Dr. Paul Conti

Sponsors: BetterHelp & Waking Up

What is a Healthy Self?

Agency & Gratitude; Empowerment & Humility

Physical Health & Mental Health Parallels

Structure of Self; Unconscious vs. Conscious Mind; “Iceberg”

Defense Mechanisms; Character Structure “Nest”, Sense of Self

Predispositions & Character Structure

Sponsor: AG1

Character Structure & Action States; Physical Health Parallels

Anxiety; Understanding Excessive Anxiety

Improving Confidence: State Dependence & Phenomenology; Narcissism

Changing Beliefs & Internal Narratives

Individuality & Addressing Mental Health Challenges

Mental Health Goals & Growth

Function of Self

Defense Mechanisms: Projection, Displacement

Projection, Displacement, Projective Identification

Humor, Sarcasm, Cynicism

Attention & Salience; Negative Internal Dialogue

Repetition Compulsion & Defense Mechanism, Trauma

Mirror Meditation & Self Awareness; Structure & Function of Self, “Cupboards”

Pillars of the Mind, Agency & Gratitude, Happiness

Generative Drive, Aggressive & Pleasure Drives

Peace, Contentment & Delight, Generative Drive; Amplification

Generative Drive, Amplification & Overcoming

Over-Thinking, Procrastination, Choices

Aggressive, Pleasure & Generative Drives, Envy

Envy, Destruction, Mass Shootings

Demoralization, Isolation, Low Aggressive Drive

Demoralization, Affiliate Defense

Strong Aggressive Drive, Competition, Generative Drive Reframing

Cultivating a Generative Drive, Spirited Inquiry of the “Cupboards”

Current Mental Health Care & Medications

Role of Medicine in Exploration

Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Social Media, Momentous, Neural Network Newsletter

- Dr. Paul Conte is the expert guest in the Huberman Lab guest series on mental health.
- The series focuses on building mental health through specific practices, either alone or with a therapist.
- The first episode provides protocols for assessing anxiety, confidence, beliefs, and self-talk.
- Dr. Conte's framework of the structure and function of self is described as simple yet powerful for enhancing mental health.
- The podcast is separate from the speaker's teaching and research roles at Stanford.
- The first sponsor is BetterHelp, an online therapy platform, and the second sponsor is Waking Up, a meditation app.
- The speaker wants to dispel myths about personality types and concepts like gaslighting and explore important questions about understanding oneself and being the best version of oneself.
- Self-awareness, self-care, and understanding patterns and defense mechanisms are important for mental health.

- The transcript is from the Huberman Lab guest series on mental health.
- Dr. Paul Conte is the expert guest for the series and discusses mental health and the structure of the mind.
- The series focuses on building mental health through specific practices, either alone or with a therapist.
- The first episode addresses questions about mental health and provides protocols for assessing anxiety, confidence, beliefs, and self-talk.
- Dr. Conte's framework of the structure of self and the function of self is described as simple yet powerful for enhancing mental health.

- The podcast is separate from the speaker's teaching and research roles at Stanford.
- The speaker wants to provide free information about science and science-related tools to the general public.
- The first sponsor is BetterHelp, an online therapy platform that makes it easy to find an excellent therapist.
- The second sponsor is Waking Up, a meditation app that offers various guided meditation sessions and yoga nidra.
- The Waking Up app provides a 30-day introduction course for beginners and more advanced meditations for experienced practitioners.

- Anxiety plays a significant role in character structure and defenses.
- Anxiety can be a healthy defense when it keeps us vigilant about health and safety, but too much anxiety becomes counterproductive.
- The causes of anxiety can be both genetic and related to past traumas or experiences.
- Cognitive behavioral techniques can help address anxious thoughts in the conscious mind.
- Understanding defense mechanisms and character structure can provide insight into how anxiety impacts behavior and decision-making.

- The speaker often gets asked about improving confidence and has thought a lot about it.
- Confidence is defined as the ability to trust oneself in different situations without threatening one's conscious mind.
- The fear of dissolving into a puddle of tears is common, but impossible.
- Confidence can vary depending on the situation, and some people may lack confidence in specific areas, such as romance.
- State dependence and phenomenology are important factors to consider when understanding confidence.

- The transcript discusses the importance of beliefs and internal narratives in shaping one's self-perception.
- It highlights that many people are aware of their negative beliefs and narratives about themselves.
- The transcript emphasizes that changing these beliefs and narratives takes time and is not a quick process.
- It mentions that therapy can be labeled as a failure if a person does not see immediate improvement, but internal changes can take months or years.
- The transcript concludes by stating that understanding the process of change and approaching it in the right way can lead to positive transformation.

- The speaker discusses the difficulty of changing beliefs and internal narratives.
- They share an example of a friend who lost a significant amount of weight but still had fears of regaining it.
- The speaker asks what tools or questions can be used to help patients with negative internal narratives.
- They suggest addressing patterns and understanding the underlying reasons for fears or cravings.
- The speaker emphasizes the importance of individualized approaches in mental health care.

- The speaker discusses the importance of exploring oneself and asking important questions about strengths and weaknesses.
- They acknowledge that some people believe self-exploration is a waste of time and focus solely on action.
- The speaker argues that introspection and self-exploration are crucial for personal growth and reducing suffering.
- They compare the process of improving mental health to improving physical health, emphasizing the need for learning, effort, and resilience.
- The speaker suggests that therapy can be helpful in achieving mental health goals, but it is important to find a good therapist.

- The transcript discusses the function of self, which is the engagement and actions of the self.
- The function of self starts with an awareness of the self as separate from others and taking responsibility for oneself.
- Defense mechanisms play a role in the function of self, as they automatically determine how the self responds to situations.
- Defense mechanisms can be unconscious and protect the conscious mind from risks and negative possibilities.
- The function of self can be introspected and changed, but it is important to understand and acknowledge the current defense mechanisms in place.

- The speaker discusses the concept of defense mechanisms and their impact on our perception of ourselves and the world.
- They give examples of defense mechanisms such as projection and displacement.
- Projection is when we attribute our own anger or frustration to external factors, leading to incorrect attributions and negative emotions.
- Displacement is when we redirect our negative emotions onto something or someone else, often resulting in harm.
- The speaker also mentions positive defense mechanisms like altruism, where we respond to negativity with kindness.

- Trickle-down anxiety is a common phenomenon in academia where stress from the lab head is passed down to others through assigning busy work or pressuring experiments.
- Projective identification is a defense mechanism where an emotional state in one person becomes contagious to others, causing them to feel the same way.
- Projection is when someone attributes their own emotions to someone else, displacing their anger or frustration onto a safer target.
- Displacement is when emotions are redirected from the original source to a different target, such as kicking a dog instead of confronting a person.
- The speaker gives an example of projective identification where their anxiety about losing keys spreads to others, who then help them find the keys to alleviate the tension. They learn to avoid this by putting their keys in the same place every day.

- The speaker discusses the use of sarcasm and cynicism as forms of humor.
- They suggest that sarcasm can be a double-edged blade and cynicism may be even worse, as it reflects what is not good about life.
- The speaker mentions that humor can be used as a defense mechanism, but sarcastic humor used to attack someone is a manifestation of aggression.
- Cynicism is described as a worldview that can lead to isolation and mistrust.
- The speaker shares a personal anecdote about a sarcastic and cynical reaction to a family gathering in New Jersey.

- The transcript discusses the function of self and self-awareness.
- It emphasizes the importance of what we pay attention to and where we place our efforts.
- Salience, or what is important to us, plays a significant role in our lives.
- Negative internal narratives or images can dominate our thoughts and prevent positive change.
- Shifting salience can lead to a shift in life and bring about positive transformation.

- The speaker is excited about the series and wants to dispel myths about personality types and concepts like gaslighting.
- They want to explore important questions about understanding oneself and being the best version of oneself.
- The speaker compares physical health to mental health and states that mental health is more abstract and confusing for most people.
- The healthy version of self is described as approaching life with agency and gratitude.
- Happy people are engaged, take care of themselves, and have a positive outlook on life.

- The speaker has a pattern of making good decisions in their professional life but repeatedly makes bad decisions in personal relationships.
- They wonder why they and others engage in behaviors they know they shouldn't.
- Understanding these patterns can lead to making better decisions.
- Unhealthy defense mechanisms such as avoidance, denial, rationalization, and projection may drive these patterns.
- The repetition may be an attempt to fix past traumas and make oneself feel better.
- Understanding the individual and their motivations is important in addressing these unhealthy patterns.
- Logical and common sense approaches can lead to solutions for mental health.

- The transcript discusses the functions of self, including self-awareness, defense mechanisms, salience, choice-making, and behavior.
- The speaker questions whether they should focus on what is most salient to them or their behavioral choices in order to change their behavior.
- The importance of self-awareness is emphasized, with suggestions such as contemplation, meditation, and looking in the mirror to increase it.
- The role of defense mechanisms and salience in understanding unconscious and conscious thoughts and behaviors is discussed.
- The ultimate goal is to strive for a better life, agency, and gratitude by understanding oneself and making conscious choices.

