English philosopher Francis Bacon articulated the concept of confirmation bias before the term even existed. He said, The human understanding, when it has once adopted an opinion, draws all things … to support and agree with it. The saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is one of the oldest idioms in the … Read more

As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness. Henry David Thoreau. I’ll admit it. I used to be quite judgmental about other people’s habits, even when they didn’t concern me one bit. For instance, I inwardly rolled … Read more

Are greener pastures worth chasing or just an optical illusion? A 2009 article in the NY Times described how Mr. Laermer, a quintessential New Yorker, fell in love with La Quinta, a California desert town, during his work trips. So much so that he bought a vacation home there, and over time, made it his … Read more

Intellectual curiosity: the official excuse for going down the Wikipedia rabbit hole at 2 a.m. – Unknown The NY city school system had an established process to identify “bright” 10 – 12-year-old children in schools and place them in rapid advancement classes that would enable pupils to complete three years of schoolwork in two and … Read more

Here’s a quote from Audrey Hepburn on being alone. I have to be alone very often. I’d be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That’s how I refuel. The year was 1960. As was tradition, almost three quarters of a million Americans were preparing to head … Read more

You are only as strong as your weakest link. A different kind of chip scarcity “The end of the world (as we know it) is here,” claimed a rather dramatic post in December 2021. The post wasn’t referring to the Covid-19 crisis, but instead was a response to McDonald’s announcement that they’d ration French fries … Read more

Unlike self-criticism, which asks whether you’re good enough, self-compassion asks, “what’s good for you?” Dr.Kristin Neff Most of us, when we’re not trying to remember where we put our phones, or whether there’s spinach stuck between our teeth, are too busy berating ourselves for how inadequate we are and what we could have, would have, … Read more

Knowing is not doing because, as John Maxwell said, “The greatest gap in the world is the gap between knowing and doing.” We all have “reasons” for why we procrastinate on our most important tasks. Our pencils aren’t sharp enough to write, the installed software isn’t quite adequate to code, the weather’s too windy to … Read more

I won’t blame you if the title of this article turns you into a doomsday prepper and sends you scampering off to the office supplies store to stock up on bubble wrap. That’s not my intent. At least don’t bother with the bubble-wrap. The truth is, adversity isn’t just something that happens to others. It … Read more

Everyone from Aristotle to Homer Simpson to my neighbor’s cat has opinions on what “purpose in life” really means. The reality is the definition of a purposeful life isn’t as abstract as it sounds and, judging by what research studies have shown, it really helps us to have some purpose in life. Sorry YOLO’ers. Mrs. … Read more

It’s easy to look all around us, especially the online spaces we inhabit, and conclude that decency is dead. But the truth is, it’s possible to disagree with decency. Human nature is complex. Even if we do have inclinations toward violence, we also have an inclination to empathy, to cooperation, to self-control. Steven Pinker. Monkey … Read more

A muse is a reference to either a literal person or to a supernatural force that serves as someone’s source of artistic inspiration. For centuries, we’ve believed in the power of the muse to guide our creative pursuits. The question is: how far does the muse help us in our creative endeavors and is it … Read more

Move over, Tom Cruise. There are new superstars in town, or at least, in our imaginations. Us—You and me. Okay, we may not be shooting down enemy planes or blowing up restaurants and running out in slow-motion, but we still have central casting in the movies constantly running in our heads. Our ability to see … Read more

Behind every shine, there is a lot of grind. Everyone wants the shine. The grind? Not so much. What’s in a name? Parents name their child after a famous person or character sometimes as a tribute, but often hoping that simply by sharing a common name, the child will somehow inherit a few of the … Read more

People have a need for certainty – and that need for certainty is in every human being, certainty that you can avoid pain, certainty that you can at least be comfortable. It’s a survival instinct. Tony Robbins In 2020, after the pandemic hit, the NY Times published an article titled “The island brokers are overwhelmed.” … Read more

I’m going to go out on a limb and make a prediction. You, or someone you know well, would like to make at least one positive change this year. Maybe the goal is to get healthier/fitter/leaner/stronger. Or, maybe, you simply want to perfect your favorite celebrity impression (no one’s judging) by the end of the … Read more