What if the secret to happiness isn’t finding more pleasure, but learning how to keep feeling the pleasure you already have? Neuroscientist Tali Sharot reveals why our brains are wired to stop noticing the good things in life—and what we can do about it.



Tali Sharot is a professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London and author of influential books including “The Optimism Bias,” “The Influential Mind,” and “Look Again” (co-written with Cass Sunstein). Her groundbreaking research on decision-making, belief, and emotion has reshaped how we understand why we believe what we believe and how we can design better lives in an age of AI and algorithmic influence.











What You’ll Discover:



🧠 The Neuroscience of Habituation




Why your favorite song sounds better with interruptions (and what this reveals about joy)



The surprising finding that massages with breaks are more enjoyable than uninterrupted ones



How the happiest moment of vacation is actually 43 hours in—and why joy declines from there








🔄 The AI Bias Feedback Loop




How artificial intelligence doesn’t just reflect human biases—it amplifies them



The dangerous snowball effect when humans learn from biased AI, then feed that data back



Why interacting with AI can make you more biased than you were before (and how to prevent it)








💡 Practical Strategies for Sustained Happiness




Why shorter, more frequent vacations beat long ones for maximizing joy



How changing your commute route or spinning class bike can transform your experience



The power of breaks, variety, and sabbaticals in maintaining meaning at work








🎭 The Psychology of Incomplete Satisfaction




Why anticipating a celebrity kiss is worth more than the kiss itself



How cliffhangers and open loops keep us engaged (and what comedians know about timing)



The delicate balance between closure and curiosity in creating lasting impact








🤖 Human Connection in the Age of AI




What happens in our brains when we form emotional bonds with AI assistants



Why perceived agency matters more for mental health than actual control



The surprising truth about optimism bias: a little delusion is good for you








Key Insights:



“AI doesn’t just reflect our biases—it enhances them. We start with a small bias, it becomes greater in the AI, then it becomes greater in the human, then it becomes greater in the AI. It’s a continuous loop, a snowball effect.”



“Sometimes the imagination and the anticipation makes us more happy than the event itself. The happiest day of vacation was the day before—they were still in the office working, but in their mind they were on vacation.”







About Tali Sharot:



Tali Sharot is a professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London and founding director of the Affective Brain Lab. Her research on optimism, emotion, and decision-making has been published in leading scientific journ...