Darya Sinusoid, Author at Shortform Books

Why Modern Academia Fails to Practice Good Science

What does good science look like? What are the implications of scientific research being done in institutions that aren’t even involved in its implementation? In his book Skin in the Game, Nassim Taleb argues that modern academics fail to practice good science because they lack what he calls “skin in the game”—they are isolated from the real world in which their ideas are implemented. Taleb argues that areas of science and academia that lack skin in the game yield faulty, harmful ideas and theories that would cause major damage if implemented at a large scale. In this article, we’ll take

Elizabeth Gilbert: What Kills Creativity

What kills creativity? Do you often put off your creative work because of the pressure to produce something groundbreaking? Many creatives, no matter the field, get stuck in their creative process because they believe their work should look a certain way or live up to some kind of standard they made up. Such prescriptive thoughts prevent you from fully exercising your creativity and ultimately only stymie you. Below are three common prescriptive thoughts that get in the way of your creativity and which you should dispel.

How Mass Employment Causes Inefficiency at Work

Why does mass employment promote inefficiency? Do you think it’s possible to completely eliminate labor market inefficiency? According to Nassim Taleb, inefficiency at work is an unavoidable weakness of mass employment. Employees limit their freedom in order to maintain productive organizations for their employers, and what they get in return—the paycheck. However, it’s impossible to get employees totally invested in the company’s game. In this article, we’ll discuss why inefficiency is an inherent by-product of mass employment.

What to Do If You Feel Like Giving Up on Your Dreams

What do successful people do when they feel like giving up? How can we re-inspire ourselves when pushing forward just feels like too much or worse—pointless? To achieve success, we must resist the urge to give up and our inclination towards losing faith. One way to keep pushing forward when you feel like giving up on your dreams is to amp up your levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Here is what to do when you feel like giving up.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: Discussion Questions

Are you looking for The Five Dysfunctions of a Team discussion questions? What are some of the key themes and ideas to discuss? In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni explores how teams fail to work cohesively through the lens of the five-dysfunction model. Further, he gives advice on how to recognize and root out each dysfunction by working your way up the dysfunction pyramid. To help you evaluate your team on each of the five dysfunctions, we’ve put together some discussion questions.

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind: Review

Is Joseph Murphy’s The Power of Your Subconscious Mind worth reading? Do you believe that you can influence your subconscious mind with conscious thought? In The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, Joseph Murphy argues that you need to align your conscious thoughts with a higher power and have faith that your life will dramatically improve. He supports his argument with anecdotes that demonstrate how people have applied their conscious thoughts to solve a variety of problems, create happiness, and improve their lives. Here is a quick review of The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy.

Skin in the Game: Quotes by Nassim Taleb

Are you looking for Skin in the Game quotes by Nassim Taleb? What are some of the most noteworthy passages worth revisiting? According to intellectual provocateur Nassim Nicholas Taleb, all human systems and endeavors fail because they lack “skin in the game”: something to lose if they don’t achieve their goals. We ignore this simple failsafe far too often, but, according to Taleb, it’s the single most important contributor to human progress. Below are some of his top Skin in the Game quotes with explanations.

Nassim Taleb: Risk Defines Reality

Do you consider yourself a risk-taker? How does risk-taking enrich your life? In his book Skin in the Game, Nassim Taleb argues that risk-taking— having skin in the game—is the essence of life itself. As Taleb puts it, “real life is risk-taking.” He means this literally—by definition, a life without risk is not real life. Taleb is saying that risk defines what we consider to be reality and creates meaning by defining value. In this article, we’ll explore Taleb’s take on risk (that is, having your skin in the game, as Taleb puts it).

Instant Gratification: The Psychology of Self-Sabotage

Why are humans wired to prioritize instant gratification? How does instant gratification lead us astray from our goals? Human nature is embedded in an “immediate-return environment” inherited from early humans and the animal kingdom, where survival and goals were daily concerns. These days, however, instant gratification works against us, not for us. In this article, we’ll explore the psychology of instant gratification, why it’s so hard to resist, and how it leads us astray from achieving success.

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind: Book Overview

What is The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy about? What is the key message you can take away from the book? In his book The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, Joseph Murphy claims that all of your life experiences are the result of the interaction between your conscious and subconscious minds—your subconscious mind creates your life experiences according to your habitual conscious thoughts and ingrained beliefs. Murphy argues that you can use your conscious mind to imprint positive thoughts upon your subconscious mind. Below is a brief overview of the key takeaways.