
Your Survival Instinct Is Killing You
Retrain Your Brain to Conquer Fear, Make Better Decisions, and Thrive in the 21st Century
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $25.78
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Marc Schoen
-
By:
-
Marc Schoen
About this listen
Thanks to technology, we live in a world that’s much more comfortable than ever before. But here’s the paradox: Our tolerance for discomfort is at an all-time low. And as we wrestle with a sinking "discomfort threshold", we increasingly find ourselves at the mercy of our primitive instincts and reactions that can perpetuate disease, dysfunction, and impair performance and decision making. Designed to keep us out of danger, our limbic brain’s survival instinct controls what we intuitively do to avert injury or death, such as running out of a burning building.
Rarely are we required to recruit this instinct today because seldom do we find ourselves in situations that are truly life-threatening. However, this part of our brain is programmed to naturally and automatically react to even the most benign forms of discomfort and stress as serious threats to our survival.
In this seminal audiobook we learn how the survival instinct is the culprit that triggers a person to overeat, prevents the insomniac from sleeping, causes the executive to unravel under pressure, leads travelers to avoid planes or freeways, inflames pain, and due to past heartache, closes down an individual to love.
In all of these cases, their overly-sensitive survival instinct is being called into action at the slightest hint of discomfort. In short, their survival instinct is stuck in the on position…with grave consequences.
Your Survival Instinct Is Killing You can transform the way you live. Provocative, eye-opening, and surprisingly practical with its gallery of strategies and ideas, this audiobook will show you how to build up your "instinctual muscles" for successfully managing discomfort while taming your overly reactive survival instinct. You will learn that the management of discomfort is the single most important skill for the 21st century.
This audiobook is, at its heart, a modern guide to survival.
©2013 Marc Schoen (P)2013 Gildan Media LLCListeners also enjoyed...
-
Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself
- By: Joe Dispenza
- Narrated by: Adam Boyce
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You are not doomed by your genes and hardwired to be a certain way for the rest of your life. A new science is emerging that empowers all human beings to create the reality they choose. In Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, renowned author, speaker, researcher, and chiropractor Dr. Joe Dispenza combines the fields of quantum physics, neuroscience, brain chemistry, biology, and genetics to show you what is truly possible.
-
-
Two Books Down!
- By Jdrizz on 01-07-21
By: Joe Dispenza
-
Overcoming Anticipatory Anxiety
- A CBT Guide for Moving Past Chronic Indecisiveness, Avoidance, and Catastrophic Thinking
- By: Sally M. Winston PsyD, Martin N. Seif PhD
- Narrated by: Linda Jones
- Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From subtle avoidance behaviors to the most nightmarish terrors, anticipatory anxiety is the engine that drives it all. Understanding how this hidden enemy tricks you, and, most importantly, how to overcome it, will liberate you to live a more flexible and joyful life. In Overcoming Anticipatory Anxiety, two anxiety experts team up to teach you how to manage your overactive imagination, limit future-based thinking, face your fears, make decisions, and live with more freedom and joy.
-
-
Little tangible helpful information
- By Emma Weihenmayer on 02-15-25
By: Sally M. Winston PsyD, and others
-
The Solution to Social Anxiety: Break Free from the Shyness That Holds You Back
- By: Dr. Aziz Gazipura PsyD
- Narrated by: Dr. Aziz Gazipura
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Are you held back by shyness? Do many things seem out of reach due to social anxiety? Many people have settled into thinking this is just how life is... "This is just the way I am." However, nothing could be further from the truth. In this inspiring, breakthrough book, Dr. Aziz guides you along the path out of social anxiety and into greater confidence in yourself. You will discover what is keeping you stuck in shyness and learn exactly what to do in order to break free. After suffering from social anxiety himself for many years, Dr. Aziz became determined to find a way to social freedom. His deep understanding if what creates the social fears, shyness, and limitations, displays just how much he gets what it feels like to be shy.
-
-
Not for me
- By Katerina Kotyrlo on 03-07-18
-
Conquering Anxiety and Depression
- Physical and Mental Strategies on Defeating the Paralysis of Our Worries
- By: Miles Burke
- Narrated by: Joe Alan Music
- Length: 2 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anxiety disorders affect over 40 million Americans, and nearly 30 percent of adults at some point in their lives. More people are struggling with mental health issues today than at any other time in history. Some people are obsessed with debilitating thoughts about issues that are completely outside their control, while others are overwhelmed by information overload and have become addicted to social media.
-
-
Explained so We'll!
