What makes the brain vulnerable to ideology?

In this episode of The Mindset Economy, hosts Jean Gomes and Scott Allender are joined by neuroscientist and author Dr Leor Zmigrod to explore the psychology and neuroscience of ideological thinking and what makes any of us vulnerable to rigid belief systems.

Leor’s research shows that ideology is not defined by what you believe, but by how you believe it. When thinking becomes inflexible, fused with identity, and resistant to evidence, the brain narrows. Cognitive flexibility declines. Empathy can weaken. Even our physiological responses to other people’s suffering can change.

The conversation moves beyond politics into the difference between values and ideologies, the myth that intelligence protects us from dogmatism, and why uncertainty makes certainty feel irresistible. It also explores how AI shifts radicalisation from passive consumption to active dialogue, potentially reinforcing bias and rigidity in new and powerful ways. How often do we confuse conviction with clarity and what would it take to cultivate the kind of flexibility that allows us to think freely in a polarised, AI-accelerated world?

For leaders, parents, and anyone trying to remain thoughtful under pressure, this is a scientific and deeply human exploration of how belief systems shape the brain — and how we might protect our capacity for judgment, empathy, and freedom.

Reading from Dr Leor Zmigrod:
The Ideological Brain: How Rigid Beliefs Harm Our Minds & Bodies – And Why It Matters (L Zmigrod, Penguin, 2026)

Reading from Jean Gomes and Scott Allender:
Leading In A Non-Linear World (J Gomes, Wiley, 2023)
The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence (S Allender, Baker Books, 2023)

Social:
Instagram @mindseteconomypodcast
LinkedIn The Mindset Economy Podcast
Bluesky @mindseteconomy.bsky.social
YouTube @TheMindsetEconomy

The Mindset Economy Podcast is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside Consulting Ltd production.

In this episode, Mithu Storoni joins Jean Gomes and Scott Allender to explore how the way we work has been shaped by industrial-era assumptions about efficiency, productivity, and the brain – and why those assumptions no longer serve us in an age of AI.

Mithu explains how, for more than a century, humans have tried to mimic machines, first with our bodies and then with our minds, and how this has restricted human potential. As AI increasingly takes over quantitative work, she argues that this moment presents an extraordinary opportunity to shift focus towards human qualities such as creativity, judgment, problem solving, and deep thinking.

The conversation examines why modern workplaces still treat the brain as if it were muscle, applying assembly-line templates to knowledge work, despite clear evidence that the brain works in rhythms, states, and cycles. Mithu explains how sustained attention depletes brain efficiency, why mind wandering is an important signal rather than a failure, and how breaks, movement, and changes in mental state are essential for high-quality thinking.

Jean and Scott explore with Mithu how leaders can rethink productivity, move beyond the quantification of quality, and design environments that allow brains to operate at their best. Topics include ultradian rhythms, the importance of timing different types of work, the relationship between creativity and time of day, and why walking and physical movement can unlock better ideas.

The episode also looks at individual differences in how people respond to pressure, uncertainty, and deadlines, and why future organizations will need to tailor ways of working to different “gear states” rather than imposing a single template on everyone.

This is a practical and neuroscience-informed discussion about how humans can stop racing alongside machines, rise above purely quantitative work, and build workplaces that enable better thinking in the Mindset Economy.

Reading from Mithu Storoni:
WINNER OF THE BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2025
Hyperefficient: Optimize Your Brain to Transform the Way You Work (2024, Yellow Kite)

Reading from Jean Gomes and Scott Allender:
Leading In A Non-Linear World (J Gomes, Wiley, 2023)
The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence (S Allender, Baker Books, 2023)

Social:
Instagram @mindseteconomypodcast
LinkedIn The Mindset Economy Podcast
Bluesky @mindseteconomy.bsky.social
YouTube @TheMindsetEconomy

The Mindset Economy Podcast is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside Consulting Ltd production.

Launching on Thursday 15th January 2026, The Mindset Economy Podcast explores a profound shift in how value is created in an automated world.

As we move beyond the industrial, service, and knowledge economies, a new multi-trillion-dollar era is emerging. One where beliefs, resilience, and adaptability are no longer background traits, but the currency that shapes success.

Hosted by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender, the podcast examines why mindset, the interplay of how we feel, think, and see, will increasingly determine our economic prospects, our wellbeing, and our ability to navigate uncertainty.

Subscribe on your favourite platform and join the conversation about how humans can not just survive, but thrive, in the mindset economy.