I’m halfway through reading The Progress Paradox, by Gregg Easterbrook. The paradox is simply this: why do people feel worse, when life is actually getting better. Easterbrook spends a long chapter arguing how, in almost every dimension, life for Western countries is not (as many exclaim) diving into an abyss, but getting better. And, it […]
Why I Hate Self-Help Platitudes
One of the most delightfully frustrating experiences I get is receiving book review requests. Normally, I don’t mind receiving these requests. If your book is brilliant, I’m more than happy to promote it without any compensation. However, I’ll often get press release emails for books which advocate an idea I’ve explicitly argued against on this […]
The Importance of Being Likable
Likability matters. In your career, most of the opportunities will come through other people, and people give opportunities to the people they like. In relationships, someone has to like you before they can love you. Anywhere in life, if people like you, they are more willing to help. Unfortunately, likability has picked up a bad […]
Loneliness and the Unconventional Life
Ben Casnocha recently wrote a great article entitled, “Unconventional Lives and the Challenge of Loneliness”, where he discusses a common drawback to breaking free of the crowd: loneliness. Chris Guillebeau has posted similar observations about a life of constant world-travel at The Art of Nonconformity. Is loneliness just the price you need to pay for […]
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.