I have a pet peeve about certain people who attack formal education systems and claim to pursue self-education. Not because universities are spectacular learning environments (they usually aren’t). Or even because self-education isn’t a worthwhile goal (it’s probably one of the best). It’s because I’ve noticed many of the university-hating self-taught are the kind of […]
Why Most People are Happier Working than in Their Free Time
Are you happier when you’re working, or when you have time off? Easy answer right? We work in order to have free time. Everything from basic economics to our deepest intuitions tells us that we must be happiest during our free time. Turns out we were wrong. Flow, Flipped Intuitions and A Scientist’s Name You […]
My Elusive Quest to Complete a Handstand Pushup
I’m taking a break from my normal rants on mastery, adventure and the pursuit of the ideal life to talk about a side-pursuit of mine for the last few years: bodyweight fitness. What is Bodyweight Fitness? If you’ve ever done a push-up or chin up you’ve already experienced a bodyweight exercise. Unlike strength training with […]
Perfectionism Isn’t Bad (In the Long-Term)
A common piece of advice is that perfectionism is bad. At least, that’s what you’d believe if you read an online article on the topic. However, I feel the situation is more complex. Certainly some perfectionism is bad–it causes us to procrastinate, leave projects unfinished and become mired in self-criticism. But, in some ways perfectionism […]