Genius is ours for the taking if we know where to look. Just ask three geniuses: Vladimir Nabokov, Immanuel Kant, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. While these guys were natural-born geniuses, a capacity for genius is available to everyday people. Nabokov, the novelist, said … [Read more...] about Access the Genius Within
Search Results for: ambivalence
Inner Conflict is the Source of Cognitive Distortion
So much of human thinking is irrational. This kind of messed-up thinking, often referred to as cognitive distortion, perceives reality in ways that are misleading or flawed, if not completely wrong, false, or stupid. (Examples follow below and more are found … [Read more...] about Inner Conflict is the Source of Cognitive Distortion
How Do We Achieve Self-Control?
“If self-control is so important,” a reader asks, “how are we supposed to achieve it?” Personally, I don’t much like the term “self-control.” It suggests a desperate struggle between willpower and cravings, or between restraint and impulses. The term promises endless … [Read more...] about How Do We Achieve Self-Control?
Indecisive No More
There’s something important that chronically indecisive people need to understand: They’re not actually interested in making a decision. Since this statement flies brazenly in the face of common sense, let me restate it differently. Indeed, as these individuals anguish … [Read more...] about Indecisive No More
Mark Twain’s Mysterious Misery-Machine
We all like to think we’re motivated by self-interest, self-protection, and self-love. Consciously, we are. Unconsciously, though, we operate a misery-machine inside us that churns up self-defeat, self-damage, and self-rejection. A reference to a misery-machine is made by … [Read more...] about Mark Twain’s Mysterious Misery-Machine