- The transcript discusses the importance of exploring the unconscious and conscious mind, defense mechanisms, character structure, and self-experience in order to achieve health and happiness.
- It emphasizes the need for self-awareness, understanding, and respect for the complexity of life and oneself.
- The pillars of health and happiness are described as the structure of self and the function of self.
- Living life with agency and gratitude is seen as a way to cultivate empowerment and humility.
- The ultimate goal is to find peace, contentment, and delight through an active drive to understand and improve oneself and the world.

- The speaker believes in the concept of a generative drive, which is a drive within us to explore, change, and make the world a better place.
- The generative drive is not always positive and can manifest as addiction to work or other unhealthy behaviors.
- The speaker also discusses aggressive and pleasure drives, which are inherent in human beings and can be healthy or unhealthy depending on how they are expressed.
- There is controversy surrounding the idea of a generative drive, but the speaker believes it is present in humans and can be strengthened through opportunities, health, and a sense of agency and gratitude.
- The speaker suggests that when the generative drive is aligned with agency and gratitude, it can lead to a sense of fulfillment and outward growth in the world.

- Peace, contentment, and delight are not passive states, but rather action terms.
- These states are associated with raising up the generative drive and making conditions permissive for it to come to the forefront.
- The goal is to harness the aggressive and pleasure drives in a way that serves the generative drive.
- It is important to find the right balance and not dial these drives too far up or down.
- By understanding ourselves, building agency and gratitude, we can live actively in a way that is good for us and the world around us.

- The speaker describes their experience of feeling more energized and mentally awake about 30 minutes after waking up.
- They find satisfaction and pleasure in learning and sharing knowledge, which fuels their energy and motivation.
- The speaker acknowledges the need to prioritize and make time for activities that support their generative drive, despite distractions.
- The conversation discusses the importance of finding what works for each individual in nurturing their generative drive.
- The example of gardening is used to illustrate how addressing personal obstacles and finding gratitude can enhance the sense of agency and fulfillment in pursuing one's passions.

- Overthinking can be detrimental and unproductive.
- Thinking should be in service of something generative.
- Repetitive and negative thinking can be harmful.
- Distractions like social media can prevent us from taking action.
- Understanding ourselves better can help us use thinking in a healthier way.

- The transcript discusses the concept of generative drive and its relationship to aggressive drive and pleasure drive.
- It suggests that there is a continuum of generative drives in individuals, with some having high levels and others having low levels.
- The generative drive is seen as the most important for living a good life and achieving peace and contentment.
- Too much aggression can lead to destructive behavior and envy.
- Too much pleasure-seeking can also lead to destructive behavior and envy.

- The movie American Psycho portrays aggressive and pleasure-seeking behavior in an 80s yuppie character.
- Envy becomes apparent in the movie when the character becomes obsessed with someone else's business card and ends up killing him.
- The movie highlights the extent to which envy is woven into aggression and pleasure-seeking.
- Envy is often underestimated as a driving force behind destructive behavior.
- Envy can lead to acts of violence, such as active shootings and school shootings, as individuals feel a sense of despair and want to take away what others have.

- Demoralization is a state where low levels of aggression and pleasure-seeking lead to isolation, powerlessness, and vulnerability.
- Demoralization is not the same as depression and is not recognized as an illness by modern psychiatry.
- Low levels of aggression and high levels of pleasure-seeking can lead to demoralization and predispose to depression.
- The scenario of someone giving up on weight loss due to the pleasure of eating is an example of low aggression and high pleasure-seeking.
- The balance between aggression, pleasure-seeking, and the generative drive determines the outcome and can lead to either wasting away or overindulgence.

- Agency and gratitude are rewards that come from a healthy structure and function of the self.
- Empowerment and humility are important components that contribute to agency and gratitude.
- Having agency and gratitude is the best way to approach life and leads to happy lives.
- Similar to physical health, there are clear messages about what we should strive for in terms of agency and gratitude.
- The action steps to cultivate agency and gratitude in the mental health domain are less clear and more abstract.

- The speaker has observed cases of demoralized people who hide, isolate themselves, and neglect their health.
- They have known individuals who have experienced severe health problems and one who took their own life due to demoralization.
- The speaker also witnessed a group of students in high school who banded together because they felt they didn't fit in, and eventually engaged in destructive behavior.
- Demoralized individuals can either isolate themselves or affiliate with others who share their feelings, which can have both positive and negative outcomes.
- Society often tramples on vulnerable and demoralized individuals, leading to tragic consequences, but affiliation can provide support and help individuals assert their rights.

