Fear is the enemy. At least, that’s what we’re told. Pick up just about any book from starting a business to getting in shape, and fear is the villain. It’s the obstacle every success must overcome and the reason behind every failure. But what if fear is good? Depression, Fear and Nature’s Not-So-Subtle Hints If […]
Why I’ve Decided to Be Wrong More Often
How often do you find that you were completely wrong about an idea you’ve had? If you’re like most people the answer is probably not very often at all. Psychologists even have a name for it, the confirmation bias, or the tendency of humans to seek out information that confirms their beliefs. People search for […]
How to Find What You’re Passionate About (And Get Paid For It)
What should you do with your life? I’ve asked, and been asked, this question often. And while I can’t give a decisive formula for answering it, I have made one realization: most of the standard advice is terrible. Whether it’s multiple-choice personality quizzes that tell you to be a farmer, security guard or laboratory assistant […]
Manageable Awfulness and How to Let Bad Things Happen
“If you want to invent life-saving medicine, you need to accept that at some point, people will die.” A successful life-science entrepreneur told me this during a conversation. At first, I was shocked at the comment. Isn’t the point of creating new drugs or medical procedures to save lives? But the more I thought about […]