This is Hidden Brain. I'm Shankar Vedant.

There is an old saying attributed to Benjamin Franklin.

Nothing is certain in life except for death and taxes.

But death and taxes are not the only guarantees.

If we live long enough, all of us will experience great setbacks,

crises that seem insurmountable,

challenges that seem far bigger than we are.

When we see others go through natural disasters or terrible illnesses,

or the emotional upheavals that come from child custody battles or losing a livelihood,

we think, how terrible

for them.

I'm so glad this didn't happen to me.

But what we fail to see in these moments is that all of us are going to experience our

own versions of these emergencies and tragedies.

Having to deal with crises is an occupational hazard of being alive.

What do we do in such moments?

How do our minds respond when faced with catastrophe?

And can we better prepare ourselves for their inevitable arrival?

Today on the show, and in a companion piece on Hidden Brain Plus,

we examine the psychology of battling a crisis.

It's part of our series, Wellness 2.0.

What happens in our minds when we face danger

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