Think about the feeling of paranoia one has who's just driven a brand new, flawless car off the lot or has just started to use the latest, pristine iPhone straight from the box. When they inevitably get their first scratch, initial disappointment can soon give way to a broader feeling of relief and contentment.What's going on here? Why is that imperfection so good? There isn't a great word in the English language to describe this phenomenon. Instead, our best entry point for understanding the psychology of imperfection is visiting the Japanese concept of Wabi-sabi.

There’s A Particular Value That Comes With Imperfection

Wabi-sabi is a philosophy and aesthetic that centers around an appreciation of imperfection, impermanence, and incompleteness. It’s a complex concept, deeply embedded within Japanese culture, and does not admit to an easy, concrete definition. As Taro Gold described in his book, Living wabi-sabi, it's an inherently elusive term. He writes, “Ask people on a Tokyo street to describe wabi-sabi, they will likely give you a polite shrug and explain that wabi-sabi is simply unexplainable.”If we had to try and force a definition for wabi-sabi, it would be something like “the beauty of imperfection.

The Concept Of Wabi-sabi

The most classic example of wabi-sabi is kintsugi, the centuries-old Japanese art of repairing tea bowls. Typically, gluing the pieces of broken pottery back together again means using an invisible adhesive and then painting over the cracks to make them look new again. Kintsugi takes the opposite approach. Instead of trying to hide the imperfection, it highlights it. The craft uses a gold lacquer adhesive to adhere the broken pieces together.

Kintsugi

The technique of Kintsugi accentuates the so-called defects, making them the pottery’s most stunning and visually salient aspect. The approach celebrates each artifact by emphasizing and appreciating its imperfection.

Flaunting Flaws

One of the critical characteristics of the wabi-sabi aesthetic is an appreciation of nature and, more generally, for the natural beauty that exists outside of deliberate, human creation. Humans naturally impose their standards of value and perfection on the world and, in doing so, meddle with a natural organization of beauty best left alone.Wabi-sabi creations often result from a flow of naturally occurring elements, as opposed to manipulating the raw materials to the artist's will. Thus, the artist is seen as a conduit, not an independent creator.

The Connection Between Wabi-Sabi and Nature

In any discipline, “perfect” is the ultimate achievement. From getting the perfect score on a test to planning the perfect evening for a significant other, rising to the level of complete optimization is highly motivating.Clearly, though, it comes with challenges. That these ideals are rarely achieved is not the issue. The true difficulty comes when it is achieved. Its attainment comes with the immediate pressure to maintain it. Anything that rises to this lofty, unblemished position, almost by definition, has nowhere to go but down.

The Challenging Psychology of Perfection

The concept of wabi-sabi provides an alternative perspective that comes some way in helping grapple with this. It recognizes that everything is in constant flux. Any attainment of static perfection is artificial, and its pursuit will inevitably lead to dissatisfaction. Instead, an acceptance, and even a celebration, of imperfection can liberate us from this self-imposed strain.

Celebration And Liberation

“Sometimes strings break. And when a string breaks at the beginning of the performance, I think I’m in heaven.After the string breaks, everybody gasps. You go backstage and put on the new string.And because something untoward has happened, for the rest of the evening, you can do no wrong.”

“Nothing lasts, nothing is finished, nothing is perfect.” There’s a certain levity that comes from things going slightly wrong. Or, put another way, there’s a particular value that comes with imperfection, impermanence and incompleteness: 侘寂

How an ancient Japanese concept can help set us free.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

mindfulness

Mindfulness

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

mentalhealth

Mental Health

Wabi-Sabi And The Psychology Of Imperfection

Wabi-sabi is an elegant philosophy that denotes a more connected way of living—a lifestyle, where we are deeply connected to nature, and thus, better connected to our truest inner-selves.Wabi-sabi is a concept that motions us to constantly search for the beauty in imperfection and accept the more natural cycle of life. It reminds us that all things including us and life itself, are impermanent, incomplete, and imperfect. Perfection, then, is impossible and impermanence is the only way.

