Chewing Ayn Rand’s Ideas on Happiness
I have been reading and thinking about one paragraph a day from "Galt's Speech" from Atlas Shrugged. When I got to paragraph 75, I decided it needed two days of thinking. Then I decided I should share my chewing of this meaty and important paragraph with you. Here is...
Thoughts on Despair
Recently I've been discussing the need to reboot your thinking when you are in a dysfunctional state. The emotion of despair deserves special attention under this heading. Unlike other emotions, the emotion of despair always indicates a mistake somewhere in your...
Intense Emotional Conflict as a Dysfunctional State
In my previous article, I explained what dysfunctional states are and why you need to "reboot" your mind when you get into one. But I kept to the simple ones: overload, confusion, and blankness. Conflict, meaning the experience of emotions pulling you in multiple...
The Need to Reboot Your Thinking
“Thinking” is a purposeful process of integrating new observations with your existing knowledge and values to reach new conclusions. It is not a passive state of registering random impressions. It is an actively sustained process of identifying...
Thoughts on “Overthinking”
After back-and-forths with some Thinking Labbers, I've got a lead to what causes some people to bog down in thinking about issues and never get into action. It's popular to say that such people are "overthinking" and need "a bias for action." But inaction is a symptom...
Distinguish Values and Emotions
Some people muddle together values and emotions when they discuss motivation. These are two very different (though causally related) phenomena. Some people get confused about the roles of thought and action in forming values and triggering emotions. I thought I'd sort...
The Value of Knowing Definitions
When I was a graduate student studying Objectivism, my professor, Harry Binswanger, required that I memorize all of the definitions that are mentioned in Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand. One or more of them appeared on every exam. Thanks to this assignment, I...
The 3-Minute Walk
As soon as you finish reading this article, I recommend that you take out your smartphone, open the stopwatch app, start the timer, and then march out of the building. Keep going until the stopwatch hits 90 seconds, then turn around and come back. You will have...
How to Deal with a Defense Value of Approval
When the desire for approval is driving many decisions, it is a "defense value." It distorts your choices and actions and undercuts your successes and sense of self. Fortunately, this is a problem that can be remedied by taking an active approach to reprogramming your...
An Effective Way to Make Big Decisions
Big decisions can be made quickly and easily if you simply compare the best-case scenarios — and commit to doing the work to achieve the best outcome. This is a brilliant idea of Brooke Castillo's that cuts through fear, doubt, and uncertainty and propels you into...
