psychology

Finally, the fifth rule is to choose immeasurable rewards over measurable ones. Seeing numerical scores increase is satisfying in the short term, but the most valuable things in life — freedom, meaning, love — can’t be quantified.

Success breeds overconfidence like nothing else.

Religion and political leadership are so intertwined across eras and cultures because they are about the same thing: performing the miracle of converting unrelated individuals into a group.

True happiness occurs only when you find the problems you enjoy having and enjoy solving.

And to understand that our preconceived view of our specialness is a hindrance of creative expression.

This dynamic is also used by church ushers who “salt” collection baskets with a few bills before the service to make it seem like everyone is making donations. And it’s why companies often advertise products with lines like “best-selling” or “fastest-growing” – it makes customers feel like others are buying the products too.

Social proof becomes a

Intrinsic drivers are the opposite. These are psychological and emotional forces such as curiosity, passion, meaning, and purpose.

I heard the same Andy Warhol quote several times: “Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.”

My friend’s wisdom was a type of abstraction, abstracting heartbreak down to its very essence. Abstraction can appear to take you further and further away from reality, but really you’re getting closer and closer to the heart of the matter. To get to the heart, you have to strip away clothes and skin and flesh and bone.