Derek Thompson

So persistence is the key factor.

In order to persist, we need motivation.

And so how do we persist?

How do we unlock what's in us?

Maybe I can share, I think, a study that really illustrates the point.

The study that Kurt Richter did in the 1950s.

And Kurt Richter had a very simple experiment.

But yeah, continue with the Richter study.

But the rats in the study are dead already, so we should just learn from them.

So you can't do this kind of study anymore, but it's worth noting because I think it really reveals something about how the mind works.

So 1950s, Kurt Richter has a very simple question.

How long can a rat swim in water?

So he takes a rat, puts them in a cylinder of water, and he stands there with a stopwatch and counts down how long the rat can survive swimming in the cylinder of water.

Turns out 15 minutes.

At about 15 minutes, the rat doesn't seem exhausted.

The rat just kind of gives up and sinks under the water and dies.

Now he has another question.

Can he increase how long the rat is swimming for?

So he takes another group of wild rats.

He puts a rat in one of these cylinders.