Human nature is to reason in certainties. It takes training to rid yourself of that handicap. Nobel-laureate, Richard Feynman, said it best: “I can live with doubt and uncertainty. I think it’s much more interesting than live with answers which might be wrong. I have approximate answers and different degrees of certainty about various things, […]
Healthy Delusions?
Is some amount of self-delusion a good thing? I used to believe seeing the world more accurately was always a good thing. After all, even positive delusions must at some point brush against the rough surface of reality. Now I’m not so sure. Depressive realism is a phenomenon where, in some cases, depressed patients can […]
A La Carte Education
Whenever I bring up the possibility of getting an education without going to school, I quickly get objections: “Without credentials at the end, a university education is meaningless.” “You can’t learn without guidance from instructors.” “College is mostly about forming a network, not passing exams.” “Self-education only works if you’re exceptionally bright or dedicated. Most […]
Are Habits the Enemy of Mastery?
In his book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell helped popularize the notion of 10,000 hours of practice. The idea being that it takes around a decade of consistent practice to become world-class at anything. The idea of 10,000 hours evokes the sense that mastery is mostly a process of endlessly slogging away at a craft. What’s interesting […]
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.