Shortform Books

The Purpose of Religion Is to Mitigate Our Selfishness

What is the purpose of religion? How does religion differ from secular belief? According to Nassim Taleb, the author of Skin in the Game, the ultimate purpose of religion is to offset the risks of societal ruin caused by humans’ self-serving instincts. When conceptualized in this way, religion is not too different from secular beliefs. In this article, we’ll explore Taleb’s argument that the purpose of religion is to mitigate human selfishness.

3 Pro Tips From Charlie Munger on Investing

3 Major Tips From Charlie Munger on Investing

Why should you listen to Charlie Munger on investing? What are Munger’s recommendations on investing? You should listen to the recommendations of Charlie Munger on investing because he along with Warren Buffet successfully built Berkshire Hathaway from a textile mill into a massive conglomerate. Their success has made them legendary in the investment community. Munger’s advice to investors is to always wait patiently for great opportunities, and be decisive when those opportunities come along. Read on to discover the recommendations of Charlie Munger on investing in the stock market.

Plastic Surgery and Self-Esteem: Beauty≠Confidence

Does plastic surgery improve self-esteem? Do people who undergo plastic surgery for aesthetic improvement see their self-esteem rise? Not everyone sees their self-esteem rise after undergoing plastic surgery. According to plastic surgeon Maxwell Maltz, looks are only a small part of how you see yourself. In this article, we’ll explore the link between plastic surgery and self-esteem, according to Maxwell Maltz.

How to Develop a Positive Mindset: Think & Be Happy

How to Develop a Positive Sales Attitude

Do you believe that your thoughts can shape your reality? How do thoughts influence one’s life outcomes? Positive thoughts create positive outcomes, and negative thoughts lead to negative outcomes. Thoughts can even contribute to illness or health. If you’re unhappy with your current circumstances, you can remake your life by getting rid of your old, negative thoughts and filling your mind with new thoughts that reflect faith, creativity, love, and goodness. Learn how to develop a positive mindset and think your way to success.

David Epstein: How Innovations Happen

What drives innovation? How does efficiency prevent people from generating innovative ideas? In his book Range, David Epstein explains that trying to work efficiently and seriously—as many scientists and innovators do—will actually make it more difficult to innovate. When you let go of expectations and the fear of failure and experiment for the joy of experimenting, that’s when many breakthroughs tend to happen. Here is how innovation happens, according to David Epstein.

How to Program Your Subconscious Mind for Success

50 Types of Mental Models for Better Decision Making

How does your subconscious mind think? Is it possible to program your subconscious mind to think in a more goal-oriented way? Your subconscious mind doesn’t think in concrete terms like your conscious mind does. Therefore, to influence your subconscious mind, you need to speak its language—feelings and imagery. Instead of thinking about how you’ll achieve something, focus on the end results and imagine the gratitude you’ll feel once you have it. This process will set a clear direction for your subconscious mind to move towards. Keep reading to learn how to program your subconscious mind—the key is to focus on

The 3 Reasons to Prioritize Short-Term Objectives

Why is it better to focus on short-term objectives rather than planning for the long term? Should you always have an end goal in mind when pursuing something? David Epstein, the author of Range, explains that it’s better to chase your current opportunities and passions than trying to create a long-term plan. There are three major reasons for this: you will change, you can’t predict the future, and you can’t know if a certain job would even fit you well. Here’s why you should shift your focus to your short-term objectives.

Three Keys to Making Better Decisions in Life

Why is making better decisions important? How do you make better choices? You will become better at human relations, investing, and leadership when you start making better decisions. The secrets to making good choices are discipline, learning from the mistakes of others, and curbing ideological bias in favor of objectivity. Read more about the secrets to making better decisions.

The Legacy of the United States Caste System

Is there still a caste system in the United States? What lasting effects did the caste system of the early United States have? Despite the fact that slavery was abolished in the 1800s, there are still many lasting effects of the racial caste system in the United States. Many Southerners still cling to Confederate symbols and consider the Old South a “Lost Cause,” healthcare has fallen behind because of racial agendas, and Confederate statues are still spread all over the country. In this article, we’ll discuss the ways the caste system has left a lasting impact on the United States.

Learning From Your Mistakes: Ask “What,” Not “Why”

Can you think of a life lesson you learned by making a mistake? Where did you go wrong? Did ever repeat the same mistake again? Learning from your mistakes is essential to living a happy, fulfilled, and successful life. Everyone eventually learns from their mistakes once they’ve repeated them several times. But it shouldn’t take many repetitions to learn to avoid suboptimal or self-sabotaging behaviors. If you consciously examine your life on a consistent basis, you will see patterns quickly. The key to learning from your mistakes is to think about them rationally, not emotionally.