In this recent conversation between Tyler Cowen and Peter Thiel, Cowen asks the billionaire start-up investor what kind of talent is underrated: “It’s difficult to reduce [talent] to any single traits, because a lot of what you’re looking for are these Zen-like opposites. You want people who are both really stubborn and really open-minded. You […]
How to Build the Habit of Finishing What You Start
What do you do when you start a personal project, but you start to lose interest? Should you quit or keep going, even though it’s no longer fun? What if the project is to improve your health or career? What if your goals change and the project no longer feels relevant? Should you quit or […]
Be Bold, Presumptuous and Stop Caring About What Others Think
A reader recently referred me to this project to break into the top 250 table tennis players in the UK in one year. What happened? He failed. In his own words: “The challenge ended a week ago and I am still nowhere near the top 250. I wasn’t even good enough to get an official […]
Watch us Speak all Four Languages in Three Minutes
As a wrap-up to our Year Without English project, Vat and I had a quick conversation in all four languages we learned during the trip (Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese and Korean). You can now watch all our videos on our YouTube channel, including all four mini-documentaries and the longer interviews we held in each language. […]
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.