Category Archives: Food For Thought

A Fool’s Life

Posted on May 26, 2012 by AJ Kessler

The fool, with all his other faults, has this also: he is always getting ready to live.

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Neil Gaiman on Life

Posted on May 25, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Great speech:

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Gambling on Discipline

Posted on May 24, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Almost all people who become successful do so because they’re able to develop discipline.  It’s not something they’re born with.  It takes practice.  Consciously doing what needs to be done now, foregoing what you’d like to be doing instead, in … Continue reading →

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Clothes Make The Man

Posted on May 22, 2012 by AJ Kessler

It has long been known that clothing affects how other people perceive us as well as how we think about ourselves.  It turns out, clothing also affects the way we think. If you wear a white coat that you believe … Continue reading →

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Smart People Don’t Call Others Stupid

Posted on May 21, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Some really mostly-good advice from Derek Sivers: Being smart means thinking things through – trying to find the real answer, not the first answer. Being stupid means avoiding thinking by jumping to conclusions.Jumping to a conclusion is like quitting a game … Continue reading →

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We’re Not All Scientists

Posted on May 20, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Another nice Neil deGrasse Tyson video is going around, but he’s a bit off base on this one: I can’t think of any more human activity than conducting science experiments. Think about it — what do kids do? Young kids.  … Continue reading →

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Forgeries on the Brain

Posted on May 18, 2012 by AJ Kessler

When it comes to high art, almost nobody can tell the difference between an original and a good copy.  Even so, we overwhelmingly prefer the original.  Oxford scientists hooked up 14 volunteers to a functional MRI, and then showed them … Continue reading →

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How to Talk to Anyone And Not Be Boring

Posted on May 17, 2012 by AJ Kessler

A lot of smart, hardworking, observant, and otherwise interesting people are conversationally awkward. Even though they do and read about lots of interesting stuff, they never seem to have much to talk about. Which is weird because these are some … Continue reading →

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On Saving Time

Posted on May 16, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Treasuring the little time we have was not a new idea, even in Seneca’s day.  And, while there have been treatises more eloquently written, I haven’t seen any that drive the point home more succinctly and powerfully than Seneca.  For … Continue reading →

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Diamond Psychology

Posted on May 15, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Most people are probably aware that diamonds aren’t particularly rare and that their price is mostly a function of cartel control over the supply (De Beers) and good advertising.  While this is true, the story behind it is fascinating (and … Continue reading →

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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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Marriage and Economics

Posted on May 13, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Some interesting statistics about money and marriage from The Economist: Marriage itself is “a wealth-generating institution”, according to Barbara Dafoe Whitehead and David Popenoe, who run the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University. Those who marry “till death do us … Continue reading →

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The Right Comparison

Posted on May 10, 2012 by AJ Kessler

A noble man compares and estimates himself by an idea which is higher than himself; and a mean man, by one lower than himself. The one produces aspiration; the other ambition, which is the way in which a vulgar man … Continue reading →

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Dieter Ram’s Ten Principals of Good Design

Posted on May 8, 2012 by AJ Kessler

Good design is innovative The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end … 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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