Shortform Books

Understanding Spontaneous vs. Responsive Desire

What is the difference between spontaneous vs. responsive desire? Why are some people spontaneous and others responsive? Spontaneous desire is the immediate desire evoked by a sexual stimulus. Responsive desire is the desire evoked by physical stimulation like kissing or touching. According to sex researcher Emily Nagoski, spontaneous desire doesn’t equate to more interest in sex, nor does responsive desire equate to less interest in sex. These terms simply describe how different people come to experience desire, and this can change from context to context, or even over time. Sex researcher Emily Nagoski explains why some people turned on more

Who Will Cry When You Die?: Book Overview

What advice does Robin Sharma share in his book Who Will Cry When You Die? What tactics can you use to seize back control of your life? Throughout their lives, many people tend to focus on things like money, work, prestige, and other superficial goals. However, those are also amongst some of the biggest regrets that palliative care nurses hear from their patients. That’s why Robin Sharma put together a book of advice that anybody can follow that will help you take back control in your life and focus on the things that really matter, before it’s too late. Here’s

Deepening Relationships With Responsiveness

How do you establish a stronger connection in a relationship? What’s the key to deepening a relationship? Contrary to what you might think, relationships do not naturally deepen or grow stronger over time. Without regular maintenance, relationships easily plateau—they won’t develop any further without a bit of engineering. A properly maintained relationship has positive peaks that serve as the defining moments that deepen the relationship. Keep reading to learn about the key ingredient of a strong relationship.

The 6 Ways to Deal With Negative Thoughts

Do you want to know how to deal with negative thoughts? Do you often stress about circumstances that are out of your control? How can negative thoughts affect your mental health? The quality of your thoughts, both positive and negative, affect your mental health and state. Focusing on negative thoughts can cause overthinking, anxiety, and depression. So, rather than stressing about things that are beyond your control, learn to reframe your thoughts and improve your mental state. Here are some productive ways to process your fearful and negative thoughts.

What Are Counterfactuals—and How Do They Hurt You?

What are counterfactuals? What’s the difference between an upward and a downward counterfactual? Counterfactuals are the hypothetical situations you imagine—such as wondering what life would be like if you had taken that other job. Counterfactuals can go both ways. Upward counterfactuals are when you imagine how things could be better, and downward counterfactuals are when you think of how things could be worse. Learn more about counterfactuals and how they affect mental health.

All Marketers Tell Stories: Seth Godin’s 5 Principles

What are the principles in the book All Marketers Are Liars? What is Seth Godin’s formula for successful marketing? In All Marketers Are Liars (also titled All Marketers Tell Stories), Seth Godin argues that good marketing is spreading ideas through good storytelling. Everyone is a marketer because everyone has ideas to spread. Often, the story you tell about your idea is just as important as the idea itself. His principles of storytelling can be applied to product marketing, dating, politics, job hunting, and more. Read on to learn the five principles presented in All Marketers Are Liars (All Marketers Tell

How to Take Tests: 5 Steps to Success

Do you know how to take tests well? What strategies work the best? A Mind for Numbers author Barbara Oakley recommends the “hard-start-jump-to-easy” test-taking strategy. It has five steps, and it leverages the way your brain works. We’ll discuss this strategy and compare it with a few others. Keep reading to learn how to take tests.

Here Is Why Women Have Difficulty Having an Orgasm

Why do women have such difficulty having an orgasm? Is the problem anatomical or psychological in its nature? Research shows that men are almost 30% more likely to orgasm than women. According to sex researcher Emily Nagoski, women’s difficulty reaching an orgasm stems from the overactivation of the sexual inhibition system (SIS) due to negative emotions such as stress and shame. Here is why women have difficulty having an orgasm and what they can do to have better and more frequent orgasms.

What Is a Codependent Person? Traits and Causes

What is a codependent person? How does somebody become codependent? In her book Codependent No More, Melody Beattie explores what it means to be codependent and what causes codependency characteristics to develop. The good thing, though, is that—if you realize you have or are developing these negative traits—it’s not too late to reverse the behavior. Continue below to learn all about codependency.

The 3 Categories of Shopping Choices—Explained

What are the three different types of consumer choices? Why can having more shopping choices make you stressed out? According to Barry Schwartz, the author of The Paradox of Choice, there are three types of shopping choices you likely encounter in your life: groceries, electronics, and entertainment. With so many products out there to choose from, Schwartz explains each type of choice and why you should or shouldn’t spend time on them. Learn more about the three types of shopping choices below.