Elizabeth Whitworth, Author at Shortform Books

Focus on What Matters Most: Set Priorities Like a Stoic

Should you seek fame, approval, wealth, and pleasure? What would such pursuits produce in your life? Too often, what people think will make them happy ends up robbing them of joy. They waste energy going down fruitless paths in life. In A Guide to the Good Life, philosophy professor William B. Irvine argues that the ancient Greek and Roman philosophy of Stoicism offers a better way. Read more to learn how to focus on what matters most, according to Stoic philosophy.

What Can You Control? Not as Much as You Might Think

When it comes to your own life, what can you control? Is your perception accurate? Citing black swan events and the butterfly effect, Mo Gawdat argues that the notion that you’re in control of your life is just a myth. He advises that, in order to find happiness, you should come to grips with that reality and employ something he calls “committed acceptance.” Keep reading to get a better understanding of what you control in your life and how to practice committed acceptance.

Stoic Voluntary Discomfort: Build Up Your Tolerance for Life’s Pain

Do you worry about getting hurt? Is it possible to train yourself to hurt less? In A Guide to the Good Life, William B. Irvine argues that the ancient Greek and Roman philosophy of Stoicism has answers for many of today’s challenges. He describes six techniques that promise happiness through counterintuitive methods, including deliberately exposing yourself to discomfort. Read more to learn about the practice of Stoic voluntary discomfort and see how it can help you handle what life throws at you.

The Importance of Storytelling: 5 Ways They Make an Impact

Why are stories so impactful? How are they important personally, socially, and professionally? Stories can be powerful elements of lectures, advertisements, sermons, and therapy sessions. Stories are more effective than most other ways of relaying information, and the importance of storytelling goes far deeper than communication. Continue reading to see how storytelling engages, teaches, inspires, makes things real, and even heals.

Is Time Just an Illusion? How Our View of Time Steals Our Joy

Is time just an illusion? Is it objective or subjective? How does our perception of time impact our happiness? According to Mo Gawdat, the idea that time exists independently of us is wrong. He argues that time isn’t an objective feature of reality. The more we realize that, he says, the more we can focus on the present and find happiness. Continue reading to understand Gawdat’s argument, as presented in his book Solve for Happy.

The Importance of Reflection: Becoming a Stoic Day by Day

Why is it important to spend time reflecting at the end of each day? How does it contribute to personal growth? Philosophy professor William B. Irvine outlines six practices you can follow to become a practicing Stoic and build a good life of your own. The last practice is to track your daily progress by reflecting on your day each evening. Read more to learn about the importance of reflection in the process of becoming a Stoic.

You Can’t Know Everything: Accept This, and Find More Joy

How realistically do you perceive your own level of knowledge? Can you know everything you need to know when it comes to making decisions in life? When your expectations exceed your perceptions of reality, you suffer. In Solve for Happy, Mo Gawdat helps you bring your expectations into alignment with your perceptions. One area in which your expectations might get out of whack is with your own knowledge. Keep reading to understand how the limitations on your senses and language put limitations on your knowledge—and to learn how to find more happiness by accepting that you can’t know everything.

You Are Not Your Body: Dispel the Myth, and Find More Joy

Are you and your body one and the same? What difference does it make? In Solve for Happy, Mo Gawdat outlines an algorithm for happiness. It involves dispelling several misconceptions that cause us to suffer. One of these is the notion that our minds and our bodies are the same rather than distinct from each other. Read more to learn how you are not your body and what difference that makes for your happiness.

The Formula for Happiness: Gawdat’s Happiness Algorithm

Is there a formula for happiness? If so, how does it work? When your perceptions about life don’t rise to the level of your expectations, you’re unhappy. Happiness results when your perceptions exceed your expectations. This observation underpins Mo Gawdat’s algorithm for happiness that he discusses in his book Solve for Happy. Keep reading to learn about this formula for deep and lasting happiness and the assumptions it’s based on.

Solve for Happy by Mo Gawdat: Book Overview & Takeaways

Why are most people not as happy as they want to be? Is there a formula for happiness? The modern world is rife with obstacles to happiness. Many people view happiness as an elusive goal. However, we can be consistently happy if we bring our expectations and perceptions of our lives into alignment. In Solve for Happy, Mo Gawdat outlines an algorithm to do so. Keep reading for an overview of this encouraging book.