From Big Think.
“By not focusing on the outcome and instead designing a tiny experiment, what you can do is letting go of any definition of success, letting go of that binary results that you’re looking for, and instead focusing something that makes you feel curious and that you want to explore.”
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Up next, Anne-Laure Le Cunff: The 3 cognitive scripts that rule over your life | Full Interview ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubMghRYqk8o
What if the secret to a meaningful life isn’t a five-year plan—but a five-day experiment? Neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff argues that in a world obsessed with goals, clarity, and productivity, the real path to growth lies in something much smaller: curiosity-driven, low-stakes experiments.
Instead of asking, “What’s my purpose?” she suggests asking, “What am I curious about, and what small step can I take today to explore it?”
00:00 Staring at the leaderboard
00:40 Finding your purpose
01:21 Cognitive overload
02:14 Linear vs experimental
03:29 Affective labeling
04:47 3 subconscious mindsets
06:48 Experimental mindset
09:04 Information vs knowledge
11:29 Cognitive scripts
13:35 “Finding your purpose”
15:39 Systemic barriers to experimentation
17:49 Self-anthropology
Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/series/the-big-think-interview/anne-laure-tiny-experiments/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description
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About Anne-Laure Le Cunff:
Anne-Laure Le Cunff is an award-winning neuroscientist and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Ness Labs, where her weekly newsletter is read by more than 100,000 curious minds. Her research at King’s College London focuses on the psychology and neuroscience of lifelong learning, curiosity, and adaptability. Her book, Tiny Experiments, is a transformative guide for living a more experimental life, turning uncertainty into curiosity, and carving a path of self-discovery. Previously, she worked at Google as an executive on digital health projects. Her work has been featured in Rolling Stone, Forbes, Financial Times, WIRED, and more.
