psychology

Subtlety #2: To not give a fuck about adversity, you must first give a fuck about something more important than adversity.

A long-term study of 736 guys showed friends reduced the likelihood of heart problems. Once again, a romantic partner didn’t.

Why do you feel angry? Is it because you failed to achieve some goal? Why do you feel lethargic and uninspired? Is it because you don’t think you’re good enough? This layer of questioning helps us understand the root cause of the emotions that overwhelm us. Once we understand that root cause, we can ideally do something to change it.

Often, it’s this realization—that you and your problems are actually not privileged in their severity or pain—that is the first and most important step toward solving them.

The technical language that surrounds a subject is the second place to put your attention. Why? Jargon, while annoying, is annoyingly precise.

Guiding people’s attention to a single point is one of the most powerful life skills.

To put this more technically, purpose seems to decrease the activity of the default-mode network, which is the brain network in charge of rumination, and increase the activity of the executive attention network, which is the network that governs external focus.

They had employers who gave them an environment free from distraction.

that mystery is what fuels our imagination. In the book I wrote, Our World of Illusion, I spoke of the power of mystery and how mystery fuels the imagination.