Novelty vs Survival: The Hidden Algorithm Running Your Life

Novelty vs Survival: The Hidden Algorithm Running Your Life

Author: Armando Dominguez PhD Health Psychology, Educator, Martial Artist, Researcher November 20, 2025 Duration: 25:37

Ep 128. Every day we’re flooded with information, decisions, patterns — the familiar and the ever-changing. As human beings our brains are wired to seek efficiency. We rely on our mental filters to process what’s known and ignore what’s novel, because novelty demands more energy.
But this very wiring can make us vulnerable: when the environment shifts, when predators (literal or social) hide behind camouflage, our pattern-seeking mind can be tricked.
True resilience comes when we learn not just to rely on the familiar, but to build self-regulation skills that let us step into flow, manage the extremes, and navigate both safety and disruption.
Your mind isn’t only running algorithms of habit and assumption — you can shape the “biological software” by training your nervous system, managing novelty with ease, and turning your body’s built-in survival systems into assets instead of blind spots.
If you’re ready to break free from autopilot, reclaim your intuition, and walk the line between order and chaos with purpose — you’re in the right place.
Take care and walk well.

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intro outro music for episodes 1 through 111 done by Jonathan Dominguez Rogue musician. He can be found on youtube at Lazyman2303. 

New musical intro and outro music created by Ed Fernandez guitarist extraordinaire.  To get in contact with Ed please send me an email at runningmangetskillsproject@gmail.com and I will forward him the contact. 

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Ever feel like your brain's ancient wiring is at odds with the demands of modern life? That's the core territory explored in Running Man Self Regulation Skills Project. Hosted by Armando Dominguez, who brings a unique perspective as a PhD in Health Psychology, an educator, a martial artist, and a researcher, this podcast digs into the primal roots of our reactions. It’s about understanding how stress, anxiety, and even physical pain directly hijack our capacity to think clearly and make good decisions, often leading to behavior we might later regret. Each episode unpacks the survival programming we all carry-our inner paleo-caveperson-and how it manifests in today's world. You’ll hear practical discussions that bridge science and daily experience, focusing on why we freeze, lash out, or struggle to choose wisely under pressure. This isn't just theory; it's about gaining tangible insights for recognizing these patterns and developing stronger self-regulation skills. For anyone interested in the intersection of mental resilience, physical fitness, and social behavior, this podcast offers a thoughtful, grounded conversation. Tune in to reframe your understanding of your own instincts and learn to navigate tension with more awareness and control.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 143

Running Man Self Regulation Skills Project
Podcast Episodes
The Illusion of Certainty: Why You’re More Wrong Under Stress [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:29
Ep 143. Certainty is one of the most appealing ideas in human psychology. It promises clarity, predictability, control, and confidence in outcomes. We are drawn to certainty because it feels safe—it reduces ambiguity and…
Why Time Slows Down Under Stress And How to Control It [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:18
Ep 142. Under stress, the perception of time can shift dramatically. In moments of excitement or positive stress, time can feel fast, fluid, and fleeting. But in moments of fear, uncertainty, or shock, time can appear to…
Is It Your Personality… or Just Stress? The Truth About Who You Are [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:59
Ep 141. Personality is often treated as something fixed—an identity we carry and a label others use to define us in social life. In psychology, personality is commonly understood as the product of environment, upbringing…
Confidence Under Pressure: The Skill Most People Never Train [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:24
Ep 140. In a stressful life, confidence can feel like a fragile commodity. When stress, fear, and anxiety become frequent visitors in our personal world, our sense of certainty and control can disappear quickly. The huma…
Time Poverty vs Flow State: Mastering Your Experience of Time [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:54
Ep 139. Time is one of the most powerful forces shaping human experience. Yet most people feel as though they never have enough of it. Deadlines, responsibilities, emergencies, and perceived threats create a psychologica…
The Truth About Reinventing Yourself: How Dreams Transform Identity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:18
Ep 138. Achieving a dream is never a single moment—it is the culmination of sustained effort, sacrifice, discipline, and unwavering direction. It represents the gradual construction of a new level of skill, capability, c…