How to read Tolkien – fantastic lecture from...
Coursekit is now Lore. What’s the Story? Culture & SocietyHistory & Literature How to read Tolkien – fantastic lecture from Carnegie Mellon University. Complement with Tolkien himself on storytelling, language and the psychology of fantasy and his little-known art. #J.R.R. 216 notes
The Art of Insight and Action
How To Make It Impossible To Fail
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Maneesh Sethi of Hack the System. It’s funny how long two minutes can be. Just a few weeks ago, a package arrived: a Sonicare EasyClean Toothbrush. It’s a strange thing, the mental passage of time. The third ding? Of course, each ding really takes exactly thirty seconds, but time doesn’t always act like it should. The Sonicare toothbrush, however, is an example of a Failure-Proof Environment. So, how can you build a failure proof environment? How to Construct a Failure-Proof Environment Think about this: how many times have you promised yourself to eat better? Damn lizard brain. The good news? Precommitment is the process of making a promise, when you are in your sane state, that will prevent your tempted insane-emotional-id-self from doing something bad. My first experience with precommitment was during a 28 day trek through the wilderness. Precommitment is the process of creating an enviroment that forces you to succeed. Putting it all together
[A team of neurobiologists found that] “if social...
[A team of neurobiologists found that] “if social conformity resulted from conscious decision-making, this would be associated with functional changes in prefrontal cortex, whereas if social conformity was more perceptually based, then activity changes would be seen in occipital and parietal regions.” Their study suggested that non-conformity produced an associated “pain of independence.” In the study subjects the amygdala became most active in times of non-conformity, suggesting that non-conformity—doing exactly what we didn’t evolve to do—produced emotional distress. From an evolutionary perspective, of course, this makes sense. I don’t know enough neuroscience to agree with their suggestion that this phenomenon be titled the “pain of independence,” but the “emotional discomfort” being different—i.e., not following or conforming—seems to be evolutionarily embedded in our brains. Good solid thinking is really hard to do as you no doubt realize.
Mind Tools - Management Training, Leadership Training and Career Training
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Mediocre People
Claiming an Education: Adrienne Rich’s Spectacular 1977 Commencement Address
by Maria Popova “Responsibility to yourself means that you don’t fall for shallow and easy solutions.” In September of 1977, months before the publication of her exquisite Dream of a Common Language and exactly two decades before becoming the first and so far only person to refuse the prestigious National Medal of Arts in an act of remarkable political courage, Adrienne Rich stood before the graduating women at Douglass College and delivered one of the greatest commencement addresses of all time. The speech, titled “Claiming an Education,” was eventually reprinted in On Lies, Secrets, and Silence: Selected Prose 1966–1978 (public library) — the same magnificent compendium of Rich’s writing that also gave us her timelessly beautiful exploration of how relationships refine our truths. Adrienne Rich at age 22, 1951. What does it mean to “claim” an education, exactly? Adrienne Rich, 1970s More of Rich’s inextinguishable mind can be found between the covers of On Lies, Secrets, and Silence.
Roger Hamilton's Wealth Dynamics Profile Test
Buddha Had It Right: Relax The Mind And Productivity Will Follow
“The great enigma for psychologists and philosophers is the mind.” --Bhante Wimala Several decades ago, the term ‘mindfulness’ used to imply Eastern mysticism related to the spiritual journey of a person, originated by Gautama Buddha. Buddhists believe that being ‘well, happy, and peaceful’ comes from practicing ‘mindful’ living. Today, from self-help gurus to business leaders, and scientists to politicians, many talk about mindfulness. Mindfulness has been described as “bringing one’s complete attention to the present experience on a moment-to-moment basis” (Marlatt & Kristeller, 1999) And as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally” (Kabat-Zinn, 1994). The scientific community now believes that by practicing daily mindfulness we can take advantage of the neuroplasticity of our brains and thereby improve the state of our lives. In my experience, mindful people make much better leaders than frenetic, aggressive ones. Letting Go
Brian Eno’s Reading List: 20 Essential Books for Sustaining Civilization
by Maria Popova Deconstructing a magnificent mind through his reading diet for intellectual survival. UPDATE: The folks from the Long Now have kindly asked me to contribute to the Manual for Civilization library — here is my own reading list. There is something inescapably alluring about the reading lists of cultural icons, perhaps because in recognizing that creativity is combinatorial and fueled by networked knowledge, we intuitively long to emulate the greatness of an admired mind by replicating the bits and pieces, in this case the ideas found in beloved books, that went into constructing it. After the reading lists of Carl Sagan, Alan Turing, Nick Cave, and David Bowie, now comes one from Brian Eno — pioneering musician, wise diarist, oblique strategist of creativity — compiled for the Long Now Foundation’s Manual for Civilization, a collaboratively curated library for long-term thinking. Join me in supporting the Manual for Civilization, then revisit Eno’s insights on art.
How to Stop the Inner Cringe When Good Things Happen to Others
Brain Pickings
How To Meditate Without Meditating At All
Your meditation doesn't have to emulate the Buddha's 49-day retreat. Whether you think there's no time for a mindfulness meditation practice, or the concept of sitting in stillness is more daunting than restful, there are still ways to reap the benefits of the ancient art. That's right -- you can manifest an informal practice within your daily habits. Informal mindfulness practices are ones in which you pay attention to your moment-to-moment experience. Many successful people (like Oprah, Rupert Murdoch and even Arianna Huffington, to name a few) credit meditation for their razor-sharp focus, enviable level of productivity and bountiful amounts of creative juice. Try Some Mindful Cleaning Before you roll your eyes, think about the fact that you'll be killing two birds with one stone. If you're fortunate enough to have a dishwasher that does it all (except meditate, that is), consider turning your morning bed-making routine into a mindfulness practice. Find Some Zen In Shower
Leo Tolstoy on Finding Meaning in a Meaningless World
by Maria Popova “For man to be able to live he must either not see the infinite, or have such an explanation of the meaning of life as will connect the finite with the infinite.” Shortly after turning fifty, Leo Tolstoy succumbed to a profound spiritual crisis. With his greatest works behind him, he found his sense of purpose dwindling as his celebrity and public acclaim billowed, sinking into a state of deep depression and melancholia despite having a large estate, good health for his age, a wife who had born him fourteen children, and the promise of eternal literary fame. On the brink of suicide, he made one last grasp at light amidst the darkness of his existence, turning to the world’s great religious and philosophical traditions for answers to the age-old question regarding the meaning of life. He likens the progression of his depression to a serious physical illness — a parallel modern science is rending increasingly appropriate. Frustrated, Tolstoy answers his own question:
