661: Why structure is good for your brain | journalist David Epstein

"I think structure is more liberating than it is stifling, and it often takes people losing it to sort of realize that,” says David Epstein.

Epstein is the author of the number one New York Times bestseller Range and the New York Times bestseller The Sports Gene. He has master’s degrees in environmental science and journalism and has worked as a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and as an investigative reporter for ProPublica. He lives in Washington, DC. His newest book, Inside The Box, is out now. 

00:00 - Why constraints drive creativity

06:35 - How mnemonics help you memorize

10:31 - The power of low-stakes practice

12:25 - The problem with youth sports 

18:56 - The constraints-led approach in elite sports

22:25 - Good vs bad constraints

25:39 - Constraints at NASA & Pixar

31:07 - Why we always add instead of subtract

35:02 - The dizziness of freedom

41:29 - Experimentation as a practice