8 Things Movies Can Teach You About Human Nature
studying what makes a great story you can learn a lot about human nature. Stories aren't just distractions -- our brains are wired for story and studies show they are a fundamental part of the way we perceive the world. Stories are how we form meaning in our lives and they are vital to everything from career to family to happiness. UCLA Film School professor Howard Suber's book The Power of Film is meant to teach cinematic storytelling -- but also conveys deep…
5 minutes
Success In Life: How Do You Measure It?
your life was a board game, how would you score it? Remember the Game of Life? It's one of the most popular board games ever. You won if you ended the game with the most money. Here's the interesting thing you probably don't know: The game wasn't always about money. The original version was about vice, virtue and happiness. But when it was re-released in 1960 it was about cash. When Milton Bradley (the man) first created it, he saw…
4 minutes
How To Live A Happy Life: Louis CK Explains The Science
s, this guy knows the secret to happiness. You've probably already seen the following video. It got about 7 gazillion views and for good reason -- it's very funny. It also sums up what the research says is the most powerful (and easy) way to become happier. Louis CK? Scientific research? Jokes about rotary phones? Huh? Buckle in, I'll explain. "Everything is amazing right now and nobody's happy." Louis CK says that, then he drives it home with this…
5 minutes
4 Things Astronauts Can Teach You About A Good Night’s Sleep
o knows about sleep? Astronauts. They have to. Their bodies are cut off from many of the normal external cues that remind us what time it is. But actually, it's even worse than that. In orbit they can experience a dozen sunrises and sunsets a day which makes their circadian rhythm go completely haywire. When you're in a tin can floating through the cold darkness of outer space, being off your game due to lousy sleep can have very bad results.…
5 minutes
Knowing Yourself: 3 Keys To Leveraging Ancient Wisdom
now Thyself" The Oracle at Delphi said "Know thyself." And that is deep and profound. It's also a pain in the ass because as with every cliche, the difficulty is in the execution and nobody ever bothers to tell you how to do it properly. I guess they're too busy brainstorming new fortune cookie wisdom while we sit around thinking they're smart for coming up with it and we're dumb for not being able to follow through. Knowing yourself is…
4 minutes
Faith In Humanity: 10 Studies To Restore Your Hope For The Future
ading a lot about the science of human behavior can make you cynical, sometimes deservedly so, but cynical nonetheless. On this blog I try to be accurate and useful and, as I have posted, research shows there is great power in optimism and hope. So I want to take a second to step back from brass tacks and take a look at some studies that can renew a faith in humanity. The world is not always fair. The bad are…
5 minutes
Being A Good Person: 5 Things That Can Help You Make The Right Choices
case you aren't getting your RDA minimum of irony lately, I'm here to inform you that ethics books get stolen more frequently than other books: Overdue or missing, as a percentage of those off shelf: Ethics: 21.0% Non-ethics: 10.0% Missing, as a percentage of those off shelf: Ethics: 8.2% Non-ethics: 6.4% Research shows that in a multitude of ways bad truly is stronger than good. Via Good Boss, Bad Boss: In everyday life, bad events have stronger and more lasting consequences than…
3 minutes
Undivided Attention: 6 Ways To Focus That Will Make You Happier
ve me your undivided attention for a second. (It'll make you happier, I promise.) You create your world with what you pay attention to. There are a million things happening right now: some good, some bad. Pay attention to the good, you'll feel better. Pay attention to the bad, and, well... you get it. Via Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life: ...the things that you don’t attend to in a sense don’t exist, at least for you. All day long,…
6 minutes
