Shortform Books

Religion and Mental Illness: Are They Connected?

What is the relationship between religion and mental illness? Is a belief in God a sign of psychopathology? Psychiatrist M. Scott Peck explores the connection between religion and mental illness in his book The Road Less Traveled. Examining the stories of two different women—one a theist and the other an atheist—Peck determines that dogmatism, rather than particular beliefs, is a more likely cause of psychopathology. Read more to learn about the connection between religion and mental illness.

Your Own Personal Religion: Revising Your Worldview

What’s a personal religion? Do you have one? Whether you realize it or not, you have a personal religion—also known as a worldview. It’s your perception of the world and your relationship to it. You might be hanging on to an inherited worldview that doesn’t reflect reality, causing dissonance in your life. You could benefit from understanding how worldview works—and how to revise your own. Read more to learn about personal religion.

Models of Intelligence: Measuring IQ and More

How do you measure intelligence? Do you think it’s possible to come up with an objective and all-encompassing metric of intelligence? If the purpose of learning is to move through life more effectively, the measure of your intelligence should be how well you navigate each day. But, for many reasons, people want a way to quantify cumulative intelligence. There are several models of intelligence that people have developed to understand this. Read more about the most famous and influential models of intelligence and how they compare.

Main Causes of the Wall Street Crash of 1929

What are the causes of the wall street crash of 1929? How did irrational optimism lead to an economic bubble that was bound to burst? The Wall Street Cash of 1929 is one of the most notorious speculative bubbles in history. Causes of the Wall Street Crash range from irrational optimism to the unsavory practices of traders. Understanding the main causes of the wall street crash will help you better understand how economic bubbles form (and why they inevitably burst). Find out the cause of the Wall Street Crash below.

6 Ways You Can Benefit From Embracing Uncertainty

Can you train yourself to embrace uncertainty about your beliefs? How could it make you a better believer? The idea of embracing uncertainty about what you believe can sound scary and even unwise. However, uncertainty can actually make you a better believer. You can learn strategies to leverage uncertainty and cultivate a healthier relationship with your beliefs. Read more to learn how and why to embrace uncertainty.

Scarcity Marketing: How and Why It Works

What is scarcity marketing? Why does the fear of missing out make people want to buy a product? Scarcity marketing is based on the idea that people generally want what they can’t have. If you can make your product seem scarce or difficult to acquire, customers will be more likely to want it. In this way, scarcity marketing can be a great way to increase demand for a product. Keep reading to find out how to use scarcity marketing the right way.

Survivorship Bias: What It Is and How to Overcome It

What is survivorship bias? How does this bias cause us to overestimate the likelihood of success? Survivorship bias is the tendency to mistake the “surviving ” or successful sample as representative of the entire group. This bias causes people to see examples of enormous success as representative of the kind of success any person can expect in that venture or endeavor. For example, people see a fabulously wealthy stockbroker and think, “Trading is very profitable.” Or they see a bestselling author and think, “Writing is a great way to get rich.” In this article, we’ll look at how survivorship bias

The Government and the Economy: Economics Basics

Systemic Inequality and Racial Segregation in Housing

What role does government play in an economy? How would free-market economies function if left to their own devices? The government provides a number of functions that are highly relevant to the economy’s function. Specifically, governments enforce rules on market transactions to ensure a fair and efficient economy. In this article, you’ll learn how the government and the economy work in tandem and several ways the government facilitates a functioning market economy.

Don’t Be a Doormat: 3 Tips for Givers

Do you notice others around you being promoted while your hard work is ignored? Can you tell the difference between honest people and those who are trying to take advantage of you? If you’re a giver, don’t be a doormat in life. It may sound simple, but many givers are easily taken advantage of because of their trusting natures. Here are Adam Grant’s three tips for givers to gain some respect.

Economic Bubbles in History: Tulip Mania to Bitcoin

Are you looking for the best examples of economic bubbles in history? What can you learn from these examples? From tulipmania in 17th Century Holland to the recent speculation around bitcoin, economic bubbles can be seen throughout history. Caused by public speculation and irrational optimism, economic bubbles are an inevitable consequence of the stock market. Keep reading for a complete list of economic bubbles in history.