- By Daniel Robison on 09-20-22
By: Miles Burke
-
Addicted to the Monkey Mind
- Change the Programming That Sabotages Your Life
- By: J.F. Benoist
- Narrated by: Sara Morsey
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Free yourself from the negative mind-set that overwhelms you. Addicted to the Monkey Mind offers a toolbox of practical skills to shift self-sabotaging, programmed ways of thinking and learn actionable steps. J.F. Benoist - a visionary thought leader in the fields of addiction treatment and personal development - uses the journeys of two relatable characters to teach you how to develop a powerful new mind-set and finally break the cycle of debilitating habits.
-
-
Painfully Bad, Mostly stories. Not Helpful.
- By Anonymous User on 05-28-20
By: J.F. Benoist
-
Vivid Vision: A Remarkable Tool for Aligning Your Business Around a Shared Vision of the Future
- By: Cameron Herold
- Narrated by: David DeVries
- Length: 2 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Many corporations have slick, flashy mission statements that ultimately do little to motivate employees and less to impress customers, investors, and partners. But there is a way to share your excitement for the future of your company in a clear, compelling, and powerful way, and entrepreneur and business growth expert Cameron Herold can show you how.
-
-
Unremarkable.
- By Ashley on 03-10-20
By: Cameron Herold
-
Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself
- By: Joe Dispenza
- Narrated by: Adam Boyce
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You are not doomed by your genes and hardwired to be a certain way for the rest of your life. A new science is emerging that empowers all human beings to create the reality they choose. In Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, renowned author, speaker, researcher, and chiropractor Dr. Joe Dispenza combines the fields of quantum physics, neuroscience, brain chemistry, biology, and genetics to show you what is truly possible.
-
-
Two Books Down!
- By Jdrizz on 01-07-21
By: Joe Dispenza
-
Overcoming Anticipatory Anxiety
- A CBT Guide for Moving Past Chronic Indecisiveness, Avoidance, and Catastrophic Thinking
- By: Sally M. Winston PsyD, Martin N. Seif PhD
- Narrated by: Linda Jones
- Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From subtle avoidance behaviors to the most nightmarish terrors, anticipatory anxiety is the engine that drives it all. Understanding how this hidden enemy tricks you, and, most importantly, how to overcome it, will liberate you to live a more flexible and joyful life. In Overcoming Anticipatory Anxiety, two anxiety experts team up to teach you how to manage your overactive imagination, limit future-based thinking, face your fears, make decisions, and live with more freedom and joy.
-
-
Little tangible helpful information
- By Emma Weihenmayer on 02-15-25
By: Sally M. Winston PsyD, and others
-
The Solution to Social Anxiety: Break Free from the Shyness That Holds You Back
- By: Dr. Aziz Gazipura PsyD
- Narrated by: Dr. Aziz Gazipura
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Are you held back by shyness? Do many things seem out of reach due to social anxiety? Many people have settled into thinking this is just how life is... "This is just the way I am." However, nothing could be further from the truth. In this inspiring, breakthrough book, Dr. Aziz guides you along the path out of social anxiety and into greater confidence in yourself. You will discover what is keeping you stuck in shyness and learn exactly what to do in order to break free. After suffering from social anxiety himself for many years, Dr. Aziz became determined to find a way to social freedom. His deep understanding if what creates the social fears, shyness, and limitations, displays just how much he gets what it feels like to be shy.
-
-
Not for me
- By Katerina Kotyrlo on 03-07-18
-
Conquering Anxiety and Depression
- Physical and Mental Strategies on Defeating the Paralysis of Our Worries
- By: Miles Burke
- Narrated by: Joe Alan Music
- Length: 2 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anxiety disorders affect over 40 million Americans, and nearly 30 percent of adults at some point in their lives. More people are struggling with mental health issues today than at any other time in history. Some people are obsessed with debilitating thoughts about issues that are completely outside their control, while others are overwhelmed by information overload and have become addicted to social media.
-
-
Explained so We'll!
- By Daniel Robison on 09-20-22
By: Miles Burke
-
Addicted to the Monkey Mind
- Change the Programming That Sabotages Your Life
- By: J.F. Benoist
- Narrated by: Sara Morsey
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Free yourself from the negative mind-set that overwhelms you. Addicted to the Monkey Mind offers a toolbox of practical skills to shift self-sabotaging, programmed ways of thinking and learn actionable steps. J.F. Benoist - a visionary thought leader in the fields of addiction treatment and personal development - uses the journeys of two relatable characters to teach you how to develop a powerful new mind-set and finally break the cycle of debilitating habits.
-
-
Painfully Bad, Mostly stories. Not Helpful.
- By Anonymous User on 05-28-20
By: J.F. Benoist
-
Vivid Vision: A Remarkable Tool for Aligning Your Business Around a Shared Vision of the Future
- By: Cameron Herold
- Narrated by: David DeVries
- Length: 2 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Many corporations have slick, flashy mission statements that ultimately do little to motivate employees and less to impress customers, investors, and partners. But there is a way to share your excitement for the future of your company in a clear, compelling, and powerful way, and entrepreneur and business growth expert Cameron Herold can show you how.
