I love people who say they “know” what they need to do, they just don’t do it. These are the same people who claim that without credentials, connections or whatever they happen to lack, success is impossible. The truth is, most people put almost zero effort into figuring out how success actually works in their […]
Why the Risky Options Can Sometimes Be the Safest
Last week I shared some of my concerns with what I called high-variance professions. A high-variance profession is one where a lot of people fail and a few succeed. Think actors, entrepreneurs, musicians and athletes. I explained why high-variance is generally a bad thing, in terms of life outcomes, although it’s certainly not an open-and-shut […]
Should You Pursue Your Dream, Even if You’ll Probably Fail?
I like to think of myself as a rational person. Yes, I have emotions that muddle my choices, and I make mistakes on logic problems just like anyone else. But when I have big decisions to make in my life, I’d like to believe that I go with the facts. Which is why the titular […]
Don’t Follow Your Passion
I recently read an advance copy of Cal Newport’s fascinating (and controversial) new book: So Good They Can’t Ignore You. The main argument being that following your passion is bad career advice. The first problem is that, for the most part, preexisting passions don’t exist. Cal cites a study which interviewed 500+ university students to […]
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.