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123K
impressions
37.4M
likes
1.64M
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21.9K
posts
503
engagement
4.47%
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$1.18M
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74.4K

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Mental models like these are shortcuts for thinking clearly when a decision gets messy. Chesterton's Fence is a good place to start: before you tear something down, figure out why it was built. Pick the one or two that fit a problem you're working on right now and keep them close.
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davidepstein
Mental models like these are shortcuts for thinking clearly when a decision gets messy. Chesterton's Fence is a good place to start: before you tear something down, figure out why it was built. Pick the one or two that fit a problem you're working on right now and keep them close.
Comment RANGE and I'll send you my free newsletter, Range Widely. Mental models like these are shortcuts for thinking clearly when a decision gets messy. Chesterton's Fence is a good place to start: before you tear something down, figure out why it was built. Pick the one or two that fit a problem you're working on right now and keep them close.
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davidepstein
Comment RANGE and I'll send you my free newsletter, Range Widely. Mental models like these are shortcuts for thinking clearly when a decision gets messy. Chesterton's Fence is a good place to start: before you tear something down, figure out why it was built. Pick the one or two that fit a problem you're working on right now and keep them close.
For more of this kind of content, comment RANGE to sign up for my (free!) newsletter, Range Widely, where I help you find interests you didn’t know you had. Sharing this talk I gave over a decade ago (yikes) because I think the idea holds up. The 2012 Olympic marathon winner would have beaten the 1904 winner by nearly an hour and a half. We like to think that means we're progressing as a species. The real story is more interesting. Technology, body types, mindset, and access to sport have all shifted in ways that compounded over a century. Progress isn't one thing. It's the accumulation of smaller changes that nobody noticed until the gap became impossible to ignore.
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davidepstein
For more of this kind of content, comment RANGE to sign up for my (free!) newsletter, Range Widely, where I help you find interests you didn’t know you had. Sharing this talk I gave over a decade ago (yikes) because I think the idea holds up. The 2012 Olympic marathon winner would have beaten the 1904 winner by nearly an hour and a half. We like to think that means we're progressing as a species. The real story is more interesting. Technology, body types, mindset, and access to sport have all shifted in ways that compounded over a century. Progress isn't one thing. It's the accumulation of smaller changes that nobody noticed until the gap became impossible to ignore.
For more of this kind of content, comment RANGE to sign up for my (free!) newsletter, Range Widely, where I help you find interests you didn't know you had. Norway gives every kid a participation trophy. No scores, no rankings before age 13. That country, smaller than metro Atlanta, just won in the World Cup knockout round. Meanwhile the US picks "elite" 7-year-olds, forms travel teams, and mostly just selects for kids born early in their cohort year. One system keeps the talent funnel wide. The other confuses maturation with potential.
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davidepstein
For more of this kind of content, comment RANGE to sign up for my (free!) newsletter, Range Widely, where I help you find interests you didn't know you had. Norway gives every kid a participation trophy. No scores, no rankings before age 13. That country, smaller than metro Atlanta, just won in the World Cup knockout round. Meanwhile the US picks "elite" 7-year-olds, forms travel teams, and mostly just selects for kids born early in their cohort year. One system keeps the talent funnel wide. The other confuses maturation with potential.