Wabi-Sabi Overview

Taken individually, wabi and sabi are two separate concepts: Wabi is about recognizing beauty in humble simplicity. It invites us to open our heart and detach from the vanity of materialism so we can experience spiritual richness instead.Sabi is concerned with the passage of time, the way all things grow, age, and decay, and how it manifests itself beautifully in objects. It suggests that beauty is hidden beneath the surface of what we actually see, even in what we initially perceive as broken.

Wabi-Sabi Explained

Accept what is, stay in the present moment, and appreciate the simple, transient stages of life.There’s a plethora of wisdom embedded within the very fabric of this age-old philosophy. Here are five of these Wabi-sabi teachings that can better help you to fully step away from the modern-day struggles of moving fast, striving for perfection, and chasing inorganic forms of success.

Wisdom of Wabi-Sabi

The first teaching of the wabi-sabi philosophy, is to practice gratitude and acceptance. It’s not about giving up. It’s about surrendering to the gravity of the situation at hand and then actively playing a role in deciding what happens next.Will you accept the imperfect flow of life? Or will you fight it? Will you find peace in what is right here, right now? Or will you deny it and thus continue your struggle with it?The idea is quite simple: As you continue to resist, so will you continue to compound your suffering.

1. Through acceptance, you find freedom; out of acceptance, you find growth.

If everything in nature is always changing, then nothing can ever be absolutely complete. And since perfection is a state of completeness, then nothing can ever be perfect. Hence, the wabi-sabi philosophy teaches us that all things, including us and life itself, are impermanent, incomplete, and imperfect.

2. All things in life, including you, are in an imperfect state of flux, strive not for perfection, but for excellence instead.

Perfection does not exist because imperfection is the natural state of life—you are whole, the entirety of you, as you are.Imperfection is not a compromise; imperfection is the only way because imperfection is the true nature of things.In other words, simply do your best to be the best that you can be.All things in life, including you, are in an imperfect state of flux. Change is the only constant. Everything is transient and nothing is ever complete. And that’s why perfection doesn’t exist.

Strive not for perfection, but for excellence instead. 

The idea here is simple: There will be many times in your life when you will feel broken. There will be events that will leave you with emotional or physical scars. Do not hide in the shadow of your own sunshine. Do not dim your own light with the darkness of a cloud. Instead, let those scars be redrawn with gold.Consider that your failures are there to teach you how not to do things, your mistakes are there to teach you the importance of forgiveness, and your wrinkles are there to remind you of your laughs that caused them.

3. Appreciate the beauty of all things, especially the great beauty that hides beneath the surface of what seems to be broken.

Slow down and simplify your life. Otherwise, you’ll rush through it, arrive at the end and wonder, “what was the point?” This teaching is quite simple, but its immediate and long-term implications are profound.Slowing down is the antidote to living in a rhythm of rush. Slowing down is what helps you become a more observant person. Which then helps you become more self-aware.As you slow down, you begin creating the space for you to pause and reflect, to wonder and ask questions. You naturally become more present.

4. Slow and simple, is the only way, to feel the joy of what it means to be alive. 

Simplifying your life is the antidote to living a complex one.Slow and simple is the only way to feel the joy of what it means to be alive.Only by doing so will you immerse yourself into the fabric of this universe and appreciate it for what it is.Beauty is found in everything that is alive.Slow down, simplify your life, and concentrate on what really matters to you. Become more intentional if you wish to experience the joy of everyday living.

Simplify

The illusion that once we make it, once we attain our goal or reach our destination, we will reach lasting happiness. But of course, that’s not the case, because compulsive goal-setting does not lead to happiness, it leads to a mindless and stressful game of fetch.The root of all unhappiness is born from being discontent with where you are and what you have. It really is as simple as that.To be content with what you have and where you are is to be grateful. Through gratitude, intention, and action, you find happiness.

5. To be content exactly where you are with all that you already have, is to be happy.

“If we demand perfection from ourselves we are not living in the real world...The inherent problem in the relationship between the ideal & the real is that the ideal judges the real as unacceptable and brings down condemnation and wrath on the real. This sets up an adversarial relationship between the two and like all adversaries, they move further and further apart.”-Henry Cloud

Unrealistic Expectations Quote

Wabi-sabi is a beautiful philosophy to embed and practice in your everyday life.Wabi-sabi reminds you that life is fragile and temporary, it is as impermanent as anything else in nature, so why not give yourself permission to be just that, yourself?

