Shortform Books

Caste and Religion: Using Faith to Justify Discrimination

What is the connection between caste and religion? How does the dominant caste use religious belief systems to perpetuate its supremacist ideology? Caste and religion are deeply interconnected. More specifically, every caste system is built on and justified by religious beliefs. There is a reason for it—when a system is said to be the will of God, it becomes nearly impossible to argue the legitimacy of its claims. Learn about the connection between caste and religion with examples of how faith has been used to support caste systems in India and America.

Thomas Kuhn’s Philosophy of Science Explained

What is Thomas Kuhn’s philosophy of science? How did his ideas revolutionize the way scientists think about the development of science? The central tenet of Kuhn’s philosophy of science is the distinction between normal and revolutionary science. Normal science is a progressively cumulative compendium of knowledge within the established paradigms. Revolutionary science happens when there is a shift from the set paradigm. Read more to learn about Thomas Kuhn’s philosophy of science.

Mr. Market: A Cautionary Tale of Investing Groupthink

What is Mr. Market? How does Benjamin Graham use Mr. Market in The Intelligent Investor to help you understand the danger of groupthink? Mr. Market is an allegory that Benjamin Graham introduced in The Intelligent Investor. Mr. Market is meant to serve as the popular opinion on stock trading, and Graham encourages you to think carefully about instances where you might encounter this. Read more about the meaning of Mr. Market with examples.

Observing Without Evaluating: What Does It Mean?

What does “observing without evaluating” mean? How can you apply this idea in practice? Observing without evaluating is the first step of the nonviolent communication approach. As the name suggests, it refers to communicating our observations without passing evaluative or moralistic judgment upon them. Read about observing without evaluating and how to apply it in practice.

How to Deal With Failure: Reframe It for Success

Do you have trouble moving on when life doesn’t go the way you wanted to? Do you wonder how to deal with failure more effectively? Failure will happen to each and every one of us in some form or another. When life throws curve balls at you, you may start to wonder about how to deal with failure—how to recover from it emotionally and put it behind you mentally. Read about how to deal with failure and bounce back from it better than before.

Psychological Safety at Work Leads to Better Results

What is psychological safety at work? How can you cultivate it and why is it important? Psychological safety at work is the trust that allows teams to do their best work. People are able to have productive conflicts and discussions without it bleeding over into a personal relationship conflict. Read on for more about psychological safety at work and how to create it.

The Social Introvert and How They Form Relationships

What is a social introvert? Does that kind of person exist or is it a contradiction? While it may seem counterintuitive, introverts can be very social but their socializing looks different than an extrovert. A social introvert focuses on a few close friends and meaningful interactions. Read on for more about the social introvert and what that means.

The Quiet Author and Her Personal Experiences

Who is the Quiet author? How do her experiences shape her writing and what do those experiences tell us about introverts in society? Quiet author Susan Cain struggled with the conflict between her introversion and the public speaking component of her job. He shares her experience and research to show how you can stretch beyond your temperament. Read on for more about the Quiet author and what she shared.

The Intelligent Investor: Lessons for Making Money

What are the best The Intelligent Investor lessons you can learn from Benjamin Graham’s classic investing book? These The Intelligent Investor lessons outline Graham’s top principles for investing, as well as his strategies for the different ways you can invest and manage your money. Benjamin Graham promotes level-headedness, careful management, and self-determination. Read these The Intelligent Investor lessons below.

Racial Scapegoating: Blame the Minority

What is racial scapegoating? How does victim-blaming of the racial minorities contribute to reinforcement of the white supremacist ideology? Racial scapegoating is the practice of singling out a racial group for unmerited blame and the ensuing punishment. In doing so, the dominant caste feels relief that they’re not at fault, reinforcing their forged status of superiority. Keep reading for more about racial scapegoating and some of its historical examples.