Comment "RANGE" below and I'll send you a link to my free newsletter, Range Widely, where I write about science, self-improvement, and regularly post Q&As with bestselling authors. Being interested in many things doesn’t slow you down; it often gives you angles that narrowly focused specialists never see. #davidepstein #mindset #success
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davidepstein
Comment "RANGE" below and I'll send you a link to my free newsletter, Range Widely, where I write about science, self-improvement, and regularly post Q&As with bestselling authors. Being interested in many things doesn’t slow you down; it often gives you angles that narrowly focused specialists never see. #davidepstein #mindset #success
Comment "RANGE" below and I'll send you a link to my free newsletter, Range Widely, where I write about science, self-improvement, and regularly post Q&As with bestselling authors. Your hobbies aren’t a distraction, they’re your biggest advantage. #davidepstein #mindset #advice
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davidepstein
Comment "RANGE" below and I'll send you a link to my free newsletter, Range Widely, where I write about science, self-improvement, and regularly post Q&As with bestselling authors. Your hobbies aren’t a distraction, they’re your biggest advantage. #davidepstein #mindset #advice
Comment "BOOK" below and I'll send you a description and pre-order links for my new book, Inside the Box, in which I share science and stories that show how constraints can make you more creative, productive, and satisfied. Constraints create breakthroughs In 2001, the American Olympic skeleton team arrived at the Canadian facility with expensive technology and biomechanical sensors. The Canadians had none of that. So they had to get creative. Instead of copying the standard two-hand sprint start, Canadian coach Mark Wood told his athletes—Pascal Richard and Paul Boehm—to experiment. In just an hour, they returned having invented the one-handed start, allowing a more natural sprinting motion. They shattered their personal records and the one-handed start became the global standard. When the obvious path is blocked, it forces productive experimentation. One psychologist refers to this as a “preclude” constraint, where you preclude the previous solution. Constraints do not just limit performance. They often unlock it. #davidepstein #mindset #success #olympics
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Comment "BOOK" below and I'll send you a description and pre-order links for my new book, Inside the Box, in which I share science and stories that show how constraints can make you more creative, productive, and satisfied. Constraints create breakthroughs In 2001, the American Olympic skeleton team arrived at the Canadian facility with expensive technology and biomechanical sensors. The Canadians had none of that. So they had to get creative. Instead of copying the standard two-hand sprint start, Canadian coach Mark Wood told his athletes—Pascal Richard and Paul Boehm—to experiment. In just an hour, they returned having invented the one-handed start, allowing a more natural sprinting motion. They shattered their personal records and the one-handed start became the global standard. When the obvious path is blocked, it forces productive experimentation. One psychologist refers to this as a “preclude” constraint, where you preclude the previous solution. Constraints do not just limit performance. They often unlock it. #davidepstein #mindset #success #olympics
Ilia Malinin, the “quad god,” is the best figure skater alive. He was the overwhelming favorite at the Olympics. But, in his own words, he “fell apart” in the free skate. He fell twice; he bailed out of jumps; afterward he didn’t understand what happened. He said that nerves overwhelmed him when he went to start his routine. “I just felt like all the …traumatic moments of my life really just started flooding my head, and there were just so many negative thoughts that just flooded into there,” Malinin said. “And I just did not handle it.” The kind of “choking” he experienced has been studied extensively by psychologists. Researcher Sian Beilock has shown that choking is essentially what happens when you start consciously monitoring skills you’ve worked so hard to automate — counting your steps, thinking about your technique — and that conscious attention disrupts the very thing that makes you great. The skills you’ve “automated” come back into consciousness, and it makes you more like a beginner again. The cruel paradox of choking: The more you’ve worked on those skills, the more disruptive it is when you start thinking about them too much. Beilock and colleagues showed that simple techniques that occupy the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain involved in deliberate thinking and self control—can help diminish choking. Those are things like singing in your head, or counting backward, or focusing on some external mantra. Choking happens to the best of us, but there are simple techniques that can help. Best wishes to Ilia! It didn’t go his way, but it’s still been fantastic watching him compete. #davidepstein #figureskating #mindset
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davidepstein
Ilia Malinin, the “quad god,” is the best figure skater alive. He was the overwhelming favorite at the Olympics. But, in his own words, he “fell apart” in the free skate. He fell twice; he bailed out of jumps; afterward he didn’t understand what happened. He said that nerves overwhelmed him when he went to start his routine. “I just felt like all the …traumatic moments of my life really just started flooding my head, and there were just so many negative thoughts that just flooded into there,” Malinin said. “And I just did not handle it.” The kind of “choking” he experienced has been studied extensively by psychologists. Researcher Sian Beilock has shown that choking is essentially what happens when you start consciously monitoring skills you’ve worked so hard to automate — counting your steps, thinking about your technique — and that conscious attention disrupts the very thing that makes you great. The skills you’ve “automated” come back into consciousness, and it makes you more like a beginner again. The cruel paradox of choking: The more you’ve worked on those skills, the more disruptive it is when you start thinking about them too much. Beilock and colleagues showed that simple techniques that occupy the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain involved in deliberate thinking and self control—can help diminish choking. Those are things like singing in your head, or counting backward, or focusing on some external mantra. Choking happens to the best of us, but there are simple techniques that can help. Best wishes to Ilia! It didn’t go his way, but it’s still been fantastic watching him compete. #davidepstein #figureskating #mindset
Too much autonomy is a real problem. Spend enough time in a fully self-directed schedule and you end up unsynced from everyone around you. Bowling Alone is one of my favorites and has led me to go from having the ultimate writer's "cocoon," as @richroll put it so eloquently, to posting my periodic dance videos online. Highly recommend!