The Core Teaching of The Wabi-Sabi Philosophy

“The world is perfect, with all its imperfections.”-Sahara Sanders

Imperfection Quote

Wabi-sabi is an ancient Japanese philosophy that motions us to constantly 
search for the beauty in imperfection and accept the more natural cycle of 
life. It reminds us that all things including us and life itself, are 
impermanent, incomplete, and imperfect. Perfection, then, is impossible and 
impermanence is the only way. Here are five teachings of Wabi-Sabi you can 
apply in your daily life.

philosophy

Philosophy

artsandculture

Society, Arts & Culture

5 Teachings From The Japanese Wabi-Sabi Philosophy That Can Drastically Improve Your Life — OMAR ITANI

The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.

Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.

Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.

Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together,but do so with all your heart

The soul becomes dyed with the colour of its thoughts.

It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.

Our life is what our thoughts make it.

I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others.﻿

If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.

Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears.

Christopher Gill provides a new translation and commentary on the first half of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, and a full introduction to the Meditations as a whole. The Meditations constitute a unique and remarkable work, a reflective diary or notebook by a Roman emperor, that is based on Stoic philosophy but presented in a highly distinctive way. This new edition will help students and scholars of ancient philosophy make sense of a workwhose intellectual content and status have often been found puzzling. The translation is designed to be accessible to modern readers and all Greek and Latin are translated in the introduction and commentary.

Christopher Gill provides a new translation and commentary on the first half of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, and a full introduction to the Meditations as a whole. The Meditations constitute a unique and remarkable work, a reflective diary or notebook by a Roman emperor, that is based on Stoic philosophy but presented in a highly distinctive way. Gill focuses on the philosophical content of the work, especially the question of how far it is consistent with Stoic theory as we know this from other sources. He argues that the Meditations are largely consistent with Stoic theory—more than has been often supposed. The work draws closely on core themes in Stoic ethics and also reflects Stoic thinking on the links between ethics and psychology or the study of nature. To make sense of the Meditations, it is crucial to take into account its overall aim, which seems to be to help Marcus himself take forward his own ethical development by creating occasions for reflection on key Stoic themes that can help to guide his life. This new edition will help students and scholars of ancient philosophy make sense of a work whose intellectual content and status have often been found puzzling. Along with volumes in the Clarendon Later Ancient Philosophers series on Epictetus and Seneca, it will help to chart the history of Stoic philosophy in the first and second century AD. The translation is designed to be accessible to modern readers and all Greek and Latin are translated in the introduction and commentary.

Marcus Aurelius (Emperor of Rome)

Marcus Aurelius: Meditations, Books 1-6

Meditations

“There are two types of people in this world: those who resist change in favor of nostalgia and those who move with the times and create a better future.” - PHIL JONES

Phil M. Jones has trained more than two million people across five continents and over fifty countries in the lost art of spoken communication. In Exactly What to Say, he delivers the tactics you need to get more of what you want.

books

Books

Often the decision between a customer choosing you over someone like you is your ability to know exactly what to say, when to say it, and how to make it count. Phil M. Jones has trained more than two million people across five continents and over fifty countries in the lost art of spoken communication. In Exactly What to Say, he delivers the tactics you need to get more of what you want. This collectible hardcover edition contains several new examples of the magical phrases that will help you increase your impact.

PHIL. JONES is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. PHIL. JONES has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. PHIL. JONES's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.

PHIL. JONES

Exactly What to Say

Derived from the Latin word ‘nihil’ meaning ‘nothing,’ Nihilism was quite possibly the most pessimistic school of philosophy. It was a widespread style of thinking throughout 19th century Europe. Nihilism questioned all forms of authority, including government, religion, truth, values, and knowledge, arguing that life is essentially meaningless and nothing really matters. But it wasn’t all doom and gloom – some found the idea of rejecting prescribed doctrines a liberating prospect.

What is Nihilism?

