The above clip gives a not-so-subtle reminder about the benefits of boasting. Stephen Hawking, arguably one of the brightest people to ever live, not only refused the opportunity to provide his IQ score and claim himself among the smartest people in the world, but he went even further and dismissed the question all together. On …
Tweeting isn’t any less natural than texting, which isn’t less natural than talking on the phone, which isn’t less natural than using a pen and paper. None of it is natural. Humans invented it all. We came up with a way to communicate, which eventually involved spoken word, which was then translated into written words, …
Whenever we try to compare contributions to a relationship or an interaction by “keeping score,” it tends to lead to frustration. On the surface, it seems like we get the short end of the stick. That we end up putting in more than our fair share of time, effort, money, etc. The problem is that …
At various points, life appears to have clarity. We find a goal or a mind state to fixate on, and we become consumed. But that clarity can leave just as quickly as it arrives. I used to think I was alone in this experience. Now I’m convinced that isn’t the case. On paper, my life …
The best people to learn from aren’t necessarily the best at the things they teach. The naturally gifted math-mind doesn’t understand what it’s like to struggle with the concept of division. The athletic freak can rely on her athleticism to make plays so she never had to fully understand the nuances of a sport. So …
There are plenty of cheap things on Amazon – some of which I tend to enjoy in part due to the low price. But there are also plenty of cheap items that don’t live up to the promise they make. I recently bought an $8 phone charger. It had good enough reviews (which I later …
The bar raises over time. The mistakes we make on Day 1 aren’t acceptable on Day 30. Just like the mistakes on Day 30 aren’t acceptable on Day 300. We’re expected to get better. We’re expected to take on more and move from the New Person to the High Potential Contributor and eventually to the …
When things don’t go as planned, we can pout or we can accept it and move on. In the long run, the second option is generally healthier. That’s partly why so many people subscribe to the theory that “everything happens for a reason.” But within this mindset, there’s a trap that can be difficult to …
Effective goals come with a timeline. If we don’t meet the defined criteria before the time runs out, we fail. So if we’re short of our goal with the deadline approaching, we have a decision to make. We can sprint for the finish line or continue business as usual. Go to your local car dealer …
It’s easy to cater to the customer who yells the loudest or the employee who complains the most. It’s much harder to be more strategic with our efforts. If we don’t control our own attention, others will do it for us. That’s why customers make a scene – they’ve been rewarded for their outlandish actions …