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davidepstein
Too much autonomy is a real problem. Spend enough time in a fully self-directed schedule and you end up unsynced from everyone around you. Bowling Alone is one of my favorites and has led me to go from having the ultimate writer's "cocoon," as @richroll put it so eloquently, to posting my periodic dance videos online. Highly recommend!
Comment "BOOK" below for more info and links for my new book, Inside the Box, in which I share science and stories that show how constraints can make you more creative, productive, and satisfied. Ed Catmull requires directors to pitch three ideas, not one. One idea creates attachment. Three create perspective. With multiple options, people compare instead of defend. That is what leads to better decisions.
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davidepstein
Comment "BOOK" below for more info and links for my new book, Inside the Box, in which I share science and stories that show how constraints can make you more creative, productive, and satisfied. Ed Catmull requires directors to pitch three ideas, not one. One idea creates attachment. Three create perspective. With multiple options, people compare instead of defend. That is what leads to better decisions.
Nolan’s next book-based film should be Piranesi! And incredible book, it was inspired by Jorge Luis Borges short stories — just like the film Inception was. And it would take a visual genius to do it justice. Do it Chris!
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davidepstein
Nolan’s next book-based film should be Piranesi! And incredible book, it was inspired by Jorge Luis Borges short stories — just like the film Inception was. And it would take a visual genius to do it justice. Do it Chris!
Pixar called it the “beautifully shaded penny” problem. Artists were perfecting details no one would notice while bigger work waited. Once the trade-offs became visible, the priorities became obvious.
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davidepstein
Pixar called it the “beautifully shaded penny” problem. Artists were perfecting details no one would notice while bigger work waited. Once the trade-offs became visible, the priorities became obvious.
Comment "BOOK" below for a link to my new book, Inside the Box, in which I share science and stories that show how constraints can make you more creative, productive, and satisfied.
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davidepstein
Comment "BOOK" below for a link to my new book, Inside the Box, in which I share science and stories that show how constraints can make you more creative, productive, and satisfied.
Comment "BOOK" below and I'll send you a description and pre-order links for my new book, Inside the Box, in which I share science and stories that show how constraints can make you more creative, productive, and satisfied. Compare yourself to yourself yesterday, not to other people who aren’t you. We all develop differently. #davidepstein #olympics #hockey
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davidepstein
Comment "BOOK" below and I'll send you a description and pre-order links for my new book, Inside the Box, in which I share science and stories that show how constraints can make you more creative, productive, and satisfied. Compare yourself to yourself yesterday, not to other people who aren’t you. We all develop differently. #davidepstein #olympics #hockey
Comment "BOOK" below for more info and pre-order links for my new book, Inside the Box, in which I share science and stories that show how constraints can make you more creative, productive, and satisfied. Brain first. AI second. An MIT study found that students who started essays with ChatGPT remembered less (almost nothing, really) and showed weaker reasoning. When they thought first and used AI second, though, their writing and recall improved. Use the tool to amplify your thinking, not replace it. #davidepstein #research #mindset
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davidepstein
Comment "BOOK" below for more info and pre-order links for my new book, Inside the Box, in which I share science and stories that show how constraints can make you more creative, productive, and satisfied. Brain first. AI second. An MIT study found that students who started essays with ChatGPT remembered less (almost nothing, really) and showed weaker reasoning. When they thought first and used AI second, though, their writing and recall improved. Use the tool to amplify your thinking, not replace it. #davidepstein #research #mindset
Being interested in many things doesn’t slow you down; it often gives you angles that narrowly focused specialists never see.
