The Mystery of the Fake Orchestra: How one wrong assumption builds a false reality
The mystery of the fake orchestra Making one small assumption which later proves to be false can result in us
Newsletter
The full archive of my newsletter, covering psychology, philosophy, business and culture. Every post features a photo from my travels.
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Lessons from Gilgamesh: What the oldest story still teaches
I was reading about ancient Mesopotamia and finally, in particular, The Epic of Gilgamesh, which I’d heard a lot
Ideas That Don’t Exist: The unexamined assumptions running your decisions
You might be surprised to learn that Stockholm syndrome is just a theory. It’s used to explain why hostages
Confidence and Competence: The gap between what you know and what you believe
As we grow up we’re surrounded by people and environments that shape what we believe is possible. These early
Run from genius: Why the smartest person in the room is often the worst to follow
People are drawn to genius like moths to a flame. We write books about geniuses. Make films about them. Genius
Build the Launch Pad: Why the size of your ambition needs to match your stage
It can be dangerous to dream too big before you’re ready - you’re setting yourself up to fail, and
Career
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The Danger of Role Models: Why someone else's map won't fit your terrain
Your heroes can kill you. Having an internal locus of control and identity is extremely important. It’s important not
Career
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Leave the Bones Behind: How to extract the useful parts of bad advice
Not all advice is good advice. Daphne E. Jones, the ex-SVP and Chief Information Officer of GE Healthcare, once
Call the Timeout: How to stop one bad day from wrecking everything
We all have goals that require some discipline, but once one thing goes wrong it can be easy to let
An Honourable Thief: What great creators actually mean by 'originality'
At the end of the game show Golden Ball, the two final contestants have to decide whether to steal or
Sweat the Small Stuff: Why the things you dismiss decide the outcome
I had a friend who loved to say “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” The problem is, it’s often
It's a Sprint and a Marathon: Why choosing one pace guarantees you lose
People like to say, “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” The problem is that some people take
