Shortform Books

Understanding the Conscious and Subconscious Minds

What is the difference between the conscious and the subconscious mind? How much of the brain activity takes place in your subconscious? How do the conscious and the subconscious minds interact? Your mind is made up of two parts: the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. Over 90% of your brain’s activity takes place in your subconscious mind—it’s a reservoir of thoughts, feelings, and memories that lies beneath your conscious awareness. Your conscious mind contains all of the thoughts and feelings that you’re aware of at any given moment. In this article, we’ll explore each part individually and how they

Nassim Taleb: What Drives Virtuous Behavior?

What drives virtuous behavior? How can readiness to take risks reflect one’s ability to do good deeds for others? According to Nassim Taleb, having your skin in the game (the willingness to take risks and make sacrifices) is a necessary ingredient in any good deed imaginable. Without skin in the game, virtuous behavior that appears honorable on the surface is, at best, cheapened and ineffective, and at worst, inauthentic and malicious. In both cases, Taleb argues that the risks of skin in the game prove that you are what you claim to be. In this article, we’ll explore Taleb’s notion

Why Does Inequality Exist in the World?

Why does inequality exist? Do you think some economic equality is healthy for the world? Economic inequality is a sad reality of life. Interestingly, however, people around the world think that some economic inequality is good—although they want far less than there currently is. In this article, we’ll discuss why most people don’t want total equality. We’ll also discuss some hypothetical opinions as to what level of inequality would be ideal.

Apotheosis—The Hero’s Journey Leads to Nirvana

What is apotheosis in the hero’s journey? How do cultures typically depict this stage of enlightenment? The apotheosis stage of the hero’s journey is when the hero conquers his fears and the bounds of consciousness to reach a divine state. Ancient cultures often depict this figure of ultimate enlightenment in both male and female forms. For example, ancient Chinese lore embodies both masculine Yang and feminine Yin. Read on to learn more about the Apotheosis stage of the hero’s journey.

Elizabeth Gilbert: Big Magic Is the Realm of Creativity

How does Elizabeth Gilbert define “Big Magic”? Is creativity a prerogative of the lucky few or can anyone learn to be creative? In her book Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert argues that creativity is not just a domain of a few brilliant professional artists, but rather an enriching way of life anyone can adopt at any time. If you embrace, creativity, she says, you’ll experience “Big Magic”: a mystical or spiritual force of creativity that brings joy and purpose. In this article, we’ll explore four keys to a good relationship with your creativity and “Big Magic” or Creative Sorcery.

Castes in America: Echoes of the Past

Why has there been an increase in the number of suicides and drug-related deaths amongst middle-aged, white Americans? Could the castes in America be part of the reason? When the caste system that mistreats people of color in America was established hundreds of years ago, we couldn’t have predicted the repercussions it would have on the future of white Americans. In her book Caste, Isabel Wilkerson explores how the modern focus on diversity and equality is pushing white Southerners to the edge. Continue reading to learn about the unintended consequences of the castes in America.

Understanding the Use-It-or-Lose-It Tendency

The 25 Cognitive Biases: Use-It-or-Lose-It Tendency

What is the use-it-or-lose-it tendency? How do you stop valuable skills from depreciating? The use-it-or-lose-it tendency is the inclination of skills to decline over time if unused. It is impossible to say the level of skill that would be lost within a set period of time, but skills that have been mastered will depreciate more slowly than skills that have not been fully developed. You can prevent skill depreciation by constantly practicing skills you can’t afford to lose. Read on to learn more about the use-it-or-lose-it tendency.

The Lake Wobegon Effect: Check Your Ego

The 25 Cognitive Biases: The Lake Wobegon Effect

What is the Lake Wobegon effect? How do you check this tendency? The Lake Wobegon effect is the tendency to like yourself so much that you overestimate your capabilities and become excessively self-confident. You can check this tendency by focusing on being more objective when thinking about yourself, your decisions, and anything you are attached to. Read on to learn more about the Lake Wobegon effect.

John Kotter: Change Management Is a Team Effort

What does John Kotter say about managing change? How is leading change similar to a team sport? Why is it so important to properly support developing leaders? According to John Kotter, change management is a team effort and should not all fall on one individual. This is because many organizations are interdependent, and a change in one department could dramatically affect another one. Here’s what Kotter says about managing change in an organization.

Why Cash Flow and Cash Position Matter

Do you stay on top of your business’s cash flow and cash position? How are they connected to your vision? If you’re a business owner, you naturally keep an eye on profits. But, to ensure that your business continues to grow and stay on track, you also must remain aware of your cash flow and cash position. These are vital pieces to your overall strategy. Keep reading to learn about cash flow and cash position for your business.