The World's Best Book Summaries
How is life like a poker game? What can poker teach us about dealing with uncertainty? Life is full of unknowns. We must learn how to deal with uncertainty as we make decisions. If we consider how life is like a poker game, we can learn valuable lessons that we can apply to the decision-making process. Read on to learn how to deal with uncertainty in life.
If love is not a feeling, what is it? Is “falling in love” genuine? In The Road Less Traveled, psychiatrist M. Scott Peck argues that love is not a feeling. We have feelings that we associate with love, but they are not love itself, and they might not even be based in reality. Peck asserts that real love is an act of will—a committed action that we take even when we’re not “feeling it.” Keep reading to learn how love is not a feeling.
What is the Haddon Matrix? How does it make change easier? The Haddon Matrix is a thought process that prompts you to think about pre-incident, incident, and post-incident. You can use it to change behavior by considering how to prevent bad behaviors from occurring, reduce harm when the bad behavior does occur, and respond in a way that minimizes the negative effects of the bad behavior. Read more to learn about using the Haddon Matrix model to change behavior.
How does visualizing goals make them more attainable? How can short-term guidelines also help you get there? Goals are hard to reach when they are ambiguous. It helps to make objectives clear and measurable. A great way to do this is to visualize goals, basically painting a picture of your destination. This technique, along with short-term guidelines, puts real change within grasp. Keep reading to learn about visualizing goals.
What makes an idea sticky? What are some examples of sticky ideas? What is the secret to making a story or a message “stick”? Sticky ideas are concepts, messages, and stories that “stick” in the public’s consciousness: they are understandable, memorable, and have a lasting impact. One of the most notable examples of sticky ideas are urban legends. Urban legends are easy to understand and remember, people buy into them and share them. Keep reading to learn about the six traits of sticky ideas.
Why does there seem to be tension between science and faith? Why are so many scientists atheists? In The Road Less Traveled, Dr. M. Scott Peck touches on the tension between science and faith. He shares two reasons why many scientists reject evidence of God, and he asserts that theists dismiss the legitimacy of science. Keep reading to learn Dr. M. Scott Peck’s view on the perceived discord between science and faith.
Is self-sacrificing love genuine? Where can it lead? In The Road Less Traveled, psychiatrist M. Scott Peck asserts that self-sacrificing love is a myth. It’s not genuine love. If you believe it is, you are likely to end up with two destructive results: social sadomasochism and destructive nurturing. Read more to learn about this view of self-sacrificing love.
How can we keep reflexive thinking from causing us to make irrational decisions? What can poker teach us about this? Deliberative thinking involves logic and careful consideration. On the other hand, reflexive thinking leads us to act quickly and instinctively. Because reflexive thinking drives most of our decisions, we have to figure out how to keep it in check. Poker teaches us how. Keep reading to learn about reflexive thinking in regard to decision-making.
What can you learn by examining examples of change? Can you copy success to make your own way? When you want to make changes, you should seek out examples of change to see what works and what doesn’t. Success stories are not only inspiring, they’re instructive. Copy success when you find it. Read more to learn how to seek out examples of change and put them to work for you.
Are you the kind of person who puts a lot of effort into making sure things stay as they are? Do you resist change? When you need to overcome resistance to change, it can help to appeal to identity—what kind of person someone is, what they value, and how they make decisions. You need to either align your proposed change with someone’s identity or align their identity with your proposed change. Keep reading to learn how to cultivate identity to overcome resistance to change.