Experiments in Living
Change one constant to reveal its hidden effect on your life
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 96%
Choose one constant feature of life whose effect has become hard to perceive: a platform, routine, background noise, work pattern, or repeated activity. State what you suspect it changes and select a few observable signals, such as anxiety, mood, sleep, attention, or relationship quality. Pause or alter that input for a fixed, safe period while avoiding unnecessary simultaneous changes. Compare the result with the prior baseline, then decide whether to restore, redesign, or remove the input. Sharot calls this experiments in living. The mechanism is contrast: removing or changing a constant can make a previously hidden benefit or cost noticeable. It is a personal diagnostic, not a controlled medical study or proof that one factor caused every change.
Origin
Tali Sharot described Experiments in Living on The Diary of a CEO as the closing practical idea from her book about habituation.
Core principles
- 01Constant inputs become difficult to notice
- 02Both benefits and harms can hide through habituation
- 03A temporary change creates a useful comparison
- 04The result should guide action, not the original assumption
How to run it
- 1
Choose one constant
Select a recurring input whose effect is difficult to judge because it is almost always present.
Pro tip Start with a reversible, low-risk input.
Watch out Do not stop prescribed treatment without qualified medical guidance.
- 2
State the hypothesis
Write the specific benefit or cost you think the input may create.
Pro tip Use observable language such as more anxious or less focused.
- 3
Set a baseline and duration
Record a small set of signals before the change and choose a fixed test period long enough to experience contrast.
Pro tip Use the same check-in questions throughout.
Watch out Changing many things at once makes the result difficult to interpret.
- 4
Pause or alter the input
Run the bounded change and continue recording the selected signals.
Pro tip Note major outside events that could affect the comparison.
- 5
Compare and decide
Review the baseline and test period, acknowledge uncertainty, and choose whether to restore, redesign, or remove the input.
Pro tip A repeat test can check a surprising result.
Watch out A personal result may not generalise to other people.
In the wild
A person who suspects a social feed raises anxiety records a daily rating for one week, pauses the app for two weeks, and continues the same rating. They also note major work or family events. At the end, they compare the periods before deciding whether to return with limits.
→ The constant platform becomes a variable the person can evaluate rather than merely suspect.
Common mistakes
Changing everything together
Multiple simultaneous changes prevent a useful comparison with the original constant.
Calling a personal test proof
The experiment can inform a personal decision but does not establish universal causation.
Is it for you?
Best for
People evaluating a routine, app, environment, or repeated pattern through a safe temporary change.
Not ideal for
Medical treatment changes, dangerous relationships, or high-risk decisions that require professional help or immediate protection.
From the transcript
“you can't measure it until you take a break”
“We call it experiments in living”
“it's really hard to know what are the things that are really good in your life”
From the episode
No.1 Neuroscientist: NEW Research Explains Why Life, Work & Your Sex Life will eventually get Boring! (HOW TO STOP THIS HAPPENING) Dr. Tali Sharot