Keep Calm 1: A little strategic self-torment—an unorthodox martial art for fighting bad moods [First release in China]
- 04 Lesson 002 | Keep Calm 2: How to miniaturize your emotions
- 05 Lesson 003 | Keep Calm 3: Get a little gloomy, feel wonderfully refreshed
- 06 Q&A 01 | A foreign language can be an emotional firewall; death threats make people narrow-minded
- 07 Lesson 004 | The Sex Effect 1: How exactly did monogamy conquer the world? [First release in China]
- 08 Lesson 005 | The Sex Effect 2: Why can American presidents never keep their pants on?
- 09 Q&A 02 | The four-year itch, not the seven-year itch? Is having children really not instinctive?
- 10 Lesson 006 | The Sex Effect 3: Adult films spark a new business model
- 11 Lesson 007 | The Hungry Brain 1: Addiction to junk food through the lens of evolution [First release in China]
- 12 Special Release 1 | Old Wei’s private tips on reading and taking reading notes
- 13 Q&A 03 | Will love in future marriages become more pure?
- 14 Lesson 008 | The Hungry Brain 2: How to cleverly use psychological mechanisms to resist junk food
- 15 Lesson 009 | The Hungry Brain 3: Can you lose weight simply by changing your way of thinking?
- 16 Q&A 04 | How to change a country’s eating habits through economic and emotional means
- 17 Lesson 010 | Why Buddhism Is True 1: Life’s suffering comes from natural selection [First release in China]
- 18 Lesson 011 | Why Buddhism Is True 2: So it turns out everyone has multiple personalities!
- 19 Holiday Greetings & Plans
- 20 Special Release 2 | The Don’t-Miss-This-in-Your-Lifetime Series: Science Fiction with Psychology
- 21 Lesson 012 | Why Buddhism Is True 3: Free will does not exist
- 22 Q&A 05 | What is consciousness actually for? Can mindfulness meditation weaken our sense of happiness?
- 23 Lesson 013 | Stubbornly Alive 1: Why is wellness chicken soup so ubiquitous? [First release in China]
- 24 Lesson 014 | Stubbornly Alive 2: The playbook of conspiracy theories and charismatic leaders
- 25 Q&A 06 | How is a scientifically grounded charismatic leader made?
- 26 Lesson 015 | The Power of Moments 1: Why do some life experiences have an extraordinary impact? [First release in China]
- 27 Lesson 016 | The Power of Moments 2: Add some drama to life: moments of elevation
- 28 Q&A 07 | The reminiscence bump and Douglas Adams’s Three Laws of Technology
- 29 Lesson 017 | The Power of Moments 3: Add some drama to life: how pros deliver the punchline
- 30 Lesson 018 | The Power of Moments 4: Add some drama to life: how heroes build courage
- 31 Q&A 08 | The alchemy of building intimacy incredibly fast
- 32 Lesson 019 | Supernormal 1: Picasso and Apple’s innovation axioms [First release in China]
- 33 Lesson 020 | Supernormal 2: The right time, place, and people for innovation
- 34 Lesson 021 | Supernormal 3: The 3B rule of innovation
- 35 Q&A 09 | Cthulhu, old and new mixed together
- 36 Lesson 022 | Supernormal 4: Jack Ma meets Darwin
- 37 Special Release 3 | Here’s the reading list you asked for—great introductory books on psychology, Part 1
- 38 Q&A 10 | Time-travel dramas and alternate history are perfect tools for teaching innovation
- 39 Special Release 4 | Here’s the reading list you asked for—great introductory books on psychology, Part 2
- 40 Lesson 023 | [Prize Interaction] Beauty Pays 1: Pretty boys are a barometer of the national economy [First release in China]
- 41 Lesson 024 | Beauty Pays 2: Is the 3-billion-yuan da Vinci painting authentic? Your face will tell you!
- 42 Event | Come and claim it! A gratitude gift from Old Wei
- 43 Lesson 025 | Beauty Pays 3: A field guide to reading faces, scientifically
- 44 Q&A 11 | Remember: variety is the source of happiness
- 45 Lesson 026 | Beauty Pays 4: Is the face really a reflection of the mind?