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davidepstein
Being interested in many things doesn’t slow you down; it often gives you angles that narrowly focused specialists never see.
People who achieve greatness share this one trait in common 🤯 No. 1 NYT bestselling author David Epstein explains in today’s episode of The School of Greatness 🙏 Just comment DAVID & I’ll send you the full episode 💛 What are your thoughts on this? Is this a trait you’ve cultivated within yourself? Let me know in the comments 💭 #resilience #keepgoing #inspiration #motivation #mindset
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davidepstein
People who achieve greatness share this one trait in common 🤯 No. 1 NYT bestselling author David Epstein explains in today’s episode of The School of Greatness 🙏 Just comment DAVID & I’ll send you the full episode 💛 What are your thoughts on this? Is this a trait you’ve cultivated within yourself? Let me know in the comments 💭 #resilience #keepgoing #inspiration #motivation #mindset
Comment "BOOK" below for a link to my new book, Inside the Box, in which I share science and stories that show how constraints can make you more creative, productive, and satisfied. Sheila Taormina missed the Olympic trials at 22 and walked away from swimming. Four years later she was on the podium. Then she went back for three more Olympics in two more sports. Nobody in history has done that. She didn't find more discipline; she figured out where to focus.
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davidepstein
Comment "BOOK" below for a link to my new book, Inside the Box, in which I share science and stories that show how constraints can make you more creative, productive, and satisfied. Sheila Taormina missed the Olympic trials at 22 and walked away from swimming. Four years later she was on the podium. Then she went back for three more Olympics in two more sports. Nobody in history has done that. She didn't find more discipline; she figured out where to focus.
A study I wrote about in Inside the Box, in which researchers show that humans reliably overlook solutions that involve subtracting something, rather than adding.
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davidepstein
A study I wrote about in Inside the Box, in which researchers show that humans reliably overlook solutions that involve subtracting something, rather than adding.
Comment ”BOOK” below for more info on my new book, Inside the Box, in which I share science and stories that show how constraints can make you more creative, productive and satisfied. Being interested in many things doesn’t slow you down; it often gives you angles that narrowly focused specialists never see.
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5mo ago
davidepstein
Comment ”BOOK” below for more info on my new book, Inside the Box, in which I share science and stories that show how constraints can make you more creative, productive and satisfied. Being interested in many things doesn’t slow you down; it often gives you angles that narrowly focused specialists never see.

David Epstein (@davidepstein) Instagram Stats & Analytics

David Epstein (@davidepstein) has 123K Instagram followers with a 4.47% engagement rate over the past 12 months. Across 503 posts, David Epstein received 1.64M total likes and 37.4M impressions, averaging 3.25K likes per post. This page tracks David Epstein's performance metrics, top content, and engagement trends — updated daily. To benchmark @davidepstein against other accounts, use Socialpruf's Instagram competitor analysis tool.

David Epstein (@davidepstein) Instagram Analytics FAQ

How many Instagram followers does David Epstein have?+
David Epstein (@davidepstein) has 123K Instagram followers as of October 2026.
What is David Epstein's Instagram engagement rate?+
David Epstein's Instagram engagement rate is 4.47% over the last 12 months, based on 503 posts.
How many likes does David Epstein get on Instagram?+
David Epstein received 1.64M total likes across 503 posts in the last 12 months, averaging 3.25K likes per post.
How many Instagram impressions does David Epstein get?+
David Epstein's Instagram content generated 37.4M total impressions over the last 12 months.
Can I compare David Epstein with other Instagram accounts?+
Yes. Add @davidepstein to a competitor set with Socialpruf's Instagram competitor analysis tool and benchmark it side by side with any other public accounts on views, engagement rate and follower growth, with history back to each account's first post.