I just finished reading Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect for the first time in…
In The Future We’ll All Be Superheroes and Princesses
We humans are fantasy engines. Evolution, wanting to make us as successful as…
Creating Emotional Insurance Policies
I believe it’s hardest to lose someone you love when it happens unexpectedly.…
Never Get Old
I believe this because the primary attribute of youth seems to be a freedom of…
Anything After This is Just Being Greedy
I came to an interesting realization a while back. I realized that I have done…
Fear of Failure is Debilitating
We pay a heavy price for our fear of failure. It is a powerful obstacle to growth.…
Building a Life Metrics System
Many of us use metrics at work. When done correctly they can concisely communicate…
Manage What Matters, Not What’s Measurable
There’s a simple formula for effectively managing something using metrics.…
Start With Top Life Regrets and Work Backwards
I’m a proponent of reverse planning, i.e. deciding what you want and then…
A Formula For Happiness
I rarely read essays that I know to be in my top five of all time, but I just…
Engineer Around Your Weaknesses
I have a friend named Andrew who used to play poker professionally. And when I…
The Duality of Truth and Happiness
I just saw the Lego Movie, and it was quite good. [ SPOILERS: Stop here if you’re…
Ricky Gervais’ Gift
Ricky Gervais has a gift. I’ve known about it for years, but until just…
Wisdom in Peanuts
I was in a store with my childhood friend Andrew tonight, and I was looking through…
Your Relationship With Failure Determines Your Potential
Image by Claire May Few things are more defining in life than one’s relationship…
Books Everyone Should Read
There are many of these types of lists, but here are some of my favorites. Books…
The Freedom to Suffer
I think a lot about human suffering and how best to reduce it. I particularly…
The Future of Happiness
In a recent conversation with a co-worker I had the opportunity to explore the…
The Difference Between Pursuing Happiness and Pursuing Meaning
This is a brilliant piece about the difference between happiness and meaning,…
Life, Friendship, and Ambition
They say you are a composite of your closest friends, and given my ambition I…
This Essay Might Improve Your Life
This is an essay about being productive to the world around you. Confused, you…
Avoid Junk Information Like You Avoid Junk Food
Smart, educated people tend to avoid junk food. They tend to be thinner and have…
Planned vs. Random Leisure
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the habits of productive people.…
The Graph All High School English Teachers Should Mount in Their Classrooms
[ The graph’s x-axis shows the GSS WORDSUM score, which is a vocabulary-based…
Mandatory States for Human Happiness
I’ve been thinking recently about what states of being are required for…
