People are normally fairly intelligent. Although there are many exceptions, people tend to make rational decisions. However, there are some decisions that most people get wrong (including me). There is a whole field of psychology devoted to these non-random acts of stupidity, known as cognitive biases. I’ve always found cognitive biases interesting, since understanding them […]
I’m 20
Today is my twentieth birthday. I’ve made it an annual habit of writing a rather self-indulgent post about myself on my birthday. I’m going to take that opportunity to write about my last year, things that I have improved on, setbacks and future goals. If you were hoping to read an article about productivity or […]
Weight, Traffic and Grades Aren’t That Important
“What is measured, improves,” is an old piece of business wisdom. If you keep track of something, whether it is grades, weight, income or efficiency it usually will get better. This is a good piece of advice, but I feel it’s only half the story. If you end up measuring the wrong things, they might […]
How to Think For Yourself
Don’t be a buffalo. When buffalo were still common in North America, Native American hunters learned a trick to hunt the herd animals. Buffalo don’t look up when moving as a group. In fact, if a few buffalo in a herd were startled into running, the entire herd would charge, even if most of the […]
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.