If you like to ask questions, dive beneath the surface, and learn about fascinating individuals, you’ve found your home. Join Nick Standlea for long-form conversations with authors, entrepreneurs, creators, and other brilliant experts.
Video episodes available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNickStandleaShow
You can follow Nick and the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickstandlea/
A little bit about Nick: He earned a perfect score on the SAT, but thinks standardized tests are overrated. He won grants to teach kids to surf in China, explore caves in Tibet, study business at the University of Oxford, and explore Art History in Italy. Nick is a former Research Associate at the Quality of Life Research Center, where he studied creativity, flow, and learning, under his mentor, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the author of Flow.
He founded numerous companies, including Test Prep Gurus, a test prep and education consulting firm based in Newport Beach, California, that works with students across the United States, and more than a dozen other countries. Nick is a writer, speaker, entrepreneur, consultant, and podcaster.
Ask questions. Don’t accept the status quo. Be curious.
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If you like to ask questions, dive beneath the surface, and learn about fascinating individuals, you’ve found your home. Join Nick Standlea for long-form conversations with authors, entrepreneurs, creators, and other brilliant experts.
Video episodes available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNickStandleaShow
You can follow Nick and the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickstandlea/
A little bit about Nick: He earned a perfect score on the SAT, but thinks standardized tests are overrated. He won grants to teach kids to surf in China, explore caves in Tibet, study business at the University of Oxford, and explore Art History in Italy. Nick is a former Research Associate at the Quality of Life Research Center, where he studied creativity, flow, and learning, under his mentor, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the author of Flow.
He founded numerous companies, including Test Prep Gurus, a test prep and education consulting firm based in Newport Beach, California, that works with students across the United States, and more than a dozen other countries. Nick is a writer, speaker, entrepreneur, consultant, and podcaster.
Ask questions. Don’t accept the status quo. Be curious.
Dr. Tali Sharot: Are you bored, stuck, or just... not excited by life anymore?
The Nick Standlea Show
55 minutes 48 seconds
7 months ago
Dr. Tali Sharot: Are you bored, stuck, or just... not excited by life anymore?
Why do we stop noticing the most meaningful parts of our lives?
In this episode of The Nick Standlea Show, neuroscientist and author Dr. Tali Sharot joins Nick to discuss her new book, Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There. They explore the science of habituation, the secret to revitalizing relationships, reigniting joy, and making everyday life feel vibrant again. From midlife malaise to marriage monotony, Tali explains how small changes—like disrupting routines or traveling differently—can help us rediscover wonder.
We also unpack:* Why we become desensitized to even the best parts of life* How novelty recharges the brain* What brain science says about risk-taking, lying, and truth-telling* Tips for keeping long-term relationships exciting* Why TikTok is easy—but snowboarding is better
Stick around to hear Dr Sharot's ideas for a future tech tool that could measure confirmation bias—and maybe even help break our online echo chambers.
🔔 Subscribe for more conversations that challenge your thinking and sharpen your curiosity.
📚 Get the book: Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There - https://amzn.to/3YxJEmf
🎙 More from Tali Sharot: The Affective Brain Lab - https://affectivebrain.com
TED Talks: How to motivate yourself to change your behavior - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp0O2vi8DX4
The optimism biashttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8rmi95pYL0
🔗 Support This Podcast by Checking Out Our Sponsors:Huel (Get $15 off your first order!): https://huel.com/pages/loudcrowd-ambassador?utm_medium=influencer&utm_source=loudcrowd&lc_ambassador_id=Y3VzdG9tZXI6NjEyNDkyNQ
Test Prep Gurus: https://www.prepgurus.comInstagram: @TestPrepGurus
Connect with The Nick Standlea Show:YouTube: @TheNickStandleaShowPodcast Website: https://nickshow.podbean.com/Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nick-standlea-podcast/id1700331903Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YqBBneFsKtQ6Y0ArP5CXJRSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/nickshow/feed.xml
Nick's Socials:Instagram: @nickstandleaX (Twitter): @nickstandleaTikTok: @nickstandleashowFacebook: @nickstandleapodcast
Ask questions, Don't accept the status quo, And be curious.
00:00 – Intro: Who is Tali Sharot?01:03 – The U-curve of happiness & Nick’s midlife story03:19 – Why happiness dips in midlife07:23 – What is habituation and why it matters10:13 – Why routine dulls life—and how novelty revives it11:50 – Habituation, lying, and risk-taking20:52 – How to revive long-term relationships and marriages24:00 – The balance between explorers and routine-seekers27:23 – Why even novelty needs contrast to feel new28:03 – Travel tips to make experiences more memorable30:45 – Nick’s Amazon honeymoon story (and why luxury feels better after hardship)34:09 – Can habituation explain the midlife crisis?39:32 – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, flow, and the difficulty of starting meaningful activities41:00 – Small changes vs. big shake-ups—what really works?43:38 – Nick on how the podcast adds challenge and learning45:08 – Tali's tips: easy changes that fight habituation48:30 – What’s next for Tali Sharot’s research52:24 – Could we measure confirmation bias with tech?54:07 – Why echo chambers are dangerous55:06 – Where to find Tali Sharot and her work55:29 – Final thoughts: Be curious
The Nick Standlea Show
If you like to ask questions, dive beneath the surface, and learn about fascinating individuals, you’ve found your home. Join Nick Standlea for long-form conversations with authors, entrepreneurs, creators, and other brilliant experts.
Video episodes available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNickStandleaShow
You can follow Nick and the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickstandlea/
A little bit about Nick: He earned a perfect score on the SAT, but thinks standardized tests are overrated. He won grants to teach kids to surf in China, explore caves in Tibet, study business at the University of Oxford, and explore Art History in Italy. Nick is a former Research Associate at the Quality of Life Research Center, where he studied creativity, flow, and learning, under his mentor, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the author of Flow.
He founded numerous companies, including Test Prep Gurus, a test prep and education consulting firm based in Newport Beach, California, that works with students across the United States, and more than a dozen other countries. Nick is a writer, speaker, entrepreneur, consultant, and podcaster.
Ask questions. Don’t accept the status quo. Be curious.
