Elizabeth Whitworth

Senior SEO Writer

Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books—and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.

Expertise

History, Theology, Government

Awards

Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI), Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA), Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA), Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)

How Myside Bias Fuels Irrationality & an “Us vs. Them” Mentality

Which do you value more—the truth or fitting in? Do you allow your group’s beliefs to trump your better judgment? Most people agree on the importance of rational thinking and behavior. Still, irrationality is rampant. Steven Pinker explores why people hold irrational beliefs such as paranormal phenomena or conspiracy theories in his book Rationality. He identifies myside bias as one of the culprits. Read more to learn about this all-too-common tendency that impacts individuals and society as a whole.

The 3 Essential Leadership Skills for Managers

What’s the difference between a leader and a manager? Should managers bother to develop leadership skills? If so, which ones? Employee experience expert Russ Laraway laments the widespread problem of bad management. But, he has good news. He believes anyone can become a better manager by learning and practicing basic leadership skills: setting and reaching goals, coaching, and helping employees with career development. Continue reading to learn what Laraway thinks are essential leadership skills for managers.

The 5 Steps to Creating Your Bigger Leaner Stronger Meal Plan

Are you looking to burn fat and build muscle? What nutrients will help you do that? Are supplements recommended? In Bigger Leaner Stronger, personal trainer Michael Matthews promotes flexible dieting—a method of eating that helps you trim fat and build muscle without sacrificing the foods you love. He shares five steps to creating a Bigger Leaner Stronger meal plan that works for you. Read more to get the details on determining your goal, calculating your calorie target, calculating your calories-per-macro target, planning your meal schedule, and creating your meals.

Rational Compassion: Paul Bloom’s Alternative to Empathy

What should be the basis for how you behave? Why isn’t empathy the best guide? If we want to be kind and moral people, it seems obvious that we should practice empathy. But, psychologist Paul Bloom suggests that we should cultivate a rational form of compassion instead and use this more measured and distanced approach to make decisions that are better for everyone involved. Continue reading to learn about Bloom’s concept of rational compassion.

How Work in the Industrial Revolution Shaped Today’s Lifestyle

How did the Industrial Revolution change the way people work? In what ways are we still feeling the effects? In today’s fast-paced world, our lives increasingly revolve around productivity, efficiency, and work. In her book Do Nothing, Celeste Headlee writes that our culture of overworking can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution. Continue reading to learn how the nature of work in the Industrial Revolution shaped the modern lifestyle.

What Are Objectives and Key Results? Your Second-Tier Goals

What are Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)? How do they contribute to an organization’s mission? Employee experience expert Russ Laraway says that the first area of focus for an effective manager is setting clear goals for employees: Your workers should know exactly what’s expected of them and when. He lays out four tiers of goals that managers can set for their employees. The second tier is OKRs. Read more to learn what OKRs are and how they fit into the overall goals of an organization.

How to Use the Double Progression Method in Your Workouts

How many reps and sets should you do during your workouts? Why is double progression effective? Personal trainer Michael Matthews recommends a workout program based on progressive overload—a workout approach that maximizes muscle growth. One way of applying progressive tension overload is double progression. Keep reading to learn about the double progression method and why it works so well.

How to Be a Moral Person: Rethinking Empathy’s Role in Morality

Do we need empathy to understand and practice morality? What should guide our moral decisions? In Against Empathy, psychologist Paul Bloom argues that we rely too heavily on our emotions—especially empathy—to guide our judgments, decisions, and behavior. He suggests that our empathic responses to other people can lead us away from the morally good and right course of action. Read more to learn how to be a moral person by putting empathy in what Bloom believes is its proper place.

When Are You Most Creative? Identify Your Focus Period

When are you most creative? What’s your chronotype? Do you leverage this information for maximum creativity and productivity? You have a particular rhythm of energy and alertness. When you’re aware of your ebbs and flows, you can schedule your day accordingly. This can help you maximize your creative work. Read on to get practical tips from creativity coach Mark McGuinness and bestselling authors Daniel H. Pink and Cal Newport.

Fear of Wasting Time: How Doing Less Makes Us More Anxious

How valuable is your time? Does the “time is money” mentality make you anxious? In her book Do Nothing, Celeste Headlee writes that, for many people, time feels scarce and too valuable to squander. She argues that the modern pressure to constantly be productive stems, in part, from changing perceptions of how valuable one’s time is. Keep reading to learn about the fear of wasting time and where it comes from.