-
-
Unremarkable.
- By Ashley on 03-10-20
By: Cameron Herold
-
Stumbling on Happiness
- By: Daniel Gilbert
- Narrated by: Daniel Gilbert
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A smart and funny book by a prominent Harvard psychologist, which uses groundbreaking research and (often hilarious) anecdotes to show us why we’re so lousy at predicting what will make us happy–and what we can do about it. Most of us spend our lives steering ourselves toward the best of all possible futures, only to find that tomorrow rarely turns out as we had expected. Why? As Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert explains, when people try to imagine what the future will hold, they make some basic and consistent mistakes.
-
-
Great Book!
- By TL on 06-09-06
By: Daniel Gilbert
-
The Science of Stuck
- Breaking Through Inertia to Find Your Path Forward
- By: Britt Frank LSCSW
- Narrated by: Sasha Heinz, Britt Frank LSCSW
- Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We all experience stuckness in our lives. We feel stuck in our relationships, career paths, body struggles, addiction issues, and more. Many of us know what we need to do to move forward—but find ourselves unable to take the leap to make it happen. And then we blame and shame ourselves, and stay in a loop of self-doubt that goes nowhere. The good news is you’re not lazy, crazy, or unmotivated. In this empowering and action-oriented guide, you’ll discover why we can’t think our way forward—and how to break through what’s holding us back.
-
-
Mental health is a physical process
- By Meagen G. on 04-18-22
-
Building a Second Brain
- A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential
- By: Tiago Forte
- Narrated by: André Santana, Tiago Forte
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the first time in history, we have instantaneous access to the world’s knowledge. There has never been a better time to learn, to contribute, and to improve ourselves. Yet, rather than feeling empowered, we are often left feeling overwhelmed by this constant influx of information. The very knowledge that was supposed to set us free has instead led to the paralyzing stress of believing we’ll never know or remember enough. Now, this eye-opening and accessible guide shows how you can easily create your own personal system for knowledge management, otherwise known as a Second Brain.
-
-
Huge over promise
- By MARCELO F. on 03-15-23
By: Tiago Forte
-
Start with No
- The Negotiating Tools that the Pros Don't Want You to Know
- By: Jim Camp
- Narrated by: Robert Jordan
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For years now, win-win has been the paradigm for business negotiation. But today, win-win is just the seductive mantra used by the toughest negotiators to get the other side to compromise unnecessarily, early, and often. Win-win negotiations play to your emotions and take advantage of your instinct and desire to make the deal. Start with No introduces a system of decision-based negotiation that teaches you how to understand and control these emotions.
-
-
Thanks Chris Voss!
- By Dennis Hettema on 10-03-20
By: Jim Camp
-
Practicing Mindfulness
- 75 Essential Meditations for Finding Peace in the Everyday
- By: Matthew Sockolov
- Narrated by: Daniel Henning
- Length: 4 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Find everyday calmness and clarity with simple mindfulness meditations and exercises. Mindfulness meditations are a great way to cultivate awareness and acceptance of the here and now - Practicing Mindfulness makes it easy and accessible with 75 evidence-based exercises designed to bring calmness and compassion into your day-to-day.
-
-
75 Meditation Exercises, Not Guided Meditations
- By bmathews on 07-13-19
By: Matthew Sockolov
-
The Introvert's Edge
- How the Quiet and Shy Can Outsell Anyone
- By: Matthew Pollard
- Narrated by: Jamie Jackson
- Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sales is a skill anyone can learn and master - and introverts are especially good at it once they learn how to leverage their natural strengths. Introverts aren't comfortable with traditional tactics like aggressively pushing a product or talking over a customer's objections. That's the beauty of The Introvert's Edge: it doesn't focus on the sale itself but on a sales system that helps introverts feel sincere instead of sales-y.
-
-
I Am Sold..!
- By @K_Speckmann on 01-05-18
By: Matthew Pollard
-
When Things Fall Apart
- Heart Advice for Difficult Times
- By: Pema Chodron
- Narrated by: Christy Meyer
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How can we live our lives when everything seems to fall apart—when we are continually overcome by fear, anxiety, and pain? The answer, Pema Chödrön suggests, might be just the opposite of what you expect. Here, in her most beloved and acclaimed work, Pema shows that moving toward painful situations and becoming intimate with them can open up our hearts in ways we never before imagined. Drawing from traditional Buddhist wisdom, she offers life-changing tools for transforming suffering and negative patterns into habitual ease and boundless joy.
