Shortform Books

How to Engineer the “Aha!” Moment

Have you ever had an “aha!” moment? What do you think prompted your aha realization? Aha moments inspire realizations or transformations that affect your future choices and actions. Such moments usually strike spontaneously, but you can also engineer them on demand. In their book The Power of Moments, Chip and Dan Heath explain how to prompt moments of discovery that deliver a shock that may change your way of thinking or even the course of your life. In this article, we’ll explore the three ways Heaths suggest that you can spark the aha moment on demand.

How to Deal With Anger in a Healthy Way

Do you struggle to control your anger? How can anger be used as a tool? In her book Codependent No More, self-help author Melody Beattie discusses the importance of anger and how to handle it in a way that won’t cause damage to yourself and others. Anger is a natural emotion and isn’t bad unless you try to repress it. Keep reading to learn how to deal with anger properly.

Lack of Sexual Desire? Causes and Solutions

What causes a lack of sexual desire? Does a lack of desire happen mostly due to physical or psychological factors? According to sex researcher Emily Nagoski, lack of desire can most often be attributed to psychological factors (e.g. context, emotional states). In her book Come as You Are, she even goes as far as to say that there isn’t really a lack of desire—just an abundance of the wrong contextual factors, such as the circumstances, emotional states, and cultural messaging. Here is what Nagoski has to say about the lack of desire and what to do about it.

Declutter Your Mind to Think Like a Monk

Is your mind full of clutter such as feelings of overwhelm, confusion, and anxiety? How can you declutter your mind and invite more clarity into your life? Jay Shetty, the author of Think Like a Monk, says there are three steps to developing a monk mindset: purify, clarity, and exemplify. The first stage, purify, involves decluttering your mind so you can focus on what really matters. Keep reading to learn about purifying your mind.

How Greed Fueled the 2008 Subprime Mortgage Crisis

Suburban Flight and The Role of The Government

What caused the United States subprime mortgage crisis in 2008? How did the mortgage meltdown spill out into a global financial crisis? The United States subprime mortgage crisis was years in the making. However, few could anticipate one of the biggest financial crises in history—in spite of the warning signs. At its heart, was a relatively new class of asset: the mortgage-backed security. In this article, we’ll discuss how mortgage-backed securities caused the biggest financial crisis in the eight preceding decades.

Why More Is Less: The Downsides of Maximizing

Why is it better to be a satisficer than a maximizer? How can maximizing actually lead to anxiety and depression? There are two types of decision-makers: maximizers and satisficers. Maximizers try to weigh every option and won’t make a decision until they’re sure that it’s the best one. Alternatively, satisficers will settle for an option that is “good enough.” You would think that maximizers would be happier in the end because they made the better choice. However, satisficers tend to come out on top. Continue reading to learn why more is less.

The 2 Most Entrenched Myths About Sexuality

What are the most common myths about sexuality? How does buying into these myths affect our sexual experience? There are a lot of misconceptions about sex that even experienced adults still believe and perpetuate. In her book Come as You Are, sex researcher Emily Nagoski points out a few harmful but common misconceptions about sexuality perpetuated by society. Let’s debunk the two most entrenched myths that are still prevalent in our understanding of sexuality.

Robert Kiyosaki’s 4 Simple Skills for Building Wealth

What do self-made millionaires have in common? What is their secret to building wealth? Most people believe that the key to wealth is getting a “good,” high-paying job. But according to Robert Kiyosaki, wealth generation requires a different skillset and mindset. Learn about the mindset and the soft skills central to wealth building, according to Kiyosaki.

How to Spread Kindness: 6 Simple Strategies

Do you want to know how to spread kindness? How can practicing kindness help you gain control of your life? The thought of spreading kindness can sometimes be easier said than done. When we get caught up in the everyday ebb and flow of life, it’s easy to forget to take a step back and to do something nice for ourselves or others. However, the act of spreading kindness can actually help pull you out of that everyday routine, reduce stress, and release negative feelings. Here are six tips for spreading kindness every day.

What Is Hedonic Adaptation? Understand & Overcome It

What is hedonic adaptation? Why do things that once excited you become more disappointing each time you do them? Can this tendency be overcome? Hedonic adaptation is when you really enjoy something the first time you experience it, but the more you get used to it, the less pleasurable it becomes. This tendency is impossible to outrun, but it is possible to learn to live with it. Learn more about hedonic adaptation below.