People who are vulnerable or emotionally hurt tend to make poor decisions. Addiction, depression, social status, criticism and some other things can influence individuals and whole societies to choose a path of self-destruction. We live in a society that drives us to be productive beyond our capabilities, so this article is relevant for most of …
Neurotic life, resilience and handling stress
I am probably a neurotic person. For sure I react to stressors. Fortunately, I am also sufficiently intelligent to channel my anxieties in a constructive way. In this article, I share my personal ways to deal with neurotism backed up by scientific research. For more information check out here, here, here, here, here, here, here …
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Feeling the books
When we are looking for new information, we read as fast as we can to understand the text and retain the knowledge within. This is the reason why people take speedreading classes. Occasionally, I need to deal with the opposite challenge: reading the text for the maximal emotional impact. For example, when reading fiction or some …
Burdens of intelligence and how to ease them
Being smart is not always good for you. The negative effects outweigh the benefits above IQ of 160. Our IQ is dynamic and can change as we learn. The knowledge we gain by learning can become a burden unless we know how to handle it. For more information try reading here, here, here, here, and here. …
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Ditch perfection and embrace lucid dreams
Perfectionism is a big issue. It is a destructive habit which we do not always see as such. Quite often we discuss “brainy habits”. It is hard to ditch a behavior, easier to replace some behavior with others. For today’s reading I have chosen here, here, here, here, here, and here. Let it go People …
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Stoicism and perfectionism
True happiness cannot be bought. Some people argue that an ancient slave could be more happy than today’s engineer. Stress could be more important to happiness than food, medicine or even freedom. For more reasing check out here, here, here, here, and here. The curse of perfectionism For the sake of happiness, it is not …
Making hard decisions easier
Quite often we need to make hard decision. Many of these decisions have to do with priorities. We do not want to give up on any of our inspirations, yet if we pursue all of them we will die of fatigue. Occasionally there is no good solution, and occasionally an unexpected solution will work. For …
Productive procrastination
Sometimes we procrastinate. This can be a bad thing and a good thing. In this article, I argue in favor of smart procrastination. For more reading check out here, here, here, and here. Having a shady plan Sometimes our plans do not go well with who we are and what we desire. Not all plans …
Systematic empathy
Compassion is a great virtue which helps us connect with other people. Self-compassion helps us avoid injuries and saves us from misery. Lack of compassion in ourselves and in others poses several serious challenges. Fortunately, compassion can be systematically learned and developed. This post was inspired by reading this, this, this, and this articles. Disclaimer: …
Magical thinking and how we persuade ourselves
Magical thinking is one of the most potent cognitive biases. Of all people in the world, it is easiest for us to lie to ourselves. This self-deception may help us remain strong in times of great danger and uncertainty, and it may also lead to our downfall in times of prosperity and stability. In this …
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