- 46 Fan Favorite | What kind of program is this, anyway? The most honest feedback from the fans
- 47 Book List | The books and films mentioned on the program are all listed—go save it
- 48 Q&A 12 | Any two faces in the world can be seamlessly blended together
- 49 Lesson 027 | The Story Genius 1: The story is the oldest virtual reality [First release in China]
- 50 Lesson 028 | The Story Genius 2: The mental abilities you need to spin a badass story
- 51 Q&A 13 | Special Extra: The Hero’s Journey—the classic story formula that works everywhere
- 52 Lesson 029 | The Story Genius 3: How to upgrade your brain’s memory efficiently
- 53 Lesson 030 | The Story Genius 4: A good story = two fears + one grievance
- 54 Q&A 14 | The end of a journey of exploration is a return to where we began
- 55 Lesson 031 | SuperBetter 1: Are games actually good for us?—the kitchen-knife theory of games
- 56 Lesson 032 | SuperBetter 2: How to use games to transform reality
- 57 Q&A 15 | The five values of games
- 58 Lesson 033 | Why We Sleep 1: Are you getting eight hours? [First release in China]
- 59 Lesson 034 | Why We Sleep 2: Sleep is the ultimate brain-refreshing tool!
- 60 Special Release 5 | The 2017 leftovers
- 61 Rallying Call | [Old Wei’s Club] Paying subscribers get a free membership code
- 62 Lesson 035 | Why We Sleep 3: NIH’s twelve sleep tips, plus Old Wei’s exclusive sleep-inducing trick
- 63 Lesson 036 | Special Feature: How to tease Freud scientifically
- 64 Lesson 037 | Why We Sleep 4: A new interpretation of dreams
- 65 Lesson 038 | Special Feature: Throwing cold water on mindfulness meditation
- 66 Q&A 16 | How sleep supports reinforcement learning
- 67 Lesson 039 | Ask Your Brain, Part 1, 1: Is déjà vu caused by memories of a past life? [First release in China]
- 68 Lesson 040 | Ask Your Brain, Part 1, 2: What is the most effective way to review? Does listening to classical music make children smarter?
- 69 Lesson 041 | Acting in Time 1: Never go to the doctor in the afternoon! [First release in China]
- 70 Lesson 042 | Acting in Time 2: Switching between a midlife crisis and a midlife surge
- 71 Q&A 17 | Can precognitive dreams really predict the future?
- 72 Lesson 043 | Acting on the Right Moment 3: Seven Timing Tips
- 73 Lesson 044 | Breaking Bad Habits 1: The Neural Basis and Motivation of Behavior Change [First Release in China]
- 74 Lesson 045 | Breaking Bad Habits 2: Change Behavior with Tension on the Outside, Ease on the Inside
- 75 Lesson 046 | Breaking Bad Habits 3: The Enemy of Procrastination
- 76 Spring Festival Schedule
- 77 Lesson 047 | The Enlightenment of Our Time 1: Steven Pinker, Psychology’s Dark God [First Release in China]
- 78 Lesson 048 | The Enlightenment of Our Time 2: Is the Foundation of Human Progress Under Threat?
- 79 Lesson 049 | The Enlightenment of Our Time 3: The World Is Progressing So Fast, Even Lightning Strikes Are Getting Harder to Come By
- 80 Lesson 050 | The Enlightenment of Our Time 4: Those Tolerant, Wise Young People
- 81 Lesson 051 | The Enlightenment of Our Time 5: Everything Is Wonderful—So Why Is Nobody Happy?
- 82 Lesson 052 | The Enlightenment of Our Time 6: What Gets in the Way of Our Rationality?
- 83 Lesson 053 | The Enlightenment of Our Time 7: Long Live Science!
- 84 Lesson 054 | [Prize Interaction] The Mystery of Rationality 1: What?! Is Rationality for Socializing? [First Release in China]
- 85 Lesson 055 | The Mystery of Rationality 2: Lean Startup in the Mind
- 86 Lesson 056 | The Mystery of Rationality 3: Easy on Ourselves, Hard on Others—Rationality’s Odd Trait
- 87 Lesson 057 | The Mystery of Rationality 4: Where Argumentative Nitpicks Come in Handy
- 88 Q&A 18 | Experts, Leave Douyin Alone! Why Is a Scholar “Useless”?
- 89 Lesson 058 | Ask the Brain (Part 2): What Is Sleep Paralysis?
- 90 Lesson 059 | 12 Rules for Life 1: The Self-Esteem Movement Created the Most Narcissistic Generation Ever [First Release in China]
- 91 Lesson 060 | 12 Rules for Life 2: Hold Your Head High Like a Lobster!
- 92 Special Release 6 | What Annihilation Reveals About the Deepest Fear
- 93 Lesson 061 | Socially Awkward 1: Four Reasons People Struggle Socially [First Release in China]
- 94 Lesson 062 | Socially Awkward 2: Lose at Socializing, Gain in Systems
- 95 Lesson 063 | Nature’s Cure 1: The Brain’s Secret Connection with Nature [First Release in China]
- 96 Q&A 19 | Why Are Introverts and Socially Awkward People More Resilient?
- 97 Lesson 064 | Nature’s Cure 2: The Amazing Stress-Relieving Power of Fractals
- 98 Lesson 065 | Nature’s Cure 3: Can Awe Strengthen Our Social Connections?
