How much do you enjoy what you do? Not just your work, but all the activities you spend time on. I think genuine enjoyment comes from something other than a payoff. And if you strip away all the little payoffs from what you do, you’re left with the joy it brings you. Here are some […]
Harnessing the Virtue of Patience
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned running this blog is the value of patience. And for a 19-year old, this hasn’t been an easy lesson to learn. I think it’s fairly common for people in their twenties to get impatient. If you set a target for 5 years, that means you’ll need to wait […]
Using Arete to Make Practical Decisions
Yesterday, I wrote about how arete can be used as a model for the meaning of life. Arete is an ancient Greek word which essentially means excellence or virtue. Today I’d like to drop back down to earth, and discuss how you can use arete in your daily life. In my view there are three […]
Arete: The Meaning of Life
I’ll admit that this is an ambitious post title. Thinkers have struggled against this question for thousands of years. One of the interesting things about this question is that the answers don’t converge on a single point. Instead there are many different methods to answer what might be the most important human question. I’m certainly […]
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.