Hey there, before we start today's episode, I wanted to share something I'm really excited about.

Hidden Brain is now on YouTube. We just dropped an episode exploring a strategy that can help us to

solve problems and save time, but it's a strategy almost all of us overlook. I hope you'll check it out.

You can find us at YouTube.com slash at Hidden Brain

or just follow the link in today's show notes.

Okay, here's today's show.

This is Hidden Brain.

I'm Shankar Vedanta.

In Shakespeare's play, The Merchant of Venice, Portia is a beautiful, wealthy woman,

and she is looking for the right man to marry.

Her father has decreed that a successful suitor must pass a test.

Each of Portia's admirers is presented with three caskets, made of gold, silver, and lead. Portia's portrait is inside one. Suiters

have to pick the right casket. The gold casket is inscribed with the words,

Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.

The Prince of Morocco selects it and discovers it's the wrong choice.

On the silver casket are the words,

Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.

The Prince of Aragon opts for this casket.

He too loses out.

Finally, the noble Bessaniard takes a turn.

He picks the lead casket, which bears the sobering warning,

Who chooses me must give and hazard all he hath.

...