The World's Best Book Summaries
What are some proven ways to feel better about yourself? Which ways do psychologists recommend? In his book, Learned Optimism, Martin Seligman suggests three ways to feel better about yourself by focusing on others. Seligman says that, by focusing your attention outward, you can feel better about yourself on the inside. Read on to learn Seligman’s three actionable ways to feel better about yourself.
What are some of the best benefits of optimism? How do optimistic people think differently? Psychologist Martin Seligman has studied the science behind optimism and pessimism to understand these mindsets better. According to him, learning to be optimistic does more than simply boost your mood. Keep reading to find out the four important benefits of optimism that improve your wellbeing.
What are philosophical razors? How can you use them to solve problems efficiently? Are they always useful? If you have a problem to solve, you might employ a philosophical razor. Philosophical razors are rules of thumb that help you quickly eliminate unlikely solutions to a problem. Continue reading to learn a few of the most popular philosophical razors.
What are the steps to writing a research paper? Why is writing a research paper a long process? Unlike critical analysis essays that are only a few pages long, research papers take diligent time to write. According to Cal Newport in How to Become a Straight-A Student, there are eight steps to the process. Let’s look at these eight steps in more detail.
Is the fear of success a thing? How does fear of success cause people to self-sabotage? The possibility of achieving significant success triggers irrational fear in many people. As they experience greater success and joy, they begin to unconsciously self-sabotage to bring themselves back to a level that they are used to. Keep reading to learn about the psychology of the fear of success.
What is Dan and Chip Heath’s Decisive about? What is the key message to take away from the book? In their book Decisive, Dan and Chip Heath present a decision-making process we can use for big decisions across any area of our lives. They wrote this book because they noticed there’s ample research on how flawed our decisions are but little advice on how to make better choices. Below is a brief overview of Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Dan and Chip Heath.
Want to learn how to overcome depression without medication? What methods do psychologists recommend for treating mild depression? Martin Seligman’s work in psychology has unearthed new findings about potential causes of depression, linking it to learned helplessness. Seligman says, if you’ve learned helplessness, you can also unlearn it to become mentally healthier and more confident. Read on to learn why following Seligman’s advice could be a way to overcome depression without medication.
What’s Occam’s Razor theory? How can you use it to solve problems quickly and effectively? In the first volume of The Great Mental Models series, Farnam Street founder Shane Parrish and content strategist Rhiannon Beaubien include Occam’s Razor as one of their models, as it’s a practical thinking tool. This model helps you cut to the chase when looking for solutions. Continue reading to understand what Occam’s Razor is and how to use it.
Why do we make bad decisions? What are some ways you can mitigate biases in decision-making? Life is full of big decisions, but hard-to-detect flaws in our thinking often prevent us from making good choices. According to Dan and Chip Heath, we can make better decisions if we follow a process that pushes us to overcome our decision-making biases and illogical ways of thinking. Let’s examine how illogical ways of thinking weaken our decision-making.
When you have more than one option, how do you know which one to choose? Can you actually train yourself to make better decisions? Let’s say that you’ve received a job offer at a great company. You’re pretty happy where you are now, but the new opportunity might be the right move to make. If you carefully consider the consequences (second-order thinking), the chances (probabilistic thinking), and the possibilities (possibility thinking), you’ll likely make the right decision. Read more to learn how to use these three mental models for decision-making.