There’s a sort of exoticism that people expect from effective advice – it must be terribly complicated and surprising and insightful. I am increasingly convinced, however, that for most people, the biggest opportunities are in basic stuff they’re neglecting. The … Continued
Your weight is probably generally stable, which means you’re within a few calories per day of getting thinner. That means relatively small and easy changes in your lifestyle can achieve great results. Let’s identify those changes for you. Most people … Continued
Thinking about your life is valuable, and makes it more valuable. There have been roughly three traditional methods, all compatible: Therapy. Sitting in front of the fire in your study on the moors, with your trusty hound resting on your … Continued
People will spend hours arguing with complete strangers on the internet why they don’t have twenty minutes for a workout. I imagine there are people – about five – who really can’t squeeze a few hours of exercise into their … Continued
Maybe the fundamental reason your barista wears a waistcoat is a creeping collective sense that civilisation got derailed in the early 20th century, and we need to restore it to the last known good setting. Isn’t it remarkable that of … Continued
Imagine a western mandarin at a G20 summit. He drives a Volkswagen, has a grey suit, mediocre salary, a plain wife and only one mistress. Then he meets his Saudi counterpart. Who arrives in a Maserati, with a team of … Continued
We live at a time of fakes. Anything you want, there’s an easy way to get something a bit like it, but not quite. Those distract from the real stuff. Here are some examples: Wants to feel a sense of … Continued
What do you want? Don’t worry, it’s a trick question. I mean really, really want? Aside from ziga zig ha. When you ask yourself this, the answer will be layered. What’s virtually certain is that the first answers that come … Continued
There are two basic ways you can face your demons. One is: “I sure hope I don’t run into any resistance as I’m trying to get the important thing done.” The other, much better way is, you hunt the bastards … Continued
Guest post from www.positive-psychology-blog.com. (Wisdomination’s note: you’ll notice some “doctrinal differences” between this guest post and my correct way of seeing things. Indulge the heretic, and check out his blog.) The internet is full of useful advice. Want to lose weight? … Continued
Humanity will probably not remain a single species in the future. There’s a thing called the founder effect, which “…occurs when a small group of migrants that is not genetically representative of the ancestral population settles in a new area”. You … Continued
It’s simultaneously amazing, humbling and endlessly entertaining to read humanity’s oldest known writings. You feel a deep kinship with all of civilization, and people thousands of years ago, and get the sense that if you could travel in time and cross … Continued
I have good news for you, and bad news for lazy people. By and large, there are no secrets, shortcuts or silver bullets. The stuff that actually works is simple and you probably already know it. This is true in … Continued
One of the best windows into a person’s heart and head – including your own – is looking at whom they judge disproportionately, because it shows where they are secretly feeling deficient. It shows where people are stuck, where they have … Continued
There is an overwhelming temptation in any programme of self-improvement to focus on things you’re already amazing at, instead of facing your flaws. But your weak points are precisely where the most value is waiting to be captured. It is … Continued
Fellow time-travelling artificial intelligence uploaded into a passable, but not entirely convincing human body Elon Musk has unveiled a new company – Neuralink. Ever the man to go after whatever promises the greatest possible benefit to mankind, he will be developing brain-computer … Continued
You should probably not take your serious geopolitical analysis from a drunken essayist . That being said, for entertainment purposes, here’s my take. On Tuesday, someone in Syria dropped nerve gas on a busy street full of civilians. It is not … Continued
One of the surprising benefits of making respectable money is you stop lusting for a lot of the frivolous junk you thought would make you happy when you were not yet wealthy. Unless you live in a kleptocracy where conspicuous … Continued
If you agree that things have causes, and that really big things don’t just appear out of nowhere, you might find the following line of thought worth a thought. Do you ever feel like your country is basically a bunch of … Continued
Let’s talk about wisdom, what it is and how it relates to intelligence. It’s in the title of the website, people use the word all the time, and yet, there seems to be no good definition. Let’s fix that. It’s one of these … Continued