One of the fundamental aspects of Nihilism was its rejection of all forms of authority. Nihilists questioned what gave one figure the authority to preside over another, and asked why there should be such a hierarchy in place at all. They argued no one should be more important than anyone else, because we are all as meaningless as each other. This belief has led to one of the more dangerous strands of Nihilism, prompting people to wage acts of violence and destruction against the police or local governments.

1. Nihilism Questioned Figures of Authority

In the wake of the Enlightenment, and its subsequent discoveries of ration and reasoning, German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche argued that Christianity no longer made sense. He argued that a totalizing system that explained all truths about the world was a fundamentally flawed system, because the world is so complex, nuanced, and unpredictable.

2. Nihilism Questioned Religion

Nihilism argued that nothing had any meaning, and there was no higher purpose or calling in life. It’s a pretty depressing attitude, defined by pessimism and skepticism. And at times this attitude has led to wanton acts of violence and extremism.Nietzsche believed we should accept the fear and uncertainty of the unknown, in order to pass through it and find a new higher calling.

3. Nihilists Believed Nothing Matters

Towards the 20th century, the doom and gloom attitude of Nihilism softened. It eventually evolved into the less anarchic style of Existentialism. While Existentialists shared some of the skepticism about power systems and religion as their predecessors, they also believed the individual had the power to find their own purpose in life. From Existentialism, Absurdism emerged. The Absurdists argued that the world might well be chaotic, turbulent and absurd, but we could still celebrate it, or perhaps even laugh, but only in a wry, cynical way.

4. Nihilism Sometimes Overlaps with Existentialism and Absurdism

“It is a self-deception of philosophers and moralists to imagine that they escape decadence by opposing it. That is beyond their will; and, however little they acknowledge it, one later discovers that they were among the most powerful promoters of decadence.”-Friedrich Nietzsche, The Will to Power

Nietzsche Quote

Nihilism was a gloomy philosophical school from the 19th century - its leaders argued nothing mattered, and life had no higher purpose.

religionandspirituality

Religion & Spirituality

problemsolving

Problem Solving

communication

Communication

Grief is universal. At some point, everyone will have at least one encounter with grief. It may be from the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, the end of a relationship, or any other change that alters life as you know it.Grief is also very personal. It’s not very neat or linear. It doesn’t follow any timelines or schedules. You may cry, become angry, withdraw, or feel empty. None of these things are unusual or wrong.Everyone grieves differently, but there are some commonalities in the stages and the order of feelings experienced during grief.

The Stages of Grief: What Do You Need to Know?

In 1969, a psychiatrist named Elizabeth Kübler-Ross wrote a book “On Death and Dying” that grief could be divided into five stages. Her observations came from years of working with terminally ill individuals.Her theory of grief became known as the Kübler-Ross model. While it was originally devised for people who were ill, these stages of grief have been adapted for other experiences with loss, too.The five stages of grief may be the most widely known, but it’s far from the only popular stages of grief theory. Others exist as well, including ones with seven stages and ones with just two.

Are there 5 or 7 stages of grief?

·       Denial·       Anger·       Bargaining·       Depression·       acceptance

The 5 stages of grief

Grief is an overwhelming emotion. It’s not unusual to respond to the strong and often sudden feelings by pretending the loss or change isn’t happening.Denying it gives you time to more gradually absorb the news and begin to process it. This is a common defense mechanism and helps numb you to the intensity of the situation.As you move out of the denial stage, however, the emotions you’ve been hiding will begin to rise. You’ll be confronted with a lot of sorrow you’ve denied. That is also part of the journey of grief, but it can be difficult.

Stage 1: Denial

Where denial may be considered a coping mechanism, anger is a masking effect. Anger is hiding many of the emotions and pain that you carry.This anger may be redirected at other people, such as the person who died, your ex, or your old boss. You may even aim your anger at inanimate objects. While your rational brain knows the object of your anger isn’t to blame, your feelings in that moment are too intense to act according to that.Anger may mask itself in feelings like bitterness or resentment. It may not be clear-cut fury or rage.

