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She was about to die and her first instinct was to check her calendar. Dr. Anne-Laure Le Cunff is a neuroscientist at King's College London, former Google executive, founder of Ness Labs, and bestselling author of Tiny Experiments. In this conversation we go deep on the hidden scripts running your decisions, why "find your purpose" is doing more harm than good, how your brain is designed to keep you stuck, and the science of using curiosity to actually build a life that feels like yours.

This one changed the way I think about goals, success, and what it actually means to thrive. If you've ever felt lost, stuck on autopilot, or like you're living someone else's version of success, this is the episode.

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⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – Why most people don't understand their own lives

02:45 – The blood clot that changed everything

06:30 – Why external success feels empty

10:15 – Your brain is designed to survive, not thrive

14:00 – Tiny experiments: how to override autopilot

18:20 – Do you need goals or questions?

22:45 – The 3 cognitive scripts running your life

30:10 – The sequel script, the crowd-pleaser, and the epic script

36:40 – Why "find your purpose" is ruining people

40:15 – Curiosity vs ambition: the experimental mindset

44:30 – The duality of gratitude and ambition

48:00 – How curiosity saved her from depression

📖 GET DR. LE CUNFF'S BOOK: Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World → https://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Experiments-Freely-Goal-Obsessed-World/dp/0593715136

🔗 FOLLOW DR. ANNE-LAURE LE CUNFF:

Website & Newsletter: https://nesslabs.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/neuranne

X/Twitter: https://x.com/neuranne

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/alecunff

Threads: https://threads.net/@neuranne

Personal site: https://anne-laure.net

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🎙️ About Jack:
I moved to France alone at 16, started my first business at 17, and launched this podcast because I kept meeting people who had the answers to questions I didn't even know I was asking. My philosophy: you can set massive goals while being deeply fulfilled right now. That's the duality of gratitude and ambition.

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Stay grateful, stay hungry.