The World's Best Book Summaries
What are behavioral triggers? Why do certain stimuli or situations push us to act in ways that sabotage our best efforts? Every day, we encounter triggers that prompt us to behave in certain ways. A trigger can be positive or negative, pleasant or unpleasant, productive or unproductive. Similarly, some triggers push us toward our goals while others pull us away from them. Keep reading to learn about the psychology of triggers.
Do you have any half-baked ideas rattling around in your head? What if you could turn them into fully-baked brilliance? Sometimes hunches lead to full-fledged ideas. If you’re patient and keep working on them, you could end up with something quite usable. In Where Good Ideas Come From, best-selling author and theorist Steven Johnson explains how good ideas grow from minor inklings to groundbreaking inventions. Keep reading to learn how the “slow hunch” can mature into something of great value.
What is the ideal mental health? How does mental health affect leadership and politics? The ideal mental health isn’t a cut-and-dry definition. Rather, A First-Rate Madness by Nassir Ghaemi says your perfect idea of mental health depends on your situation. And for leaders, Ghaemi claims that your mental health doesn’t need to be perfect. Keep reading to learn more about Ghaemi’s radical idea of an ideal level of mental health.
How does fear stop you from achieving your goals? What can you do to stop your fears from controlling your life? Fear is the main factor that prevents people from going after their dreams and reaching their full potential. When you face and conquer your fears, you’ll grow more confident in yourself and in your ability to handle any curveballs life throws at you. Here’s how fear prevents you from living life to the fullest and some tips for conquering your fears once and for all.
Why do people fail to achieve the goals they’ve set for themselves? What are some of the most common obstacles to achieving goals? Achieving any goal requires consistently showing up for it in your actions, which requires you to exercise discipline and self-control. But your best efforts can easily be derailed by “triggers”—stimuli or situations that throw you off track. Here’s a look at some of the primary reasons why we succumb to the temptation of triggers, even when we know better.
Do you have a distorted view of reality? How would you think, behave, and make decisions if knew what was real? To live a happier and more fulfilling life, you must anchor yourself in the real world in the long term by developing your rationality—the ability to think clearly, see things as they are, and make decisions based on reality rather than emotions. Robert Greene explains how your perspective can link up with reality. Read more for Greene’s advice on how to change your perspective and see things as they truly are.
Do certain people drain you of energy and keep you from getting things done? After being around them, do you feel like your time was wasted? Your time is limited and precious. So, you must say “no” to some things—and some people—if you’re going to get on with accomplishing what matters in life. In Someday Is Today, Matthew Dicks shares a few strategies to help you avoid being distracted and drained by unhealthy relationships. Continue reading for three practical recommendations on how to deal with people who waste your time.
Are there any benefits of depression? How does depression improve your perspective on difficult situations? Depression is a mental illness that most try to avoid. However, leaders may find some benefits of depression that help them handle critical moments with the right insights. Continue reading to learn how depression can help you, according to A First-Rate Madness by Nassir Ghaemi.
What are triggers in psychology? How do triggers affect your behavior? Triggers are stimuli in your environment that prompt you to behave in specific ways. A trigger can be any stimulus you might encounter during your day and react to at that moment, such as a traffic jam, a string of notifications on your phone, or a demanding colleague. Here’s a look at the types of triggers plus some examples.
What is depressive realism? Why do depressed leaders have a more realistic perception than mentally healthy ones? Depressive realism is a theory that people who are depressed make better decisions because they have a more realistic view of the world. A First-Rate Madness by Nassir Ghaemi expands on this philosophy by showing how Winston Churchill’s depression helped him during World War II. Here’s how depressive realism works, and how it affected Churchill’s understanding of the Nazi threat.