Stage 2: Anger

During grief, you may feel vulnerable and helpless. In those moments of intense emotions, it’s not uncommon to look for ways to regain control or to want to feel like you can affect the outcome of an event. In the bargaining stage of grief, you may find yourself creating a lot of “what if” and “if only” statements.It’s also not uncommon for religious individuals to try to make a deal or promise to God or a higher power in return for healing or relief from the grief and pain. Bargaining is a line of defense against the emotions of grief. It helps you postpone the sadness, confusion, or hurt.

Stage 3: Bargaining

Whereas anger and bargaining can feel very active, depression may feel like a quiet stage of grief.In the early stages of loss, you may be running from the emotions, trying to stay a step ahead of them. By this point, however, you may be able to embrace and work through them in a more healthful manner. You may also choose to isolate yourself from others in order to fully cope with the loss.That doesn’t mean, however, that depression is easy or well defined. Like the other stages of grief, depression can be difficult and messy. It can feel overwhelming. You may feel foggy, heavy, and confused.

Stage 4: Depression

Acceptance is not necessarily a happy or uplifting stage of grief. It doesn’t mean you’ve moved past the grief or loss. It does, however, mean that you’ve accepted it and have come to understand what it means in your life now.You may feel very different in this stage. That’s entirely expected. You’ve had a major change in your life, and that upends the way you feel about many things.Look to acceptance as a way to see that there may be more good days than bad. There may still be bad — and that’s OK.

Stage 5: Acceptance

The seven stages of grief are another popular model for explaining the many complicated experiences of loss. These seven stages include:·       Shock and denial·       Pain and guilt·       Anger and bargaining·       Depression·       The upward turn·       Reconstruction and working through·       Acceptance and hope

The 7 stages of grief

This is a state of disbelief and numbed feelings.

Shock and denial:

You may feel that the loss is unbearable and that you’re making other people’s lives harder because of your feelings and needs.

Pain and guilt:

You may lash out, telling God or a higher power that you’ll do anything they ask if they’ll only grant you relief from these feelings or this situation.

Anger and bargaining:

This may be a period of isolation and loneliness during which you process and reflect on the loss.

Depression:

At this point, the stages of grief like anger and pain have died down, and you’re left in a more calm and relaxed state.

The upward turn:

You can begin to put pieces of your life back together and move forward.

Reconstruction and working through:

There’s no one stage that’s universally considered to be the hardest to endure. Grief is a very individual experience. The toughest stage of grief varies from person to person and even from situation to situation.Grief is different for every person. There’s no exact time frame to adhere to. You may remain in one of the stages of grief for months but skip other stages entirely.Additionally, not everyone will experience all stages of grief, and you may not go through them in order. For example, you may begin coping with loss in the bargaining stage and find yourself in anger or denial next.

Analysis of Stages of Grief Theory - 1

Avoiding, ignoring, or denying yourself the ability to express your grief may help you dissociate from the pain of the loss you’re going through. But holding it in won’t make it disappear. And you can’t avoid grief forever.Over time, unresolved grief can turn into physical or emotional manifestations that affect your health.In order to heal from a loss and move on, you have to address it. If you’re having trouble processing grief, consider seeking out counseling to help you through it.Grief is a natural emotion to experience when going through a loss.

Analysis of Stages of Grief Theory - 2

While everyone experiences grief differently, identifying the various stages of grief can help you anticipate and comprehend some of the reactions you may experience throughout the grieving process. It can also help you understand your needs when grieving and find ways to have them met.Understanding the grieving process can ultimately help you work toward acceptance and healing.

Analysis of Stages of Grief Theory - 3

The key to understanding grief is realizing that no one experiences the same thing. Grief is very personal, and you may feel something different every time. You may need several weeks, or grief may be years long.If you decide you need help coping with the feelings and changes, a mental health professional is a good resource for vetting your feelings and finding a sense of assurance in these very heavy and weighty emotions.

The takeaway

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”-Winnie the Pooh

Grief Quote

The Stages of Grief: What You Need To Know

While everyone experiences grief differently, here’s a rough estimation of what to expect when going through a difficult life event.

loveandrelationships

Love & Relationships

The Stages of Grief: How to Understand Your Feelings

People usually learn things because they need to. They are either frustrated by something in themselves or the world. Maybe they're not making enough money to support their family, or a loved one is sick.  In these cases, they're entering a survival mode where they're urged to action. While survival mode learning can be effective, it is not sustainable or enjoyable in the long run.

