“The years go by faster as you get older.” This is a piece of experience I’ve often heard from people who have more years than myself. The idea being that, as you get older, your lifestyle becomes more fixed. Going from 17 to 21 is a much bigger change than 40 to 44. Does it […]
How Much Stuff Do You Need?
You need stuff to live. You need food to eat, water to drink and (at least in most climates) a roof over your head. At a basic level, stuff is necessary for survival. The question is, how much stuff do you really need? And, how can you own things without having them control your life? […]
Finding Motivation for Improbable Goals
In two previous articles, I wrote about my desire to live a completely digital life. A digital lifestyle is when all of your income generation doesn’t depend on a location. Preferably through a business (although freelancing and a few jobs would allow you to go digital), this would mean you can live anywhere in the […]
How to Improve Your Social Skills
Most advice I’ve heard for improving social skills falls into one of a few categories. First, there are trite suggestions like, “be yourself”, which are at best feel-good platitudes and at worst, gross simplifications. Although this advice may be correct, it isn’t practical. Next, there is the advice to improving your character. Be honest, loyal […]
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.