- 99 Lesson 066 | Special Feature: Will Artificial Intelligence Really Take Over Humanity?—Two Kinds of AI
- 100 Lesson 067 | Endure 1: What Determines the Upper Limit of Endurance? [First Release in China]
- 101 Lesson 068 | Endure 2: The Born Runner Theory
- 102 Lesson 069 | Endure 3: High-Tech Hacks for Boosting Endurance
- 103 Lesson 070 | Special Feature: Everything Is Conscious!—Integrated Information Theory (Part 1)
- 104 Lesson 071 | Special Feature: A Mind-Blowing Hypothesis About Consciousness—Integrated Information Theory (Part 2)
- 105 Q&A 20 | Why Do Towering Trees Heal Us Better Than Grand Buildings?
- 106 Lesson 072 | Think Like a Poker Player 1: Life Calls for Both Risking It All and Taking It Easy [First Release in China]
- 107 Lesson 073 | Think Like a Poker Player 2: Life Is a Hand of Cards, and Wins and Losses Come Down to Probability
- 108 Special Release 7 | My 20 Favorite Reads (Part 1): Fiction
- 109 Special Release 8 | My 20 Favorite Reads (Part 2): Nonfiction
- 110 Lesson 074 | The Happiness Trap 1: The More You Pursue Happiness, the Harder It Is to Find? [First Release in China]
- 111 Lesson 075 | The Happiness Trap 2: No Problem Children in America? Ha!
- 112 Lesson 076 | The Happiness Trap 3: The Right Not to Be Happy
- 113 Lesson 077 | The Happiness Trap 4: The Dark Side of Positive Psychology
- 114 Q&A 21 | How Do Gambling Companies Make Money?
- 115 Lesson 078 | Beyond Human Nature 1: Robot Rebellion
- 116 Lesson 079 | [Prize Interaction] Beyond Human Nature 2: Infinite Tools
- 117 Lesson 080 | How to Change Your Mind 1: The Tiny Molecules That Bewitch the Soul
- 118 Lesson 081 | How to Change Your Mind 2: The Psychedelic Age That Flickered into Existence
- 119 Q&A 22 | The Farthest Distance in the World—Your Separation Is My Blending
- 120 Lesson 082 | How to Change Your Mind 3: What Does Oneness with the Universe Feel Like?
- 121 Event | What Book Should I Cover? You Decide!
- 122 Lesson 083 | How to Change Your Mind 4: Lanterns and Searchlights
- 123 Lesson 084 | How to Change Your Mind 5: “Mental Disorder” That Isn’t Disorderly at All
- 124 Lesson 085 | Special Feature: The Survival Advantage of Psychopaths
- 125 Q&A 23 | They All Saw a Cat
- 126 Lesson 086 | Burning 1: The Psychologist vs. the Mad Bomber
- 127 Lesson 087 | Burning 2: The Birth of Criminal Profiling
- 128 Lesson 088 | Burning 3: Are the Insane Not Guilty?
- 129 Lesson 089 | Special Feature: Ranting About Wu and You—An Epic Translation Disaster
- 130 Lesson 090 | Wu and You 1: Wu-wei Is a Social Flow State
- 131 Lesson 091 | Wu and You 2: Confucius on the Offensive & Laozi and Downshifting Consumption
- 132 Lesson 092 | Wu and You 3: Mencius the “Gardener” and His Four Seedlings
- 133 Lesson 093 | Wu and You 4: Zhuangzi’s Craftsman Spirit & The Four Heavenly Kings’ Advantageous Situations
- 134 Lesson 094 | Resolving Grief 1: A Father in a Parallel Universe
- 135 Lesson 095 | Resolving Grief 2: Eight Pillars of Strength
- 136 Lesson 096 | The Addicted Brain 1: Is Addiction a Learning Disorder?
- 137 Lesson 097 | The Addicted Brain 2: Three Strategies for Dealing with Addiction
- 138 Lesson 098 | Flexible Thinking 1: How Can We Make Our Thinking More Flexible?
- 139 Lesson 099 | Flexible Thinking 2: The Yin and Yang of Human Nature
- 140 Lesson 100 | The Strange Order of Things 1: Without Emotion, How Can We Make Decisions?
- 141 Lesson 101 | The Strange Order of Things 2: Toilets and Emotional Machines
- 142 Special Release 9 | Why Is Loneliness So Beautiful?
- 143 Review | Seeking Gain and Avoiding Harm: Humanity’s Only Instinct
- 144 Goodbye, but the Boy Is Still on the Road!
- 145 [Live Preview] Psychology in Jin Yong’s Novels
- 146 [Live Replay] Psychology in Jin Yong’s Novels
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