Why people learn things

If we want an educated citizenry that enjoys learning and knows how to take advantage of all the available information on the internet, we need to inspire people. Education and learning theorists propose that students learn best when it is associated with strong positive emotions. But stress, boredom, confusion, low motivation and anxiety can interfere with learning. Schools have become stress incubators and condition students to associate learning with unpleasantness. Schools value rote memorization over people's ability to take action and to learn for the sake of knowing.

People are capable of extraordinary feats of learning

We can move to a system of inspiration by inverting the learning process. Instead of starting with the building blocks and moving towards curiosity, students should be guided by curiosity and then move toward the building blocks.  The benefits of memorization will become self-evident, and the motivation to learn can become intrinsic. However, the sad truth is that this way of learning is not scalable for an in-person curriculum where students must do the same thing at the same time.

Learning for the sake of learning

Schools should embrace entertainment because it lets you scale inspiration.  Entertainment is not amusement. Entertainment means engaging a person's attention in a way that makes the time pass pleasantly. The ancient Greeks knew this intuitively and wrapped their most important ideas in narratives instead of just giving dry facts. For example, plays like The Iliad and The Odyssey weren't just a form of entertainment. They provided cultural instruction too.

How to produce inspired learners

In our modern world, the masters of storytelling come from Hollywood and YouTube. These creators use many of the same tools the Greeks discovered.  But now it costs nearly nothing to spread great entertainment and education to the world.

Modern masters of storytelling

Favourite teachers usually care about their subjects and speak with excitement and enthusiasm. Physicist Richard Feynman was known for making physics come alive for many people. Watching his lectures inspires one to study physics. From Feynman, we've learned that education starts with inspiration.

Teachers have a responsibility to entertain

Why do people learn things? Usually, because they need to. They’re frustrated by something, either in themselves or the world. Maybe a loved one is sick. Maybe they’re not making enough money to support their family. In both cases, they enter “Survival Mode” and are spurred to action. When the pain of the status quo hurts more than the pain of discipline, people are capable of extraordinary feats of learning. But this isn't sustainable and it usually isn't fun. So how can we move to a better system of learning that works for everyone? LEARN MORE ABOUT WRITING: Beginner Writing Email Course (7 days): http://dperell.com/writing-course Advanced Writing Email Course (50 days): https://dperell.com/50-days MY WRITING: Monday Musings: http://dperell.com/monday-musings Friday Finds: http://dperell.com/friday-finds Collected Friday Finds Links: http://dperell.com/friday-finds-best Online Writing Email Course: http://dperell.com/writing-course Essays: http://dperell.com/essays Twitter: http://dperell.com/david-perell-twitter MY PODCASTS: North Star Interview Podcast: https://www.perell.com/podcast Write of Passage Podcast: https://www.perell.com/write-of-passage-podcast Recommended interviews: Seth Godin (Author): http://dperell.com/seth-godin Morgan Housel (Writer): http://dperell.com/morgan-housel Sara Dietschy (YouTuber): http://dperell.com/sara-dietschy Jennifer Morrison (Actress): http://dperell.com/jennifer-morrison Tiago Forte (Entrepreneur): http://dperell.com/tiago-forte-podcast MY COURSES: Write of Passage: http://dperell.com/write-of-passage Twitter Course: http://dperell.com/twitter-course RECOMMENDED COURSES: Building a Second Brain: https://www.buildingasecondbrain.com/ YouTube Academy: https://academy.aliabdaal.com/premium-edition-cohort-1-nov-dec-2020/s2wvk MY GEAR Video Gear: https://kit.co/david_perell/remote-work-video-equipment Podcast Equipment: https://kit.co/david_perell/computer-podcasting-equipment RECOMMENDED ESSAYS Short form: Learn to Write Fast: http://dperell.com/learn-to-write-fast The Public to Private Bridge: http://dperell.com/public-to-private-bridge Build a Personal Monopoly: http://dperell.com/build-a-personal-monopoly Long form: Peter Thiel’s Religion: http://dperell.com/peter-thiels-religion What the Hell is Going On: http://dperell.com/what-the-hell The Ultimate Guide to Writing Online: http://dperell.com/ultimate-guide-to-writing-online WHO AM I? I’m David Perell and I’m a writer, teacher, and podcaster. I believe writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. I seek to help as many people publish their writing online as possible. Check out my newsletter: http://dperell.com/monday-musings and my online course, Write of Passage: http://dperell.com/write-of-passage Some of the links in this description are affiliate links for equipment, classes, and resources that I have found useful myself!

education

Learning & Education

travel

Travel

videos

Videos

Why do people learn things? 

Usually, because they need to. They’re frustrated by something, either in themselves or the world. Maybe a loved one is sick. Maybe they’re not making enough money to support their family. 

In both cases, they enter “Survival Mode” and are spurred to action. When the pain of the status quo hurts more than the pain of discipline, people are capable of extraordinary feats of learning.

But this isn't sustainable and it usually isn't fun. So how can we move to a better system of learning that works for everyone?

LEARN MORE ABOUT WRITING:
Beginner Writing Email Course (7 days): http://dperell.com/writing-course
Advanced Writing Email Course (50 days): https://dperell.com/50-days

MY WRITING:
Monday Musings: http://dperell.com/monday-musings
Friday Finds: http://dperell.com/friday-finds
Collected Friday Finds Links: http://dperell.com/friday-finds-best
Online Writing Email Course: http://dperell.com/writing-course
Essays: http://dperell.com/essays
Twitter: http://dperell.com/david-perell-twitter

MY PODCASTS:
North Star Interview Podcast: https://www.perell.com/podcast
Write of Passage Podcast: https://www.perell.com/write-of-passage-podcast

Recommended interviews:
Seth Godin (Author): http://dperell.com/seth-godin
Morgan Housel (Writer): http://dperell.com/morgan-housel
Sara Dietschy (YouTuber): http://dperell.com/sara-dietschy
Jennifer Morrison (Actress): http://dperell.com/jennifer-morrison
Tiago Forte (Entrepreneur): http://dperell.com/tiago-forte-podcast

MY COURSES:
Write of Passage: http://dperell.com/write-of-passage
Twitter Course: http://dperell.com/twitter-course 

RECOMMENDED COURSES:
Building a Second Brain: https://www.buildingasecondbrain.com/
YouTube Academy: https://academy.aliabdaal.com/premium-edition-cohort-1-nov-dec-2020/s2wvk

MY GEAR
Video Gear: https://kit.co/david_perell/remote-work-video-equipment 
Podcast Equipment: https://kit.co/david_perell/computer-podcasting-equipment 

RECOMMENDED ESSAYS
Short form:
Learn to Write Fast: http://dperell.com/learn-to-write-fast
The Public to Private Bridge: http://dperell.com/public-to-private-bridge
Build a Personal Monopoly: http://dperell.com/build-a-personal-monopoly

Long form:
Peter Thiel’s Religion: http://dperell.com/peter-thiels-religion
What the Hell is Going On: http://dperell.com/what-the-hell 
The Ultimate Guide to Writing Online: http://dperell.com/ultimate-guide-to-writing-online

WHO AM I?
I’m David Perell and I’m a writer, teacher, and podcaster. I believe writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. I seek to help as many people publish their writing online as possible. Check out my newsletter: http://dperell.com/monday-musings and my online course, Write of Passage: http://dperell.com/write-of-passage

Some of the links in this description are affiliate links for equipment, classes, and resources that I have found useful myself!

David Perell is a writer, teacher, and podcaster. He believes writing online one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. David seeks to help as many people publish their writing online as possible.

David’s online course, Write of Passage, has been taken by more than 500 students from more than 40 countries and from companies like Intel, Google, and Twitter. The five-week course draws on David’s experience writing online, building an audience, and his interviews with more than 100 people on his North Star Podcast. Each interview explores the methods and principles of successful creators, artists, and entrepreneurs. His podcast guests include astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, author Seth Godin, and economist Tyler Cowen.

