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.

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📚 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 bias https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8rmi95pYL0

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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 story 03:19 – Why happiness dips in midlife 07:23 – What is habituation and why it matters 10:13 – Why routine dulls life—and how novelty revives it 11:50 – Habituation, lying, and risk-taking 20:52 – How to revive long-term relationships and marriages 24:00 – The balance between explorers and routine-seekers 27:23 – Why even novelty needs contrast to feel new 28:03 – Travel tips to make experiences more memorable 30:45 – 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 activities 41:00 – Small changes vs. big shake-ups—what really works? 43:38 – Nick on how the podcast adds challenge and learning 45:08 – Tali's tips: easy changes that fight habituation 48:30 – What’s next for Tali Sharot’s research 52:24 – Could we measure confirmation bias with tech? 54:07 – Why echo chambers are dangerous 55:06 – Where to find Tali Sharot and her work 55:29 – Final thoughts: Be curious