Darya Sinusoid

Darya’s love for reading started with fantasy novels (The LOTR trilogy is still her all-time-favorite). Growing up, however, she found herself transitioning to non-fiction, psychological, and self-help books. She has a degree in Psychology and a deep passion for the subject. She likes reading research-informed books that distill the workings of the human brain/mind/consciousness and thinking of ways to apply the insights to her own life. Some of her favorites include Thinking, Fast and Slow, How We Decide, and The Wisdom of the Enneagram.

The Power of Snap Decisions: Decide, Don’t Think

How do we make snap decisions? In what circumstance is it a good idea to make a snap decision, trusting your gut? Snap decisions are made on the fly—unconsciously, without rational deliberation. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. According to Malcolm Gladwell, the author of Blink, in some circumstances, it’s better to decide on the fly than to deliberate on how to proceed. Keep reading to learn about the power of snap decision-making, why some snap decisions are better than others, and how to make better snap decisions.

Can You Hate Your Job and Still Be Happy?

Can you hate your job and still be happy? Why do so many people continue working unfulfilling, soul-sucking jobs, not even trying to escape? Considering you spend a third of your life working, that might be a tall order. Working an unfulfilling job day in and day out is soul-sucking, yet many people won’t even try to escape because they conceive of their work as something they have to endure. Here’s how this line of thinking—that work is something you have to endure—erodes your happiness.

Narrative Fallacy: Rationalizing the Irrational

What is a narrative fallacy? Why do we have such a strong urge to rationalize our decisions and behavior through narrative? A narrative fallacy is the tendency to explain random or irrational decisions, events, and behavior with coherent stories. The narrative fallacy is a form of rationalizing: We tend to feel that there’s a rational reason for everything we do. When we don’t know why we’ve made a certain decision, we make up a coherent narrative about how we arrived at it. Learn about the narrative fallacy, why it occurs, and how to counteract it.

Busy But Not Productive: How to Reclaim Your Time

The 25 Cognitive Biases: Doubt Avoidance Tendency

Do you feel like you’re always doing something but barely getting anything done? In other words, are you busy but not productive? Many people feel like they are busy all the time but they don’t see the “products of their business.” This is because there is a fine line between being busy and being productive. Being busy but not productive is a sign of either inefficiency or poor time management. Here’s how being busy (but not productive) eats away at your mental energy and what you can do about it.

Facial Microexpressions: What Are They?

What are microexpressions? Can facial microexpressions be detected by the naked eye? We can get better at understanding others, and consequently make more accurate judgments about them, by practicing reading people’s microexpressions—facial expressions that last for only a fraction of a second. Microexpressions are almost imperceptible to an untrained, naked eye, but with training, you can become better at detecting them. Let’s take a closer look at how we “thin-slice” people, or make judgments about them by reading (or failing to read) their microexpressions.

The Happiness Equation Quotes by Neil Pasricha

Are you looking for The Happiness Equation quotes by Neil Pasricha? What are some of the most noteworthy passages worth revisiting? Happiness has many benefits—it positively impacts your attitude, your chances of success, and the circumstances that play out in your life. Despite knowing this, many people find it difficult to feel consistently happy. In The Happiness Equation, best-selling author Neil Pasricha claims you can overcome this difficulty by training yourself to feel happier. He explores common obstacles to happiness and provides solutions that help boost your enthusiasm for life. Below is a selection of passages with explanations.

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell: Review & Critical Reception

What is Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink about? What is the key message to take away from the book? In his book Blink, Gladwell questions the widespread assumption that snap judgments are bad, asking: How do our snap judgments compare to our rational, well-thought-out decisions? He argues that our snap judgments are often just as good as our deliberate decisions. Below is our Blink book review, including background and critical reception.

Rationalization: The Psychology of Denial

Why is irrationality so uncomfortable? Can knowledge that is not backed by a rational explanation ever be true? Why do we feel such a strong urge to rationalize our decisions and behaviors? Knowledge without a rational explanation is a double-edged sword. This type of knowledge can be the truest, deepest kind, but it can also harbor biases. Because most of us don’t feel comfortable if we don’t know exactly what made us arrive at a particular judgment or decision, we tend to rationalize. But instead of helping us to uncover the truth, rationalizing often takes us further away from it.

How to Improve Productivity: 6 Tips to Get More Done

What hinders productivity? How can you reduce the burden of trivial, insignificant tasks and free up the space to focus on what really matters? One of the most common hindrances to productivity is being occupied with trivia. Trivial tasks contribute to stress and overwhelm as they waste your time, deplete your energy, and slow down progress on your goals. For example, deliberating over how to start an email uses up time and energy, distracts you from productive tasks, and eats into your relaxation time. But the result offers no benefits. Here’s how to improve productivity by eliminating or streamlining tasks and

The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha—Overview

What is Neil Pasricha’s The Happiness Equation about? What are the four obstacles to happiness? In The Happiness Equation, Neil Pasricha discusses four common obstacles that prevent us from finding happiness: 1) relying on external circumstances to make you happy, 2) seeking approval from others, 3) working for the weekend, and 4) wasting mental energy. He claims that though these obstacles are pervasive, they’re surmountable: You can train yourself to feel happier. Let’s take a look at each of these four obstacles and Pasricha’s actionable solutions for overcoming them.