EPISODE FIFTY-FIVE
THE HEDONIC TREADMILL
*(Why achieving what we want rarely satisfies us for long, and why happiness keeps moving the finish line)*
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1. THREE DAYS LATER
Everyone was happy.
Suspiciously happy.
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2. GANDALF IMMEDIATELY NOTICED
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3. "Something happened."
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4. MEERA SMILED
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5. "I got promoted."
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6. ARJUN NODDED
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7. "I finished my project."
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8. DIANA RAISED A HAND
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9. "My article got published."
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10. MILO SPOKE
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11. "My neighbor finally stopped practicing trumpet."
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12. COMPLETE SILENCE
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13. EVERYONE LOOKED AT HIM
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14. "That counts."
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15. MILO STOOD HIS GROUND
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16. GANDALF SMILED
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17. "Congratulations."
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18. A PAUSE
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19. "How long do you think this happiness will last?"
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20. THE ROOM FROZE
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21. TARZAN WALKED IN
Holding three ice creams.
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22. "FOREVER."
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23. HE HANDED ONE TO HIMSELF
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24. THEN ANOTHER TO HIMSELF
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25. THEN A THIRD TO HIMSELF
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26. DIANA BLINKED
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27. "Why did you buy three?"
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28. "I'M INVESTING IN JOY."
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29. MILO CLOSED HIS EYES
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30. "We're losing civilization."
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31. GANDALF POINTED
At Tarzan.
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32. "Actually..."
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33. "He's about to demonstrate today's lesson."
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34. COMPLETE SILENCE
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35. TARZAN LOOKED WORRIED
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36. "I DON'T LIKE WHEN THAT HAPPENS."
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37. GANDALF WALKED TO THE BOARD
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38. DIANA ALREADY HAD THE MARKER READY
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39. SHE HAD ACCEPTED HER DESTINY
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40. GANDALF WROTE:
DESIRE
ACHIEVEMENT
HAPPINESS
ADAPTATION
NEW DESIRE
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41. SILENCE
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42. ARJUN LOOKED AT IT
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43. "What's adaptation?"
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44. GANDALF TURNED
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45. "Getting used to good things."
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46. A PAUSE
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47. "Very quickly."
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48. MEERA FROWNED
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49. "That sounds unfair."
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50. "It is."
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51. GANDALF NODDED
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52. "And universal."
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53. DIANA WROTE:
HEDONIC ADAPTATION
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54. TARZAN SQUINTED
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55. "THAT SOUNDS LIKE A DISEASE."
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56. "Close."
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57. MILO REPLIED
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58. "It's a feature."
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59. GANDALF CONTINUED
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60. "Remember your first smartphone?"
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61. EVERYONE NODDED
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62. "Exciting."
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63. "Magical."
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64. "Life-changing."
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65. A PAUSE
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66. "Now imagine using that same phone today."
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67. COMPLETE SILENCE
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68. ARJUN LAUGHED
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69. "I'd throw it away."
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70. "Exactly."
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71. GANDALF POINTED
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72. "The object changed very little."
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73. "Your expectations changed enormously."
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74. SILENCE
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75. THAT LANDED
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76. GANDALF CONTINUED
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77. "Humans adapt."
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78. "To success."
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79. "To comfort."
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80. "To wealth."
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81. "To achievement."
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82. "Even to miracles."
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83. DIANA ADDED:
NORMALIZATION
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84. MEERA LOOKED THOUGHTFUL
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85. "So happiness fades?"
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86. "Often."
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87. "Not because life got worse."
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88. "Because the extraordinary became normal."
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89. SILENCE
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90. TARZAN LOOKED HORRIFIED
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91. "YOU MEAN..."
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92. "I COULD GET USED TO MY ICE CREAM?"
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93. "You're on your third one."
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94. MILO REPLIED
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95. "You're already there."
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96. TARZAN LOOKED DOWN
At the ice cream.
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97. EXISTENTIAL BETRAYAL
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98. GANDALF CONTINUED
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99. "Many people believe..."
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100. "I'll be happy when."
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101. DIANA IMMEDIATELY WROTE:
I'LL BE HAPPY WHEN...
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102. GANDALF NODDED
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103. "When I get the job."
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104. "When I earn more."
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105. "When I buy the house."
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106. "When I find the relationship."
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107. A PAUSE
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108. "Then they get it."
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109. SILENCE
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110. "And soon the finish line moves."
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111. COMPLETE QUIET
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112. ARJUN SPOKE
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113. "Like a treadmill."
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114. GANDALF SMILED
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115. "Exactly."
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116. DIANA DREW:
RUNNING
WITHOUT
ARRIVING
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117. MEERA LEANED FORWARD
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118. "Why does the brain do this?"
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119. GANDALF THOUGHT
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120. "Survival."
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121. SILENCE
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122. "A permanently satisfied human would stop striving."
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123. "Evolution disliked that idea."
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124. MILO NODDED
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125. "So we're engineered to want."
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126. "Constantly."
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127. GANDALF REPLIED
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128. TARZAN STOOD
Suddenly.
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129. "I HAVE A SOLUTION."
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130. EVERYONE LOOKED CONCERNED
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131. "I SHALL WANT NOTHING."
