Why is the penis shaped like that?
bsp; It's designed to deposit semen as deep into a woman's vagina as possible -- and with each thrust to remove any semen left by other men: Via Jesse Bering's excellent book, Why Is the Penis Shaped Like That?: And Other Reflections on Being Human: So how did nature equip men to solve the adaptive problem of other men impregnating their sexual partners? The answer, according to Gallup, is that their penises were sculpted in such a way that the…
2 minutes
Do all great artists fall into two categories?
bsp; Experimental vs Conceptual: Via Old Masters and Young Geniuses: The Two Life Cycles of Artistic Creativity: Experimental artists build their skills gradually over the course of their careers, improving their work slowly over long periods. These artists are perfectionists and are typically plagued by frustration at their inability to achieve their goals. And: Conceptual innovations appear suddenly, as a new idea immediately produces a result quite different not only from other artists’ work, but also from the artist’s own…
2 minutes
Can one 18 minute ritual make your day dramatically more productive?
in 25K+ subscribers. No spam, ever. Enter your email here: Via 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done: STEP 1 (5 Minutes): Your Morning Minutes. This is your opportunity to plan ahead. Before turning on your computer, sit down with the to-do list you created in chapter 22, “Bird by Bird,” and decide what will make this day highly successful. What can you realistically accomplish that will further your focus for the year…
2 minutes
8 ways that money can buy happiness:
in 25K+ subscribers. No spam, ever. Enter your email here: Another paper from Harvard happiness expert Daniel Gilbert (author of the bestseller Stumbling on Happiness) spells out 8 ways we can spend our money to increase happiness: (1) "Buy more experiences and fewer material goods." This means more amusement parks and vacations. Fewer cars and new TV's: Asked which of the two purchases made them happier, fully 57% of respondents reported that they had derived greater happiness from their experiential purchase,…
6 minutes
What can we all learn from religion — whether we believe or not?
bsp; Religious people are happier. Largely because of faith, even the poorest people on the planet can be happier and the Amish are as satisfied as billionaires. There are definitely some things we can learn from religion. (I'm not proselytizing -- I'm not religious myself and religion is far from a cure-all.) But what principles can we learn about ourselves and human nature from religious practice? What need does it fill that make it stand the test of time and…
2 minutes
Does easy to understand = true?
bsp; Things that are easy for our brain to process feel more true than concepts that are difficult to process. This is one of the reasons we tend to like the familiar more than the unfamiliar. It's also why we may fall for the glib and specious versus more accurate but challenging explanations. Via The Boston Globe: If something feels notably easy to decipher, whether it’s a piece of text or the shape of an object or the particulars of…
2 minutes
Why do we feel so good after a shower?
in 25K+ subscribers. No spam, ever. Enter your email here: Sure, there are plenty of physical reasons. The warm water is nice, it relaxes our muscles, etc. What's more interesting is the psychological effects washing can have on us: Baths in warm water can make you feel less lonely. Studies have shown we have trouble distinguishing physical warmth from emotional warmth. Many believe you can literally wash away bad luck. Given an opportunity to wash their hands, people were…
1 min read
How can you tell from a distance if two people are attracted to each other?
bsp; Are they moving a great deal? Animated? Fidgeting even? "The result is that our activity level, even when suppressed and visible only as fidgets and nervousness, is an honest signal of interest." During a speed dating meeting, a woman's activity level predicted whether she would give out her phone number or not. Even with people merely exploring a friendships, activity level predicted whether they would trade contact information. Via Honest Signals: How They Shape Our World: When we use…
2 minutes
