Curiosity Chronicle

In 1966, a University of Texas psychologist named Elliot Aronson ran an experiment to examine the role of imperfection on human connection.

Aronson recruited 48 college students and had them listen to an audio recording of a candidate supposedly auditioning to be on a "College Quiz Bowl" team (a popular TV format at the time).

The recordings were, in fact, staged. The candidate was just an actor working from a script. But the participants believed they were real and that they would be helping evaluate the candidate.

The results were fascinating...
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Innerbody Labs - A Higher Standard. After reviewing thousands of health products, we built formulas we wished existed.
Lemon - The Al agent that turns your voice instructions into finished tasks.

A few days ago, I was reminded by a reader that May 14 was the five year anniversary of my first Curiosity Chronicle newsletter.

Sending that first newsletter, which went out to a few thousand people who had been receiving my tweet threads in email format each week, felt like something of a leap of faith at the time.

Fast forward five years and what started with that tiny leap of faith has compounded into something beautiful.

I began reflecting on what I've learned through the five years of writing The Curiosity Chronicle and quickly realized that all of it applies well-beyond the bounds of creative pursuits and into any meaningful endeavor in life.

I hope these life learnings help you turn your tiny leap of faith into something beautiful...

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This episode brought to you by:
DeleteMe - DeleteMe makes it quick, easy, and safe to remove your personal data online. 
Origin Financial - Your personal AI Financial Advisor. Track your spending, investments, and net worth—all in one place.
Innerbody Labs - A Higher Standard. After reviewing thousands of health products, we built formulas we wished existed.
Lemon - The Al agent that turns your voice instructions into finished tasks.

In 2002, Harvard psychologists Daniel Gilbert and Jane Ebert designed a series of studies to test the role of optionality on happiness and human satisfaction.

In the first study, the students in a Harvard photography class were asked to make prints of their two favorite photos from the semester.

After creating the two prints, they were told to select one that they would get to keep, while the other would be filed in the department archives.

But at this stage, the students were split into two groups:
The first group was told that the decision was final. Whichever print they selected was their print and they couldn’t change their mind.
The second group was told that the decision was reversible. They could change their mind and swap prints in the next few days.
In the days that followed, the two groups of students were asked how satisfied they were with their selection, both during the swap window and after it had passed.

The findings were counterintuitive...

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This episode brought to you by:
DeleteMe - DeleteMe makes it quick, easy, and safe to remove your personal data online. 
Origin Financial - Your personal AI Financial Advisor. Track your spending, investments, and net worth—all in one place.
Innerbody Labs - A Higher Standard. After reviewing thousands of health products, we built formulas we wished existed.
Lemon - The Al agent that turns your voice instructions into finished tasks.

A razor is a rule of thumb that simplifies decision making.

The term comes from philosophy. A principle that let you quickly cut away unlikely explanations or unnecessary steps was called a razor.

Razors aren't perfect. They're shortcuts. But used well, they can be the highest-leverage tools you carry through life. In an age of infinite 
information, razors can help you stop overthinking and start moving.

Here are the most powerful razors I've found...

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This episode brought to you by:
DeleteMe - DeleteMe makes it quick, easy, and safe to remove your personal data online. 
Origin Financial - Your personal AI Financial Advisor. Track your spending, investments, and net worth—all in one place.
Innerbody Labs - A Higher Standard. After reviewing thousands of health products, we built formulas we wished existed.
Lemon - The Al agent that turns your voice instructions into finished tasks.

In 1902, a 19-year-old cadet in an Austrian military academy was silently becoming a bystander in his own life.

Franz Xaver Kappus felt trapped. On the track for a life as a military officer, but unsure if he wanted it in the first place. His heart felt pulled in a very different direction.

To poetry.

When Kappus learned that one of his teachers had taught the famed poet Rainer Maria Rilke when he was a young man attending the same academy, he decided to act. Kappus sent a set of his poems to Rilke, asking for an honest assessment and guidance on his life ahead...

•••
This episode brought to you by:
DeleteMe - DeleteMe makes it quick, easy, and safe to remove your personal data online. 
Origin Financial - Your personal AI Financial Advisor. Track your spending, investments, and net worth—all in one place.
Innerbody Labs - A Higher Standard. After reviewing thousands of health products, we built formulas we wished existed.
Lemon - The Al agent that turns your voice instructions into finished tasks.