I worry about things more than I’d like to. I worry about making mistakes, getting criticized, having my business fail, being awkward or rude in social situations and lots of other things. Most of the time my worries just stay in my head. They’re there, but I ignore them well enough to get on with […]
Do You Need to Be Smart to Learn Certain Subjects?
How does being smarter change how you learn things? While definitions of intelligence vary, and the models behind what makes some people smarter than others vary even more, a common view says that intelligence is likely linked closely to having a better generalized working memory. Working memory is essentially the ability to hold multiple ideas […]
Your Life Problems are Really Learning Challenges in Disguise
There’s a lot of different lenses you can use to view any situation. Say you’re trying to get in better shape, improve your career, find a good relationship or just want to be happier with your life. You could see these through a lens of effort: the problem is simply that you haven’t tried hard […]
Is Mastery More Like a Wedge or a Knife?
There’s two main ways to think about becoming really good at something. The first I call the knife model. This is where you get better and better at a very narrow range of skills, movements and patterns. Olympic sprinters, archers and many artisans master like a knife—getting extremely good at one thing. The second I […]
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.