- The transcript discusses the concept of excess aggression and its impact on individuals.
- It shares an anecdote about a successful person who channels their aggression towards productivity.
- The speaker reflects on their own experience of competing against a powerful laboratory and the advice they received to focus on their love for the work.
- The importance of approaching tasks from a place of delight, curiosity, and generative drive is emphasized.
- The transcript highlights the value of doing good, creating, and contributing to the betterment of the world.

- The transcript discusses the simple manifestations of peace, contentment, and delight, underpinned by agency and gratitude.
- It acknowledges that individual drives can vary, but emphasizes that we have control over modulating them.
- The framework encourages self-awareness and exploring the pillars of self-function to find clues for personal growth.
- It suggests engaging in practices that bring about more hopefulness and strivings.
- The transcript highlights the importance of self-reflection, seeking support from loved ones, and potentially seeking professional resources like therapy to follow the clues and find answers for personal alignment and stability.

- The speaker acknowledges the use of medication in therapy but emphasizes the importance of talk therapy and self-care.
- They express concern about the over-reductionist approach to mental health, where medication is seen as the solution to all problems.
- The speaker shares a personal anecdote about their experience with medication and how talk therapy was more beneficial for them.
- They discuss the need for a more comprehensive understanding of mental health issues and the role of medication in conjunction with therapy.
- The speaker criticizes the current healthcare system's focus on efficiency and money, which can lead to harmful outcomes for patients.

- Medication can play a role in managing mental health conditions, but it is not a substitute for understanding and self-care.
- Medication can be used to help manage bipolar episodes and reduce anxiety levels.
- Understanding the components of self-awareness, defense mechanisms, and behaviors can lead to empowerment, agency, and gratitude.
- The structure and function of self can impact mental health conditions such as narcissism, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- The transcript provides a unique and comprehensive framework for understanding mental health.

- All episodes of the Huberman Lab podcast can be accessed for free on hubermanlab.com
- Support the podcast by subscribing to their YouTube channel, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, and leaving a five-star review
- Check out the sponsors mentioned in the episode to support the podcast
- Leave questions and comments in the YouTube comment section
- Follow Huberman Lab on social media platforms for science-related discussions

- There is a parallel between physical health and mental health in terms of the effort and value placed on them.
- Agency and gratitude are important for happiness and are ways of approaching life.
- Empowerment and humility arise from understanding and taking care of ourselves.
- Understanding the structure and function of the mind is important for mental health.
- Mental health should be approached with the same science and logic as physical health.

- The speaker discusses the core components of understanding the self: the structure of self and the functions of self.
- They draw a parallel between physical health and psychological health, emphasizing that as we move up the hierarchy of health, things should become simpler.
- The structure of self includes the unconscious mind, which is often overlooked but plays a crucial role in our thoughts, habits, and biological predispositions.
- The conscious mind is compared to the tip of an iceberg, while the unconscious mind is the larger, hidden part beneath the surface.
- The conscious mind is vulnerable and is protected by defense mechanisms that arise from the unconscious mind.

- The vulnerability of the conscious mind is not physical, but rather to fear, confusion, and despair.
- The conscious mind needs a defensive structure to protect against these vulnerabilities.
- The character structure is the raw material from which we create our character and is used to interface with the world.
- The character structure determines how we engage with the world and influences our decisions and actions.
- A healthy character structure leads to empowerment, agency, and gratitude, allowing us to live in harmony with ourselves and the world.

- Defense mechanisms can be adaptive or maladaptive and can be healthy or unhealthy.
- Character structure consists of different dispositions depending on different conditions.
- Dogs have predictable dispositions, while humans are more complex.
- A healthy character structure involves dispositions that match the context.
- Predispositions can be healthy or unhealthy and can be influenced by past experiences or trauma.

- AG1 is a vitamin mineral probiotic drink that meets all foundational nutrition needs.
- The speaker started taking AG1 in 2012 and still takes it once or twice a day.
- AG1 is an easy way to ensure the intake of vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and fiber.
- It is difficult for most people to get enough servings of fruits, vegetables, prebiotics, and probiotics for gut health.
- The speaker recommends AG1 as the one supplement to take for mental and physical health and performance.

- Many people are familiar with assessing and assigning names to the character structures of others, but few are familiar with assessing their own character structure.
- Psychiatrists and psychologists use questions and narratives to reveal a person's character structure and defense mechanisms.
- Factors that can be assessed in character structure include isolation versus affiliation and the use of humor.
- Character structure is better revealed through exploring a person's actions and reactions rather than specific biomarkers.
- Understanding and addressing the components of a person's character structure can lead to positive change and empowerment.

Dr. Paul Conti: How to Understand & Assess Your Mental Health | Huberman Lab Guest Series