3 Things The Greatest Generals Of History Can Teach You About Strategy
Don't do what your enemy is prepared for. Frontal assaults against prepared defenses are stupid. Via How Great Generals Win: From the beginning of organized warfare, frontal attacks against prepared defenses have usually failed, a fact written large in military history for all generals to see... great generals strike where they are least expected against opposition that is weak and disorganized. Almost all successful attacks have hit enemies from the rear, from the flank, or anywhere it is not…
3 minutes
This Personality Trait Leads To Long Lives, Happy Marriages And Money
ing conscientious. "Conscientiousness, which was the best predictor of longevity when measured in childhood, also turned out to be the best personality predictor of long life when measured in adulthood." "...our findings suggest that conscientiousness is the trait most broadly associated with marital satisfaction in this sample of long-wed couples." "Measured concurrently, emotionally stable and conscientious participants reported higher incomes and job satisfaction." "...the personality traits Conscientiousness and Neuroticism have a strong impact on the instantaneous probability of finding a…
1 min read
The Secret To Eliminating Stress, According To Research
is often said, stress isn't about what happens to us, it's how we react to it. This is very true. We don't feel as stressed when we feel in control. Again, the emphasis is on feel. Even illusory feelings of control can eliminate stress. (This is the secret to why idiots and crazy people may feel far less stress than those who see a situation clearly.) Anything that increases your perception of control over a situation -- whether it…
3 minutes
Here’s The Best Time To Schedule Your Next Job Interview
rly in the morning. You want to be the first interview. Two reasons why: 1) Research shows college admissions interviewers who have said yes to many applicants in one day are less likely to approve another that day, despite the arbitrary distinction. Most people use similar informal groupings in their head for comparisons. Best to be first and not be on the losing end of such considerations: Many professionals, from auditors and lawyers, to clinical psychologists and journal editors, divide…
2 minutes
Are you more creative when you’re forced to work?
Daniel Akst's book Temptation: Finding Self-Control in an Age of Excess I found this line to be curious: At least one study of blocked writers has found that they were more productive and more creative when they were essentially forced to write instead of scribbling only when the mood struck them. So I looked up the study and, yes, it's true, being forced to write made writers more productive and more creative: Data for 3 groups of 9 ‘blocked’…
1 min read
The Secret To Beating Procrastination, According To Research
procrastinate the most when we're in a bad mood and think we can improve it with something fun. When we're in a good mood or when we don't think we can improve how we feel we screw around a lot less. Via Temptation: Finding Self-Control in an Age of Excess: So procrastination is a mood-management technique, albeit (like eating or taking drugs) a shortsighted one. But we’re most prone to it when we think it will actually help. In…
2 minutes
How much does jet lag affect performance?
amatically. By betting on west coast teams in every Monday Night Football game where they played east coast teams you'd beat the point spread 70% of the time. NFL teams that crossed three time zones for a game "were twice as likely to be beaten by a lower-ranked opponent in the tournament’s first round." On the flip side, competing while their body is at the peak of its circadian rhythm increased performance of long jumpers by 4%. "...in sports as…
2 minutes
Research Says You Can Beat Your Cravings With These Two Words
en deciding whether to eat something that isn't necessarily nutritious, use the words "I don't" instead of "I can't." You're 8x more likely to be successful. Via LA Times: ...try a reframing exercise that seems to work for all sorts of yearnings. It's actually pretty easy: When deciding whether to eat something that isn't necessarily nutritious, use the words "I don't" instead of "I can't." What's the difference? "With 'I don't' you're choosing words that signal empowerment and determination rather…
1 min read
