Amanda Penn, Author at Shortform Books

How to Talk to Strangers: 3 Important Things to Keep in Mind

In our modern, seemingly borderless world, we have no choice but to interact with strangers. Yet we, as a society, are incompetent at making sense of the strangers we come across. So what should we do? Can we learn how to talk to strangers? We’ll discuss the three problems that cause us to have failed interactions with strangers and discuss how to talk to strangers in ways that are more successful. From Malcolm Gladwell’s Talking to Strangers.

Holy Fool: Who He Is + the Dangers of Knowing the Truth

Being able to detect lies seems like an unequivocal good. The Russian archetype of the Holy Fool demonstrates the benefits of being able to see the truth of a situation. Who is the Holy Fool? The Holy Fool is typically an eccentric character, sometimes even a crazy one, who has access to truths that other characters don’t have access to. The Holy Fool can be seen particularly in Russian stories and those by Hans Christian Anderson, such as “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” In modern times, the “Holy Fool” in society is often a whistleblower. We’ll cover the attributes of the

You Make Assumptions About People All the Time—Here’s Why

Why do we make assumptions about people, especially strangers? What are the consequences of the assumptions we make? Can we retrain ourselves and our interactions with strangers? We’ll cover Malcolm Gladwell’s theory about why we make assumptions about people, from his book Talking to Strangers. As we’ll see, it’s not hard to correct this tendency.

Do Facial Expressions in Different Cultures Mean the Same Thing?

Do people make the same facial expressions in different cultures? More importantly, do they mean the same thing? We’ll cover one study that indicates that facial expressions in different cultures do not indicate the same feelings. Learn why you can never make assumptions about how people feel based on their faces, especially people from different cultural backgrounds.

#1 Leadership Weakness: A Fixed Mindset Ruins Your Company

What are some of the biggest leadership weaknesses? How can you avoid them to more effectively manage your company and increase its success? Leadership weaknesses range from being egotistical to being in denial, and almost all of the most common ones have to do with having a fixed mindset. Learn why even the biggest names in business fail when they demonstrate these leadership weaknesses.

Harry Markopolos: The Madoff Whistleblower that No One Heard

Who is Harry Markopolos? How was he able to discover Bernie Madoff’s crimes before everyone else? And why did it take so long for everyone else to realize them? Harry Markopolos is a financial expert who’s deeply skeptical of large organizations, and of people in general. He discovered Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. He has a very low threshold for doubt. Consequently, his trigger point is extremely sensitive. We’ll cover how Harry Markopolos knew something was wrong with Madoff’s trading strategies and why Markopolos failed to get anyone’s attention.

How to Detect a Lie: It Might Be Good You’re Bad at It

The primary reason that most people can’t immediately detect a lie is that human beings default to assuming truth in others. Is it possible to learn how to detect a lie? We’ll cover the reasons it’s difficult to know how to detect a lie, and we’ll look at why you’ve evolved to assume the best in people.

Compete Against Yourself to Create a Successful Business

The common sentiment when it comes to building a business is that you have to make sure you’re beating the competition. But is it more important, in business and in life, to compete against yourself? The problem with the idea of crushing the competition is that it makes you focus on what other companies are doing rather than steering your own. Instead of competing against others, it’s more effective to compete against yourself. Learn why.

Patrick Dale Walker—Why a Judge Let Him Go + the Tragic Result

Who was Patrick Dale Walker? Why was he let out on bail? How could such atrocities be prevented in the future? Patrick Dale Walker was a Texan who was arrested for attempting to murder his girlfriend. Even though the crime was serious, the judge set his bail at $25,000 and let him go. Find out what happened in the Patrick Dale Walker case and why it’s so easy for a judge to make a devastating mistake.

Brothers to the Rescue—The Shootdown, and the Spy It Exposed

Who were Brothers to the Rescue (Hermanos al Rescate)? Why were their planes shot down in 1996, and why was this such a disaster for America on the whole? Brothers to the Rescue was a group of American immigrants with the mission to save Cuban lives and incite revolt against Fidel Castro’s regime. Also known as Hermanos al Rescate, they would fly planes into Cuban airspace to make rescues. We’ll cover why two of these planes were shot down, and why the event revealed something surprising about someone working for the CIA.