Hedonism is a school of thought that says maximizing one’s own pleasure is the ultimate goal in life. Originally stated by Aristippus, a student of Socrates, the term has become pejorative, usually referring to people who indulge excessively in sensory pleasures of food, drugs or sex. Most people don’t take hedonism seriously, or directly try […]
Multiply or Add?
One of the most influential essays for me in starting a business, was this early article by Steve Pavlina. In the essay, he argues that building a successful company comes from a combination of factors (product quality, market demand, sales copy, etc.): “And let’s say that for each factor there is a range of effectiveness […]
Book Club: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (June 2017)
I like to read a lot of books. But, if you’re like me, you often find that you read a book that sparks a lot of interesting ideas, hoping to discuss it with your friends, and find that you can’t find many people who have read the same books as you. That’s why I’m starting […]
New Project: Level Up Korean with Five Hours Per Week
One of the most important variables in any learning project is simply how much time you devote. Devoting fifty hours per week is going to have much faster progress than fifty minutes each week. This should be obvious. However, when evaluating the success of others, this factor of hourly time investment is often ignored. People […]
I'm a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, podcast host, computer programmer and an avid reader. Since 2006, I've published weekly essays on this website to help people like you learn and think better. My work has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, TEDx, Pocket, Business Insider and more. I don't promise I have all the answers, just a place to start.