-
-
SOS
- By LV on 07-28-23
By: Pema Chodron
-
Follow Up and Close the Sale
- Make Easy (and Effective) Follow-Up Your Winning Habit
- By: Jeff Shore
- Narrated by: Jeff Shore
- Length: 4 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Companies have invested thousands and even millions of dollars in CRM technology over the past decade, but frontline salespeople and sales executives alike are still groping for solutions. The problem of drift - a common phenomenon in which a prospect simply forgets about the product offering and goes dark - is persistent and rampant. Technology doesn't change behavior on its own. Behavior is changed by adopting better habits. The fact is, 44 percent of salespeople give up after one follow-up attempt. That sad reality presents a genuine opportunity.
-
-
Good tips
- By Andi. L. N. on 10-29-24
By: Jeff Shore
-
With Winning in Mind: 3rd Edition
- By: Lanny Bassham
- Narrated by: Lanny Bassham
- Length: 3 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is a great book for anyone interested in having a consistent mental performance under pressure. The book, used by PGA Tour winners, will give you an introduction to mental management and is packed with techniques for competitors. Learn how performance is a function of three mental processes, how to control the mind under pressure, and how to train for competition.
-
-
Great book
- By Amazon Customer on 03-23-25
By: Lanny Bassham
-
Anxiety Workbook
- How to Overcome Anxiety, Reduce Stress and Rewire Your Brain with Practical Useful Tips
- By: Ryan Creed
- Narrated by: Duane DeSalvo
- Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This audiobook is designed as a workbook to help you understand what anxiety is all about and also give you actionable points to eliminate anxiety. The aim of this book is to help you rewire your brain and eliminate stress and anxiety from your life. I want you to live a stress-free life devoid of anxiety.
-
-
Veritable useful exercises!!
- By Carol D. Wilson on 05-01-20
By: Ryan Creed
-
[Cu]re Your Fatigue
- The Root Cause and How to Fix It on Your Own
- By: Morley M. Robbins
- Narrated by: Morley M. Robbins
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you are suffering from persistent fatigue (and fatigue-related symptoms), then you’ve been “misled and misfed”. The path to regaining your energy and vastly improving your overall health is likely not what you’ve been led to believe. [Cu]re Your Fatigue will help you unravel the story of copper, magnesium, iron, and ceruloplasmin and how their interactions have been intended by nature to maintain our health. Learn what happens when these interactions are interfered with, primarily as a result of following the accepted yet highly flawed health recommendations.
-
-
Clarity and sanity: finally!
- By Midwife mama RO on 05-01-23
-
CBT and NLP Techniques
- Essential Guide to Overcome and Manage Anxiety, Depression, Emotions, and Panic Attacks Using NLP and Therapeutic Techniques
- By: Ryan Farrell
- Narrated by: Jim Clark
- Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You can manage anxiety, anger, panic, worry, and depression with effective Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques. CBT and NLP are behavioral sciences that use proven techniques to help you in real life. Both use outstanding methods for changing negative ways of thinking into positive ones. CBT and NLP relate three things together; thinking, language, and behavior or emotions. Its applications cover many aspects of everyday life.
By: Ryan Farrell
Critic reviews
What listeners say about Your Survival Instinct Is Killing You
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- TCB
- 04-14-13
Interesting / Poor Reading
What made the experience of listening to Your Survival Instinct Is Killing You the most enjoyable?
Interesting ideas and well written but the author is better thinker and writer than he is a reader. The audio is stilted and awkward. Very hard to listen to. Wish I had bought the paper version.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- M.
- 10-01-15
WTF?
Really excellent life changing information read to you by Napolean Dynomite. Vote for pedro. Definitely worth buying though.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kittypooka
- 10-23-18
Not as good as I was expecting
A lot of self promotion. Good tips at the end though. Very slow reading speed.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- daniel
- 09-14-17
why is this not taught in schools
What did you love best about Your Survival Instinct Is Killing You?
such a fundamental yet little taught skill explained so well !!
What was one of the most memorable moments of Your Survival Instinct Is Killing You?
Suffering is what life hands out ... shake its hand
Any additional comments?
Life changing lessons
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jett
- 06-01-19
some interesting ideas.
this was interesting, and the voice acting was fine, but the whole thing kinda just felt like an advertisement.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bruce S.
- 02-16-19
Great Book, but...
Really enjoyed the content of this book, and would highly recommend reading it yourself, but the audio was painful to listen to.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Carina Roberts
- 04-11-18
Best Book ever listen to!
Thank you Dr. Marc Schoen for written this Book! Best education I’ve received in 50 Years! Forever grateful!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- steve champion
- 05-24-16
I have no idea why Authors think they can read...
I got about half way though and wanted to rip my ears off!! Marc Schoen is I'm sure an intelligent fellow however he CAN NOT READ!! Even his own writing...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful