The World's Best Book Summaries
What does an authentic life look like? How is it achieved? In The Road Less Traveled, psychiatrist M. Scott Peck argues that habitual lying in avoidance of reality ultimately leads to mental illness. On the other hand, an authentic life leads to growth, healthy relationships, and real freedom. He offers five rules for balanced truth-telling that help you navigate this tricky area of life. Keep reading to learn about living an authentic life.
What’s the problem with living a me-focused life? Why is it important to balance the two Adams that live inside of you? In his book The Road to Character, David Brooks discusses the shift in the societal focus from “we” to “me.” To demonstrate that shift, Brooks talks about the idea that there are two Adams that live inside you, Adam 1 and Adam 2. Brooks says that you don’t need to choose sides, rather, you need to find a healthy balance between the two Adams. Keep reading to learn about the problems with a me-focused attitude and how to
Do you evaluate results after you make decisions? What can you learn by doing so? Learning from experience is a powerful way to grow. Whether it’s a decision you made—or a decision someone else made—you should evaluate results and use them as learning opportunities. Read more to learn why and how to evaluate the results of decisions.
What are self-serving attributions? How do they keep us from learning and growing? Self-serving attributions are a form of bias that we’re all guilty of at times. If our decision turns out well, we attribute it to our skill. If it doesn’t, we call it bad luck. When we think this way, we fail to learn from experience because we’ve mischaracterized the experience. To learn and grow, we should look honestly at ourselves—and at others. Continue reading to learn how self-serving attributions might be getting in the way of growth.
How is the ability to adapt important for personal growth and mental health? How does this ability relate to the power of letting go? Healthy navigation of life requires an ability to adapt. In The Road Less Traveled, psychiatrist M. Scott Peck calls this balance, which is a component of discipline. It allows us to remain flexible, moderating our behaviors when beneficial. It also requires sacrifices, and we would do well to embrace the power of letting go in order to grow. Keep reading to learn how the ability to adapt is an important part of mental well-being.
What advice can help depressed Christians? What does the bible say about negative thinking? A negative mindset can create a destructive chain of thinking that impacts your behavior, self-esteem, and personal relationships. Depressed Christians can turn to the bible for support and advice when times are tough. Here is some of the best biblical advice for depressed Christians.
What is Adam Grant’s book Give and Take about? What are the main takeaways? In his book Give and Take, Adam Grant discusses three reciprocity styles: giving, matching, and taking. He highlights the pros and cons of each style and explains why, contrary to the popular belief, givers tend to become the most successful. Here is a brief overview of Give and Take by Adam Grant
What is the process of change? What roles do thought and emotion play? It’s widely believed that the process of change involves thoughtful analysis. However, most of the time, the process involves experience and feelings. That’s why using an appeal to emotion can lead to effective change. Keep reading to learn how to leverage the process of change.
Do you create and celebrate milestones on the way toward a goal? How can celebrating small milestones help you speed up your progress? When you want to reach a distant goal or make a big change, setting and celebrating milestones along the way is critical to reaching the goal and making the change stick. These tactics work because they build emotional momentum and minimize the effort required to make change. Keep reading to learn about the impact of celebrating milestones.
How is life like a poker game? What can poker teach us about dealing with uncertainty? Life is full of unknowns. We must learn how to deal with uncertainty as we make decisions. If we consider how life is like a poker game, we can learn valuable lessons that we can apply to the decision-making process. Read on to learn how to deal with uncertainty in life.