Love 2.0: How to Move On
Hidden Brain
Oct 20
Love 2.0: How to Move On
Love 2.0: How to Move On

Hidden Brain
Oct 20
Ending a relationship can leave emotional scars that linger long after the last conversation. While breakups are universally challenging, how we process them shapes our ability to heal and grow. This episode dives into the psychology behind heartbreak, exploring not just why it hurts, but how we can move through the pain with greater self-awareness and resilience.
The podcast examines the emotional aftermath of breakups and the cognitive traps that hinder healing. Rather than suppress feelings or dwell on anger, psychologist Antonio Pascual-Leone advocates for structured reflection using three lists: what was lost, gained, and never realized in the relationship. How people narrate their breakup predicts mental health outcomes, with shallow stories linked to anxiety and depression. Closure comes from within—through practices like unsent letters or the empty chair method—not from the ex-partner. The episode also revisits the 'illusion of explanatory depth,' where people overestimate their understanding of complex issues, especially in politics or medicine. Online access amplifies this illusion, while intellectual humility and curiosity foster better dialogue. Approaching unfamiliar situations like a tourist can reignite openness and learning, helping individuals recalibrate confidence with actual knowledge.
08:01
08:01
Making three lists on paper can help unpack post-breakup emotions.
11:49
11:49
Writing three distinct lists—good things lost, bad things gone, and unfulfilled dreams—helps process breakup grief.
26:34
26:34
Closure doesn't require the other person; it's an internal process of meaning-making.
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1:07:48
Intellectual humility is the goal, not overconfidence or underconfidence.