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132. COMPLETE SILENCE
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133. MILO SPOKE
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134. "How long will that last?"
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135. TARZAN THOUGHT
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136. "UNTIL LUNCH."
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137. GANDALF NODDED
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138. "A personal record."
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139. MEERA WAS LAUGHING AGAIN
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140. GANDALF CONTINUED
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141. "The solution isn't eliminating desire."
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142. "It's understanding it."
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143. DIANA WROTE:
ENJOY
DON'T ATTACH
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144. ARJUN LOOKED CURIOUS
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145. "Meaning?"
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146. GANDALF POINTED TO THE BOARD
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147. "Goals are useful."
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148. "But happiness cannot permanently live inside goals."
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149. SILENCE
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150. "Because every goal eventually becomes a memory."
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151. THE ROOM GREW QUIET
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152. VERY QUIET
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153. GANDALF CONTINUED SOFTLY
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154. "Gratitude interrupts adaptation."
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155. "Attention restores wonder."
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156. "Awareness refreshes appreciation."
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157. DIANA WROTE SLOWLY
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158.
NOTICE
WHAT
BECAME
NORMAL
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159. NOBODY SPOKE
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160. EVERYONE WAS THINKING
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161. THEIR HOMES
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162. THEIR FRIENDS
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163. THEIR HEALTH
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164. THEIR FAMILIES
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165. THINGS ONCE PRAYED FOR
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166. NOW TAKEN FOR GRANTED
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167. TARZAN LOOKED AROUND
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168. "I HAVE AN IMPORTANT QUESTION."
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169. EVERYONE SIGHS
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170. AUTOMATICALLY
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171. "IF HAPPINESS KEEPS MOVING..."
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172. "AND DESIRE NEVER ENDS..."
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173. "THEN IS THE SECRET APPRECIATING THE PART OF THE JOURNEY YOU'RE ALREADY IN?"
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174. COMPLETE SILENCE
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175. GANDALF FROZE
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176. DIANA STOPPED WRITING
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177. MEERA STARED
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178. MILO LOOKED OFFENDED
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179. "I HATE WHEN HE DOES THIS."
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180. GANDALF LOOKED AT THE CEILING
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181. "Again."
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182. "Wrong employee."
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183. THE FINAL WORDS APPEARED
Quietly.
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THE HUMAN MIND
IS REMARKABLY GOOD
AT ACHIEVING
WHAT IT WANTS
AND EQUALLY REMARKABLE
AT FORGETTING
IT EVER WANTED IT
HAPPINESS OFTEN EVAPORATES
NOT BECAUSE LIFE FAILED
BUT BECAUSE FAMILIARITY ARRIVED
THE TREADMILL STOPS
NOT WHEN WE STOP MOVING
BUT WHEN WE STOP BELIEVING
THAT THE NEXT DESTINATION
WILL COMPLETE US
AND LEARN TO NOTICE
THE GIFTS
THAT ALREADY SURROUND US
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NEXT EPISODE:
THE DUNNING-KRUGER EFFECT
*(Why beginners often feel certain, experts often feel uncertain, and confidence is one of the worst ways to measure competence)*
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EPISODE FIFTY-SIX
THE DUNNING-KRUGER EFFECT
*(Why beginners often feel certain, experts often feel uncertain, and confidence is one of the worst ways to measure competence)*
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1. THE NEXT MORNING
The whiteboard was already full.
Nobody knew why.
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2. ESPECIALLY SINCE NOBODY HAD WRITTEN ON IT
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3. EXCEPT TARZAN
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4. WHICH EXPLAINED NOTHING
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5. DIANA LOOKED AT THE BOARD
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6. "Why does it say..."
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7.
MASTER OF EVERYTHING
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8. TARZAN RAISED HIS HAND
Proudly.
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9. "I WROTE THAT."
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10. MILO CLOSED HIS EYES
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11. "Of course you did."
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12. GANDALF ENTERED
Holding coffee.
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13. HE LOOKED AT THE BOARD
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14. THEN AT TARZAN
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15. THEN BACK AT THE BOARD
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16. "Interesting."
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17. TARZAN SMILED
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18. "THANK YOU."
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19. "That wasn't praise."
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20. COMPLETE SILENCE
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21. TARZAN LOOKED WOUNDED
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22. "I FEEL ATTACKED."
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23. "Education often feels that way."
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24. GANDALF SAT DOWN
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25. "Perfect."
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26. "Today's lesson has arrived."
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27. MEERA LEANED FORWARD
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28. "What lesson?"
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29. GANDALF POINTED
At Tarzan.
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30. TARZAN IMMEDIATELY LOOKED NERVOUS
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31. "WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING?"
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32. DIANA PICKED UP THE MARKER
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33. SHE WAS READY
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34. GANDALF WROTE:
THE DUNNING-KRUGER EFFECT
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35. COMPLETE SILENCE
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36. ARJUN FROWNED
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37. "What's that?"
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38. GANDALF SMILED
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39. "A fascinating psychological phenomenon."
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40. A PAUSE
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41. "People who know very little often believe they know a lot."
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42. SILENCE
TO BE CONTINUED...
Written By,
Ivan Edwin
Pen Name :Maximus.
©All Rights Reserved