In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode my guest is Dr. Robert Sapolsky, PhD, a professor of biology, neurology and neurological sciences at Stanford University. We discuss different types of stress and how our perception of stress as harmful or beneficial largely depends on context. He also explains how testosterone amplifies pre-existing behaviors and tendencies, and he highlights the crucial role of estrogen in supporting brain and body health. We also discuss daily cognitive practices for stress mitigation and how modern life, influenced by social media and complex social hierarchies, shapes our responses to stress. Episode show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/MPalfmV Huberman Lab Essentials are short episodes focused on essential science and protocol takeaways from past full-length Huberman Lab episodes. Watch the full-length episode: https://youtu.be/DtmwtjOoSYU Watch more Huberman Lab Essentials episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPNW_gerXa4OGNy1yE-W9IX-tPu-tJa7S *Follow Huberman Lab* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab X: https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter *Timestamps* 00:00:00 Robert Sapolsky 00:00:23 Positive & Negative Stress; Excitement, Amygdala 00:02:47 Testosterone & Brain, Aggression, Hierarchy 00:06:27 Testosterone, Motivation, Challenge & Confidence 00:11:01 Dopamine, Testosterone & Motivation 00:13:28 Estrogen, Brain & Health, Replacement Therapies 00:15:21 Stress Mitigation 00:19:17 Cognitive Practices for Stress Mitigation, Individual Variability, Consistency 00:21:36 Stress, Perception & Individual Differences 00:23:58 Context, Stress & Brain 00:27:05 Social Media, Context, Multiple Hierarchies 00:30:15 Acknowledgments Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer