Than Average
Imagine you are in a room with 100 strangers, Imagine they're similar to your peers and neighbours. Based solely on your own instinct, perceptions, and self-reflection, answer the following questions.
The rise of pop psychology: Can it make your life better, or is it all snake-oil?
Even unguided, self-administered bibliotherapy may bring mental health benefit.
The Method of Loci: Build Your Memory Palace
“When information goes ‘in one ear and out the other,’ it’s often because it doesn’t have anything to stick to.” —Joshua Foer
According to legend, the renowned Greek lyric poet Simonides of Ceos was dining at the home of a wealthy nobleman one night when he received word that two young men were waiting outside with a message for him. Simonides stepped outside—mere moments before the roof of the banquet hall caved in, killing everyone inside. The extent of the destruction was so great that the family and friends of the deceased guests despaired of being able to identify their bodies.
The willpower paradox: when confident self-talk becomes counterproductive
We all have used self-talk to motivate ourselves. “I will meditate everyday”, “I will start going to the gym”, “I will complete this coding course”… It gives us a boost in confidence and the conviction that we will achieve our goals. Such self-talk sounds harmless, but research suggests we may benefit from being a little bit more speculative when considering our goals. People using interrogative self-talk (“Will I?”) seem to perform better than those who use declarative self-talk (“I will”). That’s called the Willpower Paradox.
Bonus
I am one of the first users of Refind. Refind is one of the best tools I know to curate your reading list. The 5 most relevant links from around the web + key takeaways, every day. It reduces noise and brings some peace into the hectic endless feeds. It is also making my weekly MEMO possible. Refind is invitation only. You can use this link to gain free access to the tool: https://refind.com/niklausgerber?invite=HSQxLEEaLD
Go deeper on Better Human.
Self-reflection
A short overview of my prefered self-reflection framework.
Strategies that helped me to procrastinate less
If you struggle with procrastination, I might help you improve your current situation.
How to keep your digital self safe
A short and actionable guide on how to stay safe online.
Fear setting
Understanding your fear helps you make difficult choices, which can lead to happiness and peace.
Mindfulness
Another idea if meditation does not work for you.
Ask me anything
I would love to write about topics you all are interested in. If there is a topic you would love to see covered, you can add it to the thread on Better Human.