The Power of Noticing: Understanding Habituation

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Habituation is a process where we show diminishing sensitivity to stimuli over time, becoming less aware of things we are repeatedly exposed to. Whether it is a smell, a noise, or a temperature change, our brains tend to adapt and notice these stimuli less and less. This is due to our internal models forming predictions about our perceptual state, causing things to become less salient when they match our expectations. While habituation to negative stimuli may initially seem advantageous, it can also result in us overlooking important cues or signals that might require our attention.

Sam Harris speaks with Cass Sunstein about habituation and its consequences. They discuss habituation to positive and negative experiences, marriage, happiness, meaning, variety, doing good vs feeling good, midlife crises, kids, wealth and happiness, things vs experience, the “illusory truth effect,” misinformation and social media, echo chambers and extremism, what governments can do to respond to misinformation, free speech on college campuses, the 2024 Presidential election, and other topics.

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