Episode

The Cobra Effects of Life

Podcast
Curiosity Chronicle
Published
Jul 15, 2026
Duration seconds
529
Processing state
not_requested
Canonical source
https://share.transistor.fm/s/faaecce5
Audio
https://media.transistor.fm/faaecce5/566d987b.mp3
JSON
/v1/public/podcasts/curiosity-chronicle-3997065/episodes/the-cobra-effects-of-life
Markdown
/podcast/curiosity-chronicle-3997065/the-cobra-effects-of-life.md

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Summary

In colonial India, a bounty on cobras was supposed to reduce the snake population. Instead, people started breeding cobras for profit — and when the policy ended, they released thousands into the streets. The result? More cobras than ever. This is Goodhart's Law: when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure. And it's not just a business problem — it's happening in your life right now. From sleep scores to morning routines to money, the things we measure can quietly start to own us. Here's how to spot it and fix it... ••• This episode brought to you by: DeleteMe - DeleteMe makes it quick, easy, and safe to remove your personal data online. Origin Financial - Your personal AI Financial Advisor. Track your spending, investments, and net worth—all in one place. Innerbody Labs - A Higher Standard. After reviewing thousands of health products, we built formulas we wished existed. Lemon - The Al agent that turns your voice instructions into finished tasks.