Elizabeth Whitworth, Author at Shortform Books

Accepting Your Emotions: Give Yourself Permission to Feel

Do you give yourself permission to feel what you feel? Do you allow yourself to struggle and even fail? Clinical psychologist and management consultant Susan David promotes emotional agility. That means having objectivity about what happens and how you feel and then deliberately responding in a healthy way. Part of emotional agility is accepting your emotions as they are. Read more to learn about the importance and the process of giving yourself permission to feel.

Ask “Why?” and “Why Not?” to Learn, Create, and Discover More

How often do you ask “Why?” How can asking “Why not?” lead you down exciting new paths? In A More Beautiful Question, Warren Berger highlights the fundamental questions (or question starters) “Why?” and “Why not?” He explains how these words form the basis of questions that can increase your knowledge, challenge your assumptions, and invoke your creativity to solve problems. Continue reading to discover the power of asking “Why?” and “Why not?”

Ray Kurzweil on the Negative Impact of Technology on Society

What’s the downside of technological progress? How worried should we be about the future? The road to the future of the technological Singularity isn’t without its dangers. Every technology has the potential for misuse, and the hazards involved with biotech, nanotech, and AI are substantial. Ray Kurzweil details some of those dangers while arguing the futility of trying to halt technological progress. Continue reading to get Kurzweil’s take on the negative impact of technology on society and what he recommends as a remedy.

How Mindfulness of Emotions Can Help You Sync Up With Reality

How do you feel right now? What’s going on around you at this moment? It’s important to view your emotions with objectivity. Clinical psychologist Susan David says that, when it comes to your present emotions, mindfulness can help you be real about what you’re feeling and why. Read more to learn how to achieve mindfulness of emotions and stay in sync with reality.

Twitter Under Elon Musk: The Rocky Road From “Twitter” to “X”

How has Twitter changed since Elon Musk purchased it? Why have many advertisers left the platform? Is it at risk of collapsing? By taking over Twitter, Elon Musk triggered a seismic shift in the social media landscape. The culture at Twitter and Musk’s leadership style were diametrically opposed in almost every way, resulting in a clash of ideals that upended the character of the social media platform. Keep reading to learn about Twitter under Elon Musk, according to biographer Walter Isaacson.

What Causes Chronic Disease? A Look at Metabolic Dysfunction

What causes chronic disease? Which four chronic diseases are primarily to blame for decline and death in old age? Why is Alzheimer’s disease sometimes called “type 3 diabetes”? According to physician Peter Attia, the key to avoiding physical and mental decline when you’re older is preventing four specific chronic diseases. He says that they all have one cause in common: metabolic dysfunction. Keep reading to learn what metabolic dysfunction is and how it contributes to four deadly chronic diseases.

Ask “How” Questions to Turn an Ideas Into Realities

Do you have a lot of great ideas but struggle to execute them? What type of questions should you be asking in order to turn ideation into execution? In A More Beautiful Question, Warren Berger urges us to ask important questions again as we did as kids. He discusses three “beautiful questions”—“Why?”, “What if?”, and “How?”. The “How” questions in particular have the power to help us capitalize on the creativity that the other questions produce. Read more to learn why you should ask “How” questions.

How to Understand Your Feelings: Be Objective About Them

Are feelings experiences or truths? Are emotions connected to personality? How should your emotions about the past be understood differently from what you’re feeling right now? Susan David explains that most people react instinctively to their perceptions of events. She argues that you can break free of these controlling narratives by practicing emotional agility. She shares recommendations for understanding both your present and past emotions. Read more to learn how to understand your feelings by being objective about them.

SpaceX and Tesla: Musk’s Technological Quests to Save the World

Why did Elon Musk start SpaceX and Tesla? What’s the common thread in their respective missions? Elon Musk has arguably pushed technology forward more than any other living person in the modern age. In a way, he’s made it his personal mission to bring human civilization to other worlds via his company SpaceX while weaning us away from fossil fuels by developing electric vehicles through Tesla. Continue reading to learn about SpaceX and Tesla and why they’re far more than just successful business ventures.

Warren Berger’s A More Beautiful Question: Book Overview

What if you asked as many questions now as you did when you were a kid? What if you asked “What if?” more often? Warren Berger’s A More Beautiful Question urges you to recapture your childlike curiosity and inquisitive nature. Berger contends that, if you ask more questions (and the right questions), you’ll get more out of life both personally and professionally. Continue reading for an overview of this book that will help you be more reflective, insightful, and ultimately successful.