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How to Make Better Decisions | Dr. Michael Platt

Episode 216 Feb 17, 2025 3h 49m 19 insights
My guest is Dr. Michael Platt, Ph.D., a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. We discuss how factors such as hormonal or social status influence what we value, how we make decisions, and even our perceptions across a range of areas, from who and what we find attractive to our political affiliations. We also discuss how humans evaluate and shift power in relationships and form hierarchies in groups. Dr. Platt also shares new science-based tools for improving focus, creativity, and attention. Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Our Place: https://fromourplace.com/huberman Wealthfront**: https://wealthfront.com/huberman BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman **This experience may not be representative of the experience of other clients of Wealthfront, and there is no guarantee that all clients will have similar experiences. Cash Account is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. The Annual Percentage Yield (“APY”) on cash deposits as of December 27,‬ 2024, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum. Funds in the Cash Account are swept to partner banks where they earn the variable‭ APY. Promo terms and FDIC coverage conditions apply. Same-day withdrawal or instant payment transfers may be limited by destination institutions, daily transaction caps, and by participating entities such as Wells Fargo, the RTP® Network, and FedNow® Service. New Cash Account deposits are subject to a 2-4 day holding period before becoming available for transfer. Timestamps 00:00:00 Dr. Michael Platt 00:02:12 Humans, Old World Primates & Decision-Making; Swiss Army Knife Analogy 00:07:52
Actionable Insights

1. Remove Phone from Workspace

To maximize working memory and focus for deep work, ensure your phone is completely outside of the room where you are working, as its mere presence, even if face down or in a bag, can impair cognitive performance.

2. Prioritize Accuracy Over Speed

For critical decisions, intentionally slow down and take ample time to gather information, as haste increases errors; use calming strategies like breathing or a long-term mantra to reduce arousal and improve decision quality.

3. Reduce Digital Distraction Environment

To improve focus, make your environment ‘harder’ for distraction by physically putting devices away or making them less appealing, such as turning your phone screen to monochrome to reduce its attractiveness as a source of information.

4. Adjust Attentional Aperture

To prepare for cognitive work, consciously adjust your attentional ‘aperture’: focus on a small, specific point to narrow your attention for focused tasks, or engage in broad, panoramic vision to promote creative exploration.

5. Practice Internal Cognitive Focus

To train attention, try closing your eyes and thinking in complete sentences, engaging in an internal conversation with yourself while constantly redirecting your focus to stay on a single thought train.

6. Foster Behavioral Synchrony

To improve communication, trust, and teamwork in relationships or groups, actively foster behavioral and physiological synchrony (e.g., mirroring movements, shared gaze), as this alignment predicts stronger bonds and better decision-making.

7. Engage Deep, Structured Conversations

To build rapport and synchrony with others, especially those you are out of sync with or don’t know well, make time and space for intentional, deep conversations using structured question sets.

8. Utilize Consensual Social Touch

Engage in consensual, pleasant social touch (like grooming or gentle contact at body temperature) to stimulate oxytocin release, an intrinsic mechanism for building and strengthening social bonds and combating isolation.

9. Offload Decisions When Fatigued

When you or your team are fatigued, offload critical decisions to an external, non-fatigued person or system, as fatigue causes a shift towards prioritizing speed over accuracy, leading to more mistakes.

10. Build Complementary Team Strengths

Entrepreneurs and innovators should build teams with complementary strengths to ensure that while they leverage their creative and exploratory tendencies, they also have support for necessary focus and execution.

11. Highlight Potential Gains Visually

To overcome loss aversion and encourage taking beneficial risks, visually emphasize potential gains (e.g., larger font, brighter display) over potential losses, as this directs attention and shifts decision-making.

12. Be Wary of Urgent Pressure

If someone pressures you to make a decision very quickly, especially if it’s not a clear emergency, view it as a potential scam, as urgency is often a tactic used to bypass rational deliberation.

13. Ensure Foundational Nutrition

To support overall health, digestion, immune system, mood, and mental focus, ensure you are getting all necessary vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients, potentially through a comprehensive daily supplement.

14. Utilize Comprehensive Lab Testing

Get comprehensive lab tests to gain insights into your bodily health, including heart, hormones, immune function, and nutrient levels, and to detect toxins, which can then inform targeted health adjustments.

15. Reduce Mercury Levels

If you have elevated mercury, limit tuna consumption, increase leafy green intake, and consider supplementing with NAC (N-acetylcysteine) to support glutathione production and detoxification.

16. Engage in Professional Therapy

Consider engaging in professional therapy for overall health, as it provides a trusted rapport, emotional support, directed guidance, and useful insights for various life issues.

17. Perform 100 Jumping Jacks Warm-up

Before any cardiovascular or resistance training, perform 100 jumping jacks to significantly diminish the chance of injury, likely by raising core body temperature.

18. Avoid PFAS/Forever Chemicals Cookware

Opt for cookware made with materials like pure titanium, as PFASs and forever chemicals (like Teflon) found in many nonstick pans have been linked to hormone disruption, gut microbiome issues, and fertility problems.

19. Earn High APY on Savings

Consider using platforms like Wealthfront to earn a 4% annual percentage yield (APY) on your cash, providing a way to save more and build long-term wealth with free instant withdrawals and FDIC insurance.