Dan Gilbert: Turning Work Into Play | People I (Mostly) Admire | Episode 73

Psychologist Dan Gilbert went from high school dropout to Harvard professor and best-selling author. (His book, Stumbling on Happiness, has sold over a million copies.) Along the way, Gilbert’s work has explored a number of questions: Why do we underestimate how much we can change? Why do we overestimate how much human nature has changed? And how far will we go to avoid boredom?
In this episode of People I (Mostly) Admire, hosted by Steve Levitt, Gilbert shares the secret of joy, why it pays to do fewer things better, how saying no can unlock a more fulfilling life, and why we should all talk to strangers. Plus: how Gilbert inspired Levitt’s divorce.
This episode was originally published April 29, 2022.
For a full transcript, resources, and more, visit: freak.ws/3MzfHuP
Photo credit: Whitney Curtis
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“Freakonomics” co-author Steve Levitt tracks down other high achievers for surprising, revealing conversations about their lives and obsessions. Join Levitt as he goes through the most interesting midlife crisis you’ve ever heard - and learn how a renegade sheriff is transforming Chicago’s jail, how a biologist is finding the secrets of evolution in the Arctic tundra, and how a trivia champion memorized 160,000 flashcards.
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[@davewarrant8673]

"The rate of change does slow, but not at the rate you expect it to."

[@davewarrant8673]

16:38 "I wish we could go back in time..."
Repeat the test with soldiers that have pulled guard duty. Soldiers can't have lights (they will give away their position) so no phone, no reading, etc., no headphones because if you're sitting in near darkness hearing becomes your primary sense. Hope this helps.