We are constantly told that what others think of us is none of our business. That we can’t please everyone, and that we shouldn’t care if others like us or not. And this ‘advice’ has evolved over the past decade. Now we have to be authentic. We all need to learn the ‘subtle art of…
Happiness isn’t the answer to a good life
Happiness is a trap. And yet, over the past four decades happiness has evolved to become the singular outcome that defines a good life.
Why we sabotage tomorrow through lack of sleep tonight
I discovered this week that there is a Chinese word, 報復性熬夜 (pronounced – Bàofù xìng áoyè). Translated, the word roughly means, revenge bedtime procrastination. The term describes people who feel they don’t have much control over their lives during the day, who avoid sleep and stay up late in an attempt to regain a semblance of…
A successful life – an alternative definition
Many things divide us. Religion, politics, economics, race, even music can drive a wedge between people. However, when it comes to success we all seem to be violently in agreement. If you live in an OECD country you’ll probably agree that most of the names on this list belong to successful people; Steve Jobs, Elon…
Understanding ‘giving up’
This past week I have been watching a reality TV show called Alone. 10 survivalists are dropped off in 10 different locations across an inhospitable part of the world, beset with bears, wolves and cougars and left to fend for themselves – alone. The show claims that there are no camera crews following the contestants…
On reading less
Reading books is becoming cool again. Book reading is up there with kale, meditation, stoicism and mental models. And in some circles, the number of books you read has become a representation of how intelligent you are and how likely you are to be able to solve problems effectively. Everyone boasts about how much they…
On misanthropy and the hatred of humankind
The word misanthropy has its origins in two Greek words, anthrōpos, meaning “human being,” and misein, meaning “to hate.” There isn’t a more human word than misanthropy. Humanity cohabiting in one word with its most distinctive emotion, hatred. The fact the word even exists is disconcerting. The idea that so many people hate humankind that…
Change or persist?
There’s a tension between two forces that dictate the evolution of culture. I find this true of society, the public sector and within businesses. The first force is driven by curiosity and a dissatisfaction with the present. People who buy into the first force believe the best is yet to come, and that there are…
COVID has shown us that we can still do hard things.
I had planned to write about revolution this week. I was going to make the case that we’ve been fed a diet of reform as a solution by our governments for wicked problems such as social inequality, climate change, the global obsession with growth and GDP. After that I was going to refer you to…
Bullshit jobs and meaningless, busy work
John Maynard Keynes predicted in 1930 that labor-saving technologies and automation would lead to a 15-hour workweek by the time his grandchildren came of age. Keynes never had children and thus never had grandchildren. However, if he’d had, they would not have seen a 15 hour workweek in their lifetime. What they would have experienced…