The World's Best Book Summaries
Do soldiers enjoy killing? If killing is against human nature, why do people choose to join the military? There’s a common misconception that soldiers get a kick out of the thrill of killing. After all, people choose this profession consciously, knowing what it entails. But soldiers do not enjoy killing. In fact, most soldiers will go to great lengths to avoid killing in battles. Here’s why soldiers do not, in fact, enjoy killing.
What makes a person trustworthy? How do experts define trustworthiness? Why is being trustworthy one of your most valuable assets? Stephen Covey identified five rules for what makes a person trustworthy in his book The Speed of Trust. According to Covey, by fulfilling these five rules, you can start building high-trust relationships in your personal and professional life. Keep reading to learn Stephen Covey’s five rules for what makes a person trustworthy.
Do you think the world is largely a positive place? How does the way you think about and interpret the world influence the way you experience it? No life experience has inherent qualities of its own—such as being good, bad, right, or wrong. You only assign these values to them because of the way you think about and interpret them. Over time, your habitual ways of thinking are reinforced through feedback loops. Keep reading to learn about the psychology of feedback loops and how they shape your reality.
Are humans inherently good or evil? Are we born good and corrupted by civilization? Or does civilization correct and curb our inherently evil nature? For millennia, philosophers have debated humankind’s true nature. According to author Rutger Bregman, there are two philosophers in particular who’ve shaped this debate: Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Hobbes believed that humans are inherently selfish and cruel, whereas Rousseau maintained that we’re fundamentally decent and want to do the right thing. Let’s take a look at both sides of the debate.
What are the effects of imperfect parenting? How does parenting affect our romantic relationships? How your parents raised you will define you for the rest of your life, especially in romantic relationships. In Getting the Love You Want, Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt say that imperfect parenting can cause you to seek out romantic partners that resemble your parents. Read below for the effects of imperfect parenting on your adult relationships.
What is the importance of knowing how to make someone trust you? What is the best way to earn someone’s trust? According to The Speed of Trust author Stephen Covey, trust is your most valuable asset in life, yet society greatly undervalues trust in relationships. When learning how to make someone trust you, Covey suggests giving trust is just as important as earning trust. Keep reading to learn how to make someone trust you, according to Covey’s explanation.
Do you often suppress your feelings to avoid confrontation or disagreement? What are the psychological consequences of suppressing your feelings? Suppressing your feelings is a negative mental habit that can have a serious effect on your psychological well-being. Suppressed feelings continue to live on inside you, get stronger the more you try to deny them, and morph into irrational thought patterns and emotional reactions that stifle your capacity to feel positive emotions. Learn about the consequences of suppressing your feelings and some ways to release them.
Are humans fundamentally good or bad? Or are we neither? How do expectations define human behavior? In his book Humankind, Rutger Bregman argues that our view of humanity creates a feedback loop. In other words, we get what we expect from people. By changing our mindsets, we can create a positive feedback loop that leads to a friendlier and more peaceful world. In this article, we’ll discuss why Bregman believes having a more positive outlook on humanity can create positive change in our society.
What is the Imago Dialogue? How do you use it to improve relationships? According to Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt in Getting the Love You Want, the Imago Dialogue is a communication tool to down emotional walls. This tool is especially useful for couples who have trouble communicating relationship problems. Read below to learn more about the Imago Dialogue.
Do you sometimes think something and wonder: “How on earth could I have thought that?” Where do thoughts come from? Is it possible to control your thoughts? As the popular adage goes, you shouldn’t believe everything you think. While you can’t totally control the stream of your consciousness, you can control how to react to the thoughts that come to your mind—whether to brush them off or to give them weight by entertaining them further. With this in mind, here’s how to control your thoughts.