Category Archives: Choice

Filling In The White Spaces

Posted on June 8, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Advice from Peter Thiel’s final CS 183 lecture: There is something importantly singular about each new thing. There is a mini singularity whenever you start a company or make a key life decision. In a very real sense, the life … Continue reading →

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Why Drama

Posted on June 6, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Derek Sivers recounts the time Kurt Vonnegut explained why people concoct drama: People have been hearing fantastic stories since time began. The problem is, they think life is supposed to be like the stories. Let’s look at a very common … Continue reading →

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Eggs

Posted on June 5, 2012 by AJ Kessler

How you eat your eggs is a good barometer for how you live your life. There are people who do nothing but grab a plain hard boiled egg as they run out of the house in the morning.  Their eggs … Continue reading →

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On Travel

Posted on May 29, 2012 by AJ Kessler

When most people think about retirement, they imagine a life full of friends, hobbies, and (likely) travel. To illustrate, think about what you would do if you knew you were going to retire at 65 and die at 75.  You’d … Continue reading →

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Neil Gaiman on Life

Posted on May 25, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Great speech:

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Choosing A Strategy

Posted on May 14, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Above is a very cool video showing which empires held which territories in Europe from 1000ad to 2005ad.  While the video itself could be much better (no clock? no legend?), it provides a pretty great view of how empires rise … Continue reading →

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Creating False Memories

Posted on May 7, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Ad men have known for years that they could make people feel good about a brand or product by telling happy stories.  It’s one of the reasons Budweiser spends tens of millions of dollars on advertising during the Superbowl.  They’re … Continue reading →

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Leading With Lollipops

Posted on May 5, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Inspiring video:

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Lies, Happiness, and The Tyranny of the Biographer

Posted on April 29, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Being happy in your life and being happy about your life are very different concepts. This is a result of the fact that you have, in a sense, two selfs. There is an experiencing self, who lives in the present, … Continue reading →

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It’s Hard And I’m Just Not Passionate About It…

Posted on April 28, 2012 by AJ Kessler

“It’s hard, and I’m just not passionate about it, and I’m thinking of giving up – will you tell me it’s OK to give up, so I’ll feel better about it in the morning?” It’s rarely about difficulty or enthusiasm. … Continue reading →

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How To Be 10x Happier In Just 60 Minutes A Day

Posted on April 25, 2012 by AJ Kessler

If you have a job, chances are most of your waking hours are not your own.  Most of all your hours may not be your own.  Between the time it takes you to get ready in the morning, your commute, and … Continue reading →

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Overvaluing What We Have

Posted on April 23, 2012 by AJ Kessler

One of the worst tricks we manage to play on ourselves is overvaluing what we already have and undervaluing what we don’t.  This is especially sad since most of us don’t have all that much anyway, and taking the chance … Continue reading →

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The Fastest Way to Change

Posted on April 22, 2012 by AJ Kessler

The fastest way to change yourself is to hang out with people who are already the way you want to be. – The Startup of You Human beings are such easily influenced creatures.  The way we laugh is influenced by … Continue reading →

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Self Published

Posted on April 20, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Ben Franklin Ezra Pound Emily Dickinson Marcel Proust Dave Eggers Thomas Paine Jane Austen Edgar Rice Burroughs Walt Whitman Nathaniel Hawthorne Stephen Crane Nikki Giovanni Virginia Woolf The question isn’t whether or not you should wait to be picked, the question … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Art, Business, Choice, Creativity, Food For Thought, Inspiration, Quotes, Seth Godin | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Should I Go To Business School?

Posted on April 18, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Generally, business school is a poor investment.  If you want to go to a top 20 school, you’re going to spend at least $100,000 and two years of your life (easily another $100,000 or $200,000 in lost earnings).  Realistically, your … Continue reading →

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