I arrived in France Tuesday, September 1st, and I thought I’d share a few quick thoughts. I’ll try to avoid generalizations about France or the French as a whole, as I’ve only been here two weeks. Although, for the most part, I’ve been pleasantly surprised. On Learning a Second Language Just living in France feels […]
Should Your Twenties Be for Work or Play?
I recently turned 21. In a discussion with a friend, we decided there are two major perspectives people take when approaching their twenties: work or play. In the first, people view their twenties as the time to make ambitious career moves. Working 60 or 80 hour workweeks in university or at a job is easier […]
Staying in the Game
I recently mentioned that I used to have a win/lose approach to my goals in life. I’d decide what I want. If I achieved it I won. If I didn’t achieve it, I lost. I now realize that this is one of the worst attitudes you can have, despite being promoted frequently as a motivation […]
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.