Shortform Books

How to Reframe Your Thoughts for More Positivity

How to Develop a Positive Sales Attitude

Do you often find yourself stuck in negative thinking patterns? What can you do to train your mind to think more positively? According to Joseph Murphy, the author of The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, negative, self-sabotaging thoughts can block the flow of Universal Consciousness into your life. When this flow is blocked, you are more likely to attract negative experiences into your life. In this article, we’ll explore specific methods you can use to reframe your thoughts for more positivity.

Mitigating Political Polarization in America

What are the dangers of political polarization? What might some solutions be to mitigate political polarization in America? According to Levitsky and Ziblatt, the authors of How Democracies Die, party polarization tends to lead to the erosion of democratic norms and the destruction of democracy. They define polarization as the disappearance of the middle ground in politics, in which parties do not differ merely on basic ideology or matters of public policy—but, instead, are sorted into mutually incompatible worldviews. In this article, we’ll discuss Levitsky and Ziblatt’s solution to the extreme partisan divide.

The Availability Bias: Prioritizing New Information

What is the availability bias? How do you curb the availability heuristic bias? The availability bias is the tendency to over-inflate the value of information that is recently available and ignore other important data that would have helped in making a better decision. You can curb this tendency by always using a methodical decision-making process. Read on to learn more about the availability bias.

What Is the Curse of Dimensionality?

What is the curse of dimensionality? Is it ever possible to predict the behavior of a complex system? The curse of dimensionality is a mathematical principle that states that as a system grows, the rate at which it becomes complex accelerates. In his book Skin in the Game, Nassim Taleb argues that because of the curse of dimensionality, complex systems are impossible to reliably predict—any adjustment made to a large, complex system will cause an avalanche of unintended side effects. Without the true knowledge gained from failure, we would never know enough to navigate the infinitely complex world. In this

The Folly in the Hero’s Quest for Physical Immortality

What is physical immortality? How does the quest for immortality end for the hero? Physical immortality is everlasting life, a state that allows a person to cheat death and maintain conscious thought. For a hero, the quest for immortality always ends in failure because it goes against the purpose of the hero’s existence, which is the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. This is why mythical heroes like King Midas faced misfortune when he chose worldly possessions over spiritual insight. Read on to discover more about the foolishness in any hero’s quest for physical immortality.

Your Creative Genius Is Outside of You

Do you believe everyone has a creative genius inside? Or do you think creativity is the prerogative of the lucky few? In her book Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert advises that you view your creative genius as an entity that exists outside of you which occasionally graces you with visits. This perspective, she says, helps you to hang on to your creative freedom over the long term by reducing personal responsibility for brilliance. In this article, we’ll explore Gilbert’s concept of creative genius.

Centralized Government Does More Harm Than Good

What are the disadvantages of centralized government? Why does concentrating power in one central authority do more harm than good? In his book Skin in the Game, Nassim Taleb argues that centralization of power is not just suboptimal, but damaging to human societies. Large governments manage such large, complex systems that their intervention and attempts at restructuring are far more likely to be harmful than beneficial. In this article, we’ll explore Taleb’s argument against centralized government.

The Rise of Colonial Nationalism

How did the British colonies find their own sense of nationalism after being colonized? How did Western-style nationalism spread to the East? The term “colonial nationalism” refers to the fight for independence and autonomy in many nations that were colonized by Europeans. Ironically, it was actually the European colonization process that gave many nations the tools to fight back against the Europeans and develop their own sense of nationalism. Continue reading to learn how nationalism spread around the world after the spread of European colonization.

The Optimism Bias: Curb Your Expectations

The 25 Cognitive Biases: The Optimism Bias

What is the optimism bias? How do you curb unrealistic optimism? The optimism bias is the tendency to believe that you are less likely to have a negative experience and be overconfident in your chances of experiencing positive events. It is this cognitive bias that fuels gambling. You can control the tendency by habitually using probability maths in your decision-making process. Read on to learn more about the optimism bias.

Leading Change: Quotes by John P. Kotter

What does John Kotter have to say about his 8-step model for change? What are some of the most noteworthy passages worth revisiting from Leading Change? In Leading Change, John P. Kotter argues that in a fully globalized and ever-evolving economic environment, successful firms are those that can implement long-term change. This enables them to stay competitive in a rapidly shifting market, respond effectively to new threats, and take advantage of new opportunities. Below is a selection of Leading Change quotes with explanations.