Is it possible to change the things you like to do? The ambitions you have and the hobbies you’re interested in? Or are these things fixed and you just need to work around your likes and dislikes? I think this is an important question. If your likes are changeable, perhaps you can make the things […]
Is Reading Blogs Like This One Keeping You From Improving Your Life?
One idea I’ve been pondering over lately is to what extent reading about self-improvement is a complement versus a substitute for taking self-improvement action. Complements and substitutes are terms that come from economics. A complement to a product is something you buy more of when you buy the product. Think popcorn and movies. The more […]
You Should Have More Spectacular Failures
Most advice is calibration. Eat less (because you’re inclined to overeat). Study more (because you’ll probably wait too long and cram right before the exam). Procrastinate less (because you’ll probably spend days stressing about trying to do the thing that if you just did it now, it wouldn’t be all that bad). I try to […]
Chaos, Ignorance and Newton’s Great Puzzle
This is chaos: Chaos theory is an investigation into mathematical and physical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions. The simulated three-pendulum systems above only differ in the tiniest way from each other, yet, after a few seconds, they are all wildly divergent in their movements. I’ve grown to prefer the word “chaos” to […]
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.