Mindset
What happens in our minds will determine how we feel, what we do, and the quality of our lives — much more than what happens outside of us.
-
“Gratuitous Gratitude”: Is It Possible to Be Too Thankful?
I find gratitude surprisingly confusing. It’s been described as a duty, an emotion, a mindset – whatever you call it, the research supporting its effectiveness is overwhelming. But beyond therapeutic solutions like gratitude journals and saying “thank you”, there is a vexing question: how do you reconcile being grateful with being detached from anything beyond
-
Bitter Grapes: How Do We Know What We Really Want?
As a kid, I read Aesop’s fables. I found most of them depressing, but there is one story that sticks out in my memory: the tale of the fox and the grapes. You’re probably familiar with it, but here’s a summary just in case: A hungry fox one day notices some delicious-looking grapes hanging overhead.
-
The Strange and Comforting Power of Memory
Not only do our memories have the power to be a joy and a comfort to us, they help form our identity, and they are safe from ever being lost.
-
In Praise of Laundry and Dishes
I do a lot of dishes and laundry. These two activities – unless you live in a nude colony and always eat out – are inescapable facts of life. Unlike training for a marathon or writing a novel, there are no compounded returns. There’s no muscle being toned. No skill being polished. You wash the
-
The Illusion of Being Special
None of us is free from the risk of harm or misfortune, but “cheerful pessimism” can help us better cope when misfortune strikes.
-
On Finitude: the Beauty of a Horribly Limited Life
Finitude is the definition of human existence. Instead of hating the fact we’re limited, we can find comfort within those limits.
-
The Quiet and Urgent Case for Hope
Hope is the lifeboat that keeps us afloat in a world of despair. It’s also too often maligned and misunderstood as naive or unfashionable.
-
The Right Way to Live with Regret and Anxiety
Regret and anxiety are an inseparable part of being human. But we can learn, in the words of Kierkegaard, “to be anxious in the right way.”
-
The Remarkable “Time Goes By” Principle
The “Time Goes By” Principle has motivated and inspired me to keep chasing my dreams and never give up more than any other concept I know of.
-
What We Can Learn from the World’s Unluckiest Man
The life of Apple’s little-known cofounder is a lesson in hindsight bias, regret, and how the right perspective can save your sanity.
