Episode notes
In colonial India, a bounty on cobras was supposed to reduce the snake population. Instead, people started breeding cobras for profit — and when the policy ended, they released thousands into the streets. The result? More cobras than ever. This is Goodhart's Law: when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure. And it's not just a business problem — it's happening in your life right now. From sleep scores to morning routines to money, the things we measure can quietly start to own us. Here's how to spot it and fix it... ••• This episode brought to you by: DeleteMe - DeleteMe…
Curiosity Chronicle
by Sahil Bloom · English · Business
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E454 · 10 Jul 2026 · 7 min
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There’s an old children’s fable I recently retold to my son about a farmer whose wagon wheel gets stuck in the mud. He calls on Hercules to come to his aid. Hercules appears, but rather than lifting the wagon, he speaks: "Do you think you can move the wagon by simply looking at it? Put your shoulder to the wheel." The farmer did so, and the wagon lurched forward as the wheel easily came unstuck. The simple read says this is a story about effort. But it’s also a story that frames one of the most important traits in life: It’s what I call Active Optimism : A belief that things will work out…
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Every single week, I invariably get a handful of emails from readers around the world with a similar general message. Stuck on a path. Living a life they didn’t really choose. Scared it’s too late to make a change. Given the frequency of these messages, I decided it warranted a deeper, more tactical guide. Here’s exactly how I would approach reinvention (at any age or life stage): ••• 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,…
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E480 · 9 Oct 2026 · 7 minNew
The Loud Liker Theory
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E477 · 30 Sep 2026 · 8 min
The Middle Path to Happiness
In the 3rd century BCE, King Pyrrhus was preparing for an aggressive military campaign in Italy when a trusted advisor named Cineas asked him a simple question: After conquering Italy, what would they do next? Then Sicily. Then Libya and Carthage. And then? King Pyrrhus replied, "Then we will live a life of ease. Drink all day and have pleasant conversation with our friends." Cineas paused and spoke: "But what's stopping us from doing that today?" The story is one of the oldest documented cases of the Arrival Fallacy: the false assumption that reaching some achievement or goal will create…
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