Something You Should Know

How to Adapt When Life Throws a Curveball & Understanding the Flow of Time

January 19, 2026

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  • Retired LEGO sets can be surprisingly strong investments, increasing in value by about 11% per year on average over decades, provided they remain unopened. 
  • When facing difficult life changes, people are often far more resilient than they predict, as we are poor cognitive forecasters who change alongside the experience itself. 
  • The subjective experience of time is heavily influenced by novelty; time seems to pass slower when the brain processes many new sensory inputs (like in youth) and faster when inputs are familiar (like in older age). 

Segments

LEGO as Investment Data
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(00:00:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Retired LEGO sets have historically appreciated by about 11% annually, often outperforming stocks, bonds, or gold.
  • Summary: A large academic study found that retired LEGO sets increased in value by approximately 11% per year over several decades. This return is comparable to or better than many traditional investments during the same periods. Value appreciation is driven by scarcity and nostalgia, especially for large, licensed, or limited edition kits, but only if the sets remain unopened.
Navigating Life’s Unavoidable Changes
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(00:05:15)
  • Key Takeaway: Catastrophizing about negative change is common because humans are poor cognitive forecasters, but resilience often exceeds expectations.
  • Summary: Humans are wired to dislike uncertainty, leading to catastrophizing when change occurs, yet research shows people are often more resilient than they predict. People tend to underestimate how much they will change alongside a major life event, failing to account for new abilities and perspectives gained. Change, stemming from the Greek word for ‘revelation,’ can expose hidden aspects of the self that needed challenging or updating.
Locus of Control and Self-Blame
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(00:13:28)
  • Key Takeaway: A strong internal locus of control, while boosting well-being, can lead to excessive self-blame following negative, uncontrollable events.
  • Summary: Psychologists define locus of control as the belief in dictating outcomes (internal) versus external factors controlling life (external). Internal locus of control is associated with higher well-being because inputs feel meaningful. However, this mindset can cause individuals to assume responsibility for negative events, even when situations were entirely outside their control.
Identity Threat and Finding Your ‘Why’
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(00:17:08)
  • Key Takeaway: When identity-defining roles are lost through change, stability comes from defining oneself by the underlying motivation (‘why’) rather than the specific role (‘what’).
  • Summary: Major changes like job loss or divorce threaten self-identity because people often define themselves by their roles (e.g., doctor, mother). Stability is found by identifying the core motivation—like human connection or creativity—that fueled the original pursuit. This ‘why’ remains intact after the specific role is lost, serving as a compass to find new avenues for expression.
Understanding the Science of Time
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(00:28:34)
  • Key Takeaway: Objective time is linked to the universe’s increasing entropy, while subjective time perception is tied to the brain’s processing of novelty.
  • Summary: Astronomers admit they do not fully know what time is, but its objective direction is tied to the second law of thermodynamics—entropy increasing from the low-entropy Big Bang state. Subjectively, the brain perceives time based on how much novel information it processes; youth experiences time slower due to high novelty, while adulthood experiences it faster due to routine.
Relational Success Factors
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(00:48:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Long-term relationship success hinges on frequent kindness and generosity, with responding positively to a partner’s good news being more critical than support during rough times.
  • Summary: Relationship researcher John Gottman asserts that success depends on expressing kindness and generosity often, while contempt is the primary factor leading to failure. Being there for a partner when things go right is statistically more important for relationship quality than being there when things go wrong. Contemptuous partners often miss positive actions and focus only on perceived negativity.