Shortform Books

How to Embrace Courageous Leadership

What does it mean to lead courageously? Where is the fine line between courageous and reckless leadership? Leadership requires striking a balance between action and risk management. In other words, you must find a way to rush toward your goal as ruthlessly as possible while maintaining the presence of mind to guard against careless mistakes. To do so, you need to find the right amount of courage. Here’s how to embrace courageous leadership while erring on the side of caution.

The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco: Overview

What is The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco about? Which formula is the best to achieve financial freedom and wealth? In The Millionaire Fastlane, MJ DeMarco goes over the three common approaches to finances: consumption, accumulation, and production. DeMarco discusses each approach in detail and explains which approach is the best if you want to build wealth. Continue reading for an overview of the three formulas from The Millionaire Fastlane.

Financial Optimism: The Key to Investing Success

Are you an optimist or a pessimist when it comes to money? Why does financial optimism work better than financial pessimism? In his book The Psychology of Money, Morgan Housel says that you should remain optimistic when it comes to finances and investing, no matter what others say. He outlines three reasons why financial pessimism often seems like the smartest route but isn’t. Keep reading to learn why an optimistic view on finances and investments is beneficial.

The Planning Fallacy: Why Your Plans Fail

What is the planning fallacy? Why do we tend to exaggerate our capabilities when making plans for the future? The planning fallacy is where you underestimate how much time a future task or project will take to complete. According to Rolf Dobelli, the author of The Art of Thinking Clearly, there are two reasons it occurs: self-esteem and life’s unpredictability, Keep reading to learn about the planning fallacy, why it happens, and how to mitigate it.

The Conjunction Fallacy: Plausibility Over Probability

What is the conjunction fallacy? Why do we tend to discount probability when choosing whether to believe something or not? The conjunction fallacy is the human tendency to prefer a plausible story to a probable one. In other words, when a story makes sense to you, you’re likely to believe it even if the true probability of it occurring is low. Keep reading to learn about the conjunction fallacy.

Eric Berne: What Are the “Games” People Play?

What is Eric Berne’s Games People Play about? How can you tell someone is playing a game on you? Games People Play is Berne’s 1964 classic about the many ways that we habitually relate to one another through “games.” These aren’t fun, harmless social games, though—they’re subtle, largely unconscious patterns that harm us and our relationships. Berne explains how most of us don’t even notice our games, and how we’re missing out on the fulfillment of game-free living. Keep reading to learn about Berne’s concept of “games” and why we play them.

Story Bias: Why the Brain Favors Stories Over Facts

What is story bias? Why do people remember stories better than facts? Story bias is the tendency to interpret information as part of a story even though the facts don’t actually support the narrative. Stories are easier to remember than other types of information, which is why we rely on them instead of facts. Keep reading to learn about story bias, why it happens, and how to overcome it.

The Psychology Behind Cognitive Dissonance

What is cognitive dissonance? How do people resolve the uncomfortable feeling that arises as a result of dissonance between cognitions and actions? In psychology, cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort that occurs as a result of holding two conflicting cognitions (e.g. beliefs, values, or attitudes) or acting in ways that contradict those cognitions. To ease this discomfort, people tend to deny the facts or rationalize their thinking to restore cognitive consonance. Keep reading to learn about the psychology of cognitive dissonance.

Leveraging Memory: 2 Learning Strategies for Students

Would you like to learn more, faster? How can you make the best use of your brain’s memory capacity when you study? Your memory capacity is limited. It takes up mental space and energy. Learning How to Learn authors Barbara Oakley and Terrence Sejnowski share two study tips that help you leverage your memory capacity. Keep reading for two learning strategies for students.