He also runs an online course for 9-11-year-old kids focused on creativity and entrepreneurship.

David Perell

How to 10x Your Learning Skills

How privileged you are to be passionately clinging to what you love ;the forfeit of hope has not destroyed you.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you.

There are only two forces in the world, the sword, and the spirit. In the long run, the sword will always be conquered by the spirit.

Don't be afraid. There are exquisite things for you in the store. This is merely the beginning.

To be great, you got to be consistent!

The future isn't your continued past. The future has to be created out of nothing, it is completely free and new.So if you are afraid of it & think negatively about it, it will turn out worse than it originally could.

Being calm about everything allows your mind to find solutions. Calmness is also a state of trust. Instead of Overthinking and Overreacting, you just surrender for that moment and allow yourself to receive guidance for what doesn't make sense.

Calmness is a superpower!

When someone tried to trigger you by insulting you ar by doing or saying something that irritates you, take a deep breath & switch off your ego.Remember if you are easily offended, you are easily manipulated.

Easily Offended, Easily Manipulated.

-via Peptalk.Dreams were given to us for a reason, for a purpose, not to tease us, but to anchor us to the future; keeping us focus on believing on what's to come.

What does a Dream do? 

Quote-opedia.

Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, and Marie Curie had brilliant ideas that pushed the boundaries of their time. However, genius is not a fixed quantity. Anyone can be a genius in the right context and with the right tools. Research suggests there are ways we can all become more intelligent and think like a genius, from being able to process information faster than most people to be able to tackle complex problems efficiently.

Genius isn't solely inborn

Great thinkers from da Vinci to Thomas Edison were more interested in how things could work. Brilliant thinkers like Marie Curie and Steve Jobs are renowned for their original thinking that led to groundbreaking discoveries. They knew how to think but weren't born with these advantages. Instead, they learned specific methods to understand the world around them and unlock hidden potential.

Great thinkers approach problems differently

R<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321729749_Robust_Prediction_of_Individual_Creative_Ability_from_Brain_Functional_Connectivity">ecent research</a> about creatives found that people who are more creative can simultaneously engage brain networks that don't typically work together. Great minds discover novel ideas because they focus on how to think, not what to think.

Geniuses know how to connect unrelated ideas

The ability to think and act outside your normal understanding realm requires you to see things from different perspectives and imagine unique solutions. <ul><li>Newton spent many years teaching himself mathematics before developing the concept of gravity.</li><li>Picasso was not born to paint. He honed his skill.</li><li>Mozart committed almost all his life to learning and composing music.</li></ul> Geniuses are mostly self-learners. The best way is to start with books.

Genius is a learnable skill

Genius minds see things abstractly. They tend to see the big picture more clearly than most people. Original ideas require you not to be afraid to try new things and take risks. Look for inspiration in things people take for granted.

Original ideas seem irrational

The human capacity to learn, discover, improve, create or change our environment is very natural. We are made to create. Creativity is not something you have or you don't. Watch how children think freely until they are formally educated to become conventional thinkers. We are expected to join closed-minded educational systems, stop thinking and do what we are told. Yet that is what prevents the development of independent and original thinking.

Society is institutionally terrible at nurturing genius

If you believe the hype, genius is a rare, fixed quantity: either you’re born with it or aren’t. But what if being a genius isn’t solely inborn? What if anyone could become a genius by adopting the…

The Path to Genius: Think “How,” Instead of “What”

Here are five of the most interesting and useful strategies I've found and highlighted recently. The science suggests that if you want to do right by your kids, you should probably do these things.Here are five of the most interesting and useful strategies I've found and highlighted recently. The science suggests that if you want to do right by your kids, you should probably do these things.By Bill Murphy Jr.

Want to Raise Successful Kids? Science Says These 5 Habits Matter

5 Science Based Habits for Raising Successful Children

The science suggests that if you want to do right by your kids, you should probably do these things.

Want to Raise Successful Kids? Science Says These 5 Habits Matter, Bigtime

Find  Self Improvement Tips - Curated from popular Books like Atomic Habits, 48 Rules of Power, Deep Work, Rich Dad Poor Dad and way more!