Something You Should Know

We spend a surprising amount of mental energy agonizing over decisions that ultimately don’t matter very much — what to order at a restaurant, which email to answer first, or which option might be “slightly better.” Meanwhile, the truly important decisions in life often don’t get the thoughtful attention they deserve. Annie Duke says that’s because most people misunderstand how good decision making actually works. Annie is a former professional poker champion who now advises organizations and leaders on how to make smarter choices under uncertainty. She is also the author of How to Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices (https://amzn.to/3OQgGIF).

In our conversation, she explains why we get stuck overthinking small decisions, why big decisions are often harder than they should be, and how adopting a more strategic way of thinking about choices can dramatically improve the outcomes we experience in life and work.

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The average American unknowingly throws away up to $1,500 a year — and it’s happening right in your own kitchen. It’s not obvious. It doesn’t feel wasteful in the moment. But small, everyday habits quietly drain real money from your grocery budget. There are a few surprisingly simple shifts that can stop the leak. https://www.usda.gov/foodlossandwaste/consumers

Your beliefs about yourself — your abilities, your limits, your future — quietly shape your behavior every day. “I’m too old.” “I’m bad with money.” “I’ll never succeed.” The problem is not that these statements are true — it’s that you believe them to be true. Nir Eyal, author of Beyond Belief: The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limiting Yourself and Achieve Breakthrough Results (https://amzn.to/3OLvImC), explains how limiting beliefs form, why they feel so real, and how deliberately reshaping them can dramatically alter your trajectory in work, relationships, and life.

Is memory loss inevitable as you age? Are we destined for cognitive decline? Dr. Majid Fotuhi, world-renowned neurologist and author of The Invincible Brain: The Clinically Proven Plan to Age-Proof Your Brain and Stay Sharp for Life (https://amzn.to/4l5s1nZ), says no. He explains that brain health is deeply influenced by lifestyle — including 14 factors you can control — and that protecting your mind requires the same intentional care as protecting your heart or body.

When you need someone to say yes to a request, one short phrase can significantly increase your chances. It doesn’t manipulate. It doesn’t pressure. It simply taps into a powerful psychological principle that makes people more open to helping. https://brainblogger.com/2015/06/25/top-5-persuasion-techniques-of-2015/

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Most of us have taken a hit to the head at some point — a fall, a collision, a stray ball — and brushed it off as no big deal. But what if those “minor” impacts aren’t so minor? Even seemingly harmless head injuries may have longer-term effects that we rarely consider. Source: Dr. Daniel Amen author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Life https://amzn.to/3P3Dtld

Every day you negotiate — at work, at home, with friends, with strangers. Most of us think conflict is something to avoid or win. But according to William Ury, one of the world’s leading authorities on negotiation who has advised the White House, the Pentagon, and major corporations, there is a far more powerful approach. Listen as he reveals how to turn confrontation into collaboration and why the way you frame a dispute often determines its outcome. William is author of the book Possible: How We Survive (and Thrive) in an Age of Conflict (https://amzn.to/3T7issl),

Swearing is supposed to be rude, shocking, even offensive. Yet it’s everywhere — in conversations, on television, online. So why does profanity still pack a punch? And could it actually serve a purpose? Rebecca Roache, senior lecturer in philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London and author of For F*ck’s Sake: Why Swearing is Shocking, Rude, and Fun (https://amzn.to/48DxH0t), explains why taboo words are so powerful, how they’ve evolved, and what they reveal about emotion, culture, and connection.

If you want to dramatically lower your child’s risk of serious trouble later in life, you might look closely at how much time they spend doing one very common, everyday activity. It seems harmless. It’s easy. And it’s everywhere. But the long-term consequences may surprise you. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2280397/Can-letting-children-watch-TV-turn-criminals.html

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Walk into a meeting room, classroom, or even your own living room, and chances are you’ll sit in the same spot you’ve chosen before. And if someone else is sitting there, it feels all wrong. But why? It’s a small behavior that reveals something surprisingly deep about how humans think. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_attachment

Every night your brain builds an alternate reality — sometimes magical, sometimes terrifying, often completely illogical. So what are dreams actually for? Are they random noise, emotional therapy, memory maintenance, or something else entirely? Award-winning health and science journalist Karen van Kampen, author of The Brain Never Sleeps: Why We Dream and What It Means for Our Health (https://amzn.to/3ZJwbIs) explains what researchers now understand about dreaming — and why your sleeping brain may be working harder than you realize.

Taking care of your health can feel overwhelming — conflicting advice, complicated routines, endless “must-do” lists. But according to Dr. Zeke Emanuel, oncologist, professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and author of Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life (https://amzn.to/4cyrNU8), most of what truly matters can be distilled into a handful of simple, high-impact behaviors. No extreme biohacks. No punishing regimens. Just practical strategies that deliver outsized benefits.

There’s only a one-cent difference between $59.99 and $60 — but your brain doesn’t process them the same way. Retailers know this. The “left digit effect” tricks your perception. It’s a tiny psychological quirk that quietly influences billions of purchasing decisions — including yours. https://academic.oup.com/jcr/article/32/1/54/1797197

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What does it really mean to be happy? Even the happiest people aren’t happy all the time. Maybe happiness isn’t a constant emotion at all — maybe it’s a philosophy. A way of living. A sense of meaning shaped by what you do and who you do it for.

Stephanie Harrison has spent years studying what truly makes people happy — and she believes many of us have been chasing the wrong version. She is the creator of the “New Happy” philosophy, a powerful rethinking of happiness that has reached millions through art, a newsletter, a podcast, and programs around the world. Her work has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, and Harvard Business Review.

You can learn more at https://www.thenewhappy.com.

She is also author of New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That’s Got It Wrong (https://amzn.to/3WxgOlR).

This conversation will challenge how you define happiness — and offer a refreshing, practical way to pursue a deeper, more lasting kind of joy.

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QUINCE: Refresh your wardrobe with Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.dom/sysk ⁠⁠⁠for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

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