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Author Archives: AJ Kessler
Relationship Rot
More pithiness from Seth Godin: Most partnerships don’t end up in court. Most friendships don’t end in a fight. Most customers don’t leave in a huff. Instead, when one party feels underappreciated, or perhaps taken advantage of, she stops showing … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Food For Thought, Quotes, Relationships, Self-Improvement
Tagged Appreciation, Recognition, relationships, Seth Godin
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Identifying Bias: It’s Not Just Bribes That Motivate
I was reading the comments on this CNN article, titled “Experts Caution Against Stem Cell Treatments Abroad.” They’re pretty typical of CNN comments: CorrDNEqCaus All I’m reading here is, “Don’t trust these treatments until we’re able to provide them and … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Rationality, Self-Improvement
Tagged Bias, debate, Experts, Rationality, Thought Process
1 Comment
The Scary Truth About Happiness
Unfortunately, you can’t buy happiness, because happiness doesn’t come from doing things that make you feel good. Happiness doesn’t come from laying on the beach, or vacationing in Europe, or shopping, or eating, or drinking, or partying, or fucking. Happiness … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Rationality, Self-Improvement
Tagged Happiness, Pride, Principles, Work Ethic
2 Comments
Liars, Damn Liars, and Quotes
Quotes and quips and one liners and zingers are fantastic. The best ones can encapsulate a lifetime of wisdom into a single sentence. But, the worst ones can be terribly misleading. The trouble is separating the good from the bad. … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Self-Improvement
Tagged Danger, Fallacy, Marketing, Quotes, Sergey Brin, Seth Godin
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The World’s Second Most Valuable Skill
Awareness is vital. If you can’t pick up on the things going on around you, you’ll almost certainly never be phenomenal at anything. Curiosity isn’t far behind. You can be aware of everything at all times, but if you’re not … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Creativity, Inspiration, Self-Improvement
Tagged Accomplishment, Dream, Goal, JSK, Perseverance
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The Single Best Technique To Understand Anything
I’ve written before about how to learn faster. It’s still great advice. And, again, learning doesn’t stop when you get handed a diploma. If you’re reading this, you probably learning something new every year, if not every month or every … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Inspiration, Productivity, Self-Improvement
Tagged Faster, Learning, Skills
7 Comments
Hope Is Bad
Hope is disappointment, delayed. If you need something done, craft a plan, and make it happen. Don’t sit around and hope it’s going to turn out the way you want it to. It won’t. Hope is what’s left after you’ve … Continue reading
Posted in Food For Thought, Inspiration, Self-Improvement
Tagged Hope, Inaction, Plan, Prayer
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My Attorney Will Be In Contact With You
A guy in a suit knocks on your door. He flashes a badge and wants to ask you a few questions about your involvement at your company. Or with your stock broker. Or with your neighbor. What do you say? … Continue reading
On Handling Critics
Anyone who produces art, or voices opinions, or does anything publicly, will have critics. Guaranteed. I wrote a post about frugality that got a tiny bit of attention on the web and was bombarded with insults. Did I care? Well, … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Creativity, Food For Thought, Quotes, Relationships, Self-Improvement
Tagged Advice, Criticism, Ego, Quotes
4 Comments
Mark Zuckerberg Isn’t Mark Zuckerberg
I can’t say this more succinctly than Seth Godin, so I’ll just copy it here: “Mark Zuckerberg” has become a codeword for the truly gifted exception, the wunderkind freak of nature for whom traditional rules don’t apply. Well, sure, Mark … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Business, Creativity, Inspiration, Quotes, Self-Improvement
Tagged Genius, Mark Zuckerberg, Seth Godin, Work
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Being Absurd: It Works
We’ve talked before about how an anchor point can seriously change the course of any negotiation. This effect, where you plant a number in someone’s mind, works because people aren’t terribly rational. They’re unwittingly susceptible to all sorts of manipulation, … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Money, Negotiation, Persuasion, Rationality, Self-Improvement
1 Comment
Beat Procrastination By Being Self-Centered
If you work any sort of normal job, you’re probably forced to do a lot of stuff you’re not terribly enthusiastic about doing. Paradoxically, this work can often take longer because we tend to lose focus. We stall, we procrastinate, … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Inspiration, Productivity, Self-Improvement
Tagged Boring, Job, Procrastination, Productivity, Work
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60 Chances
If you’re really lucky, or extremely unlucky, you may realize how short your time is on this planet sometime in your teens. For most people, this revelation comes much later, but let’s be generous and use 15 years old as … Continue reading
Posted in Advice, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Productivity, Self-Improvement, Time Tracking
Tagged Chances, Opportunity, Time
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Why Motivational Speakers Don’t Motivate
Dr. Jim Taylor, who has a PhD in psychology, says the “inspirational-industrial complex” is a sham. Why, you ask? Because the inspiration that comes from other people is manufactured from the outside. This “synthetic” inspiration simply can’t last long because … Continue reading
Posted in Food For Thought, Inspiration, Productivity, Quotes, Self-Improvement
Tagged Gurus, Inspiration, Motivation, Productivity
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