Shortform Books

Urge Surfing: Battling Urges With Mindfulness

What is urge surfing? How can practicing the urge surfing technique help you resist the impulse to perform unwanted behaviors? Urge surfing is a therapeutic technique for dealing with unwanted urges. It’s based on the idea that most urges won’t persist for longer than 30 minutes, provided that we don’t give in to the urge or “refresh” it by giving it attention or fighting it. Keep reading to learn about the concept of urge surfing and how it can help you resist unwanted behavior.

Suffering for Christ: The Hallmark of Discipleship

Do you experience suffering as a result of following Christ? Should you expect to? According to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, suffering for Christ is central to the discipleship experience. He argues that, as disciples become more and more like Christ, they are treated more and more like Christ was treated on earth. So, Christians should expect to be persecuted. This is part of the cost of discipleship. Read more to learn about suffering for Christ.

Personality and Communication: The 4 Different Styles

Do you work with a wide variety of personalities? Do you ever struggle to interpret their emails or tone? Thomas Erikson, the author of Surrounded by Idiots, categorizes people into four personality colors: Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue. Each personality has unique characteristics and behaviors that can sometimes make working together difficult. Here’s how to better understand the connection between personality and communication style.

Gender in Sports: It’s Not So Black and White

Why are sports divided by gender? How is sex defined in sports? Sports divide men’s and women’s events into two distinct categories for good reason, yet on the level of the individual athlete, the distinction between the sexes is not so easy to define. In sports, the biological distinction between male and female is not black and white. Let’s explore the issue of gender in sports to help shed light on the matter.

Problems With the Federal Reserve (According to MMT)

How does the federal reserve set monetary policy? Why does economist Stephanie Kelton believe that the Fed is causing needless suffering in the United States? In her book The Deficit Myth, Kelton (a believer in modern monetary theory) thinks that the federal reserve is too conservative and overreacts when it comes to the fear of inflation. Kelton and other MMT proponents believe in using a combination of deficit spending and low interest rates to boost demand and create full employment instead. Below, we will discuss the problems with the Federal Reserve, according to Stephanie Kelton.

The Best Self-Help Authors, According to Dan Harris

Who does self-help author Dan Harris list as the best self-help authors? What made these authors stand apart from the rest? Despite finding a few pieces of helpful advice from Tolle, Chopra, and Brach, Harris still had many questions about mindfulness. He eventually found mentors who introduced him to meditation and Buddhism and who helped shape his appreciation of mindfulness. Three of these gurus were Mark Epstein, Joseph Goldstein, and Spring Washam.

Matching Personalities—The Best and Worst Pairings

Have you taken a personality test (whether it be the color model, DISC, or Myers-Briggs)? Which personalities do you match up best with? Which personality types should you avoid? Probably the three most common personality tests are Myers-Briggs, DISC, and Thomas Erikson’s color model. While matching personalities isn’t an exact science, there are certain pairs that tend to match up well—and others that tend to end in disaster. Here, we’ll go over the personality pairings from the top three personality models.

Exceed Customer Expectations to Gain Loyalty

Does your business exceed customer expectations? Why isn’t it good enough to simply meet customer expectations? In their business fable Raving Fans, management experts Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles say that, if you want to create “raving fans” of your business, you need to go beyond meeting expectations. It’s only when you exceed a customer’s expectations that they become loyal to your company. Here’s why you should aim to exceed rather than satisfy.

What’s the Ideal Swimming Body Type?

What’s the best body type for swimming? Why do elite swimmers tend to have the same physical characteristics? Although swimmers with varying body types have found success in the sport, most swimmers who compete at the international level have the same body type. They tend to be tall, have long torsos, and have rather short legs. Keep reading to learn about the science behind the swimming body type.

The Courage to Be Disliked: Book Overview

What is the book The Courage to Be Disliked about? How does the book relate to the “individual psychology” school of thought? The book The Courage to Be Disliked argues one major point: happiness is a choice. The book is essentially a retelling of famous psychologist Alfred Adler’s ideas in a self-help format. Continue below to learn more about The Courage to Be Disliked book.