A common staple of self-help wisdom is the advice to take action, immediately. You miss all the shots you don’t take, do it now and Nike’s famous slogan are just a few hints of this overwhelming suggestion to get started right away. There’s nothing wrong with this advice. Plenty of people waste years hesitating on […]
The Sex Scandal Technique: How to Achieve Any Goal, Instantly (and Party with Tim Ferriss)
It’s no secret I almost never do guest posts. But when my friend, Maneesh Sethi offered to write one, I didn’t hesitate to make an exception. Maneesh is a 24-year old with a resume that most people won’t accomplish in their entire lives. He was an international best-selling author still in his sophomore year of […]
Does Enjoyment Trump Efficiency?
I had a conversation with a friend once who complained about his lack of success with women. Yet this same person rarely did anything social, preferring to do solo activities or hang out with the same group of friends. It may seem crazy that someone can want to change an element of their life badly, […]
Cynicism is Easy, Optimism Takes Guts
Just about every way you can measure, the world is a better place today than it was before. Life expectancy is up, poverty down, even most environmental indicators aside from greenhouse gases have improved. Yet this is never the story. The story is always how the world, despite the nearly consistent progress over the last […]
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.