Better's Today

William Gibson on the not very evenly distributed future

vutran | May 5, 2021, 8:43 p.m.

"The future is already here -- it's just not very evenly distributed."

— William Gibson

James Clear on lifestyle as a process

vutran | May 4, 2021, 8:53 a.m.

"New goals don’t deliver new results. New lifestyles do. And a lifestyle is a process, not an outcome. For this reason, your energy should go into building better habits, not chasing better results.”

— James Clear

Karl Anders Ericsson on learning as a way of developing potential

vutran | May 3, 2021, 12:03 p.m.

“Learning isn’t a way of reaching one’s potential but rather a way of developing it.”

—Karl Anders Ericsson

Colvin on the critical part of self-evaluation

vutran | May 1, 2021, 1:56 p.m.

…A critical part of self-evaluation is deciding what caused those errors. Average performers believe their errors were caused by factors outside their control: my opponent got lucky; the task was too hard; I just don’t have the natural ability for this. Top performers, by contrast, believe they are responsible for their errors. Note that this is not just a difference of personality or attitude. Recall that the best performers have set highly specific, technique-based goals and strategies for themselves; they have thought through exactly how they intend to achieve what they want. So when something doesn’t work, they can relate the failure to specific elements of their performance that may have misfired.

— Colvin

Colvin on stepping out of one’s mind to become the best performers

vutran | May 1, 2021, 1:55 p.m.

“The best performers observe themselves closely. They are in effect able to step outside themselves, monitor what is happening in their own minds, and ask how it’s going. Researchers call this metacognition—knowledge about your own knowledge, thinking about your own thinking. Top performers do this much more systematically than others do; it’s an established part of their routine.”

— Colvin

Anne Lamott on the value of reading

vutran | April 28, 2021, 7:38 a.m.

"If you love to read, or learn to love reading, you will have an amazing life. Period. Life will always have hardships, pressure, and incredibly annoying people, but books will make it all worthwhile. In books, you will find your North Star, and you will find you, which is why you are here.

Books are paper ships, to all the worlds, to ancient Egypt, outer space, eternity, into the childhood of your favorite musician, and — the most precious stunning journey of all — into your own heart, your own family, your own history and future and body.

Out of these flat almost two-dimensional boxes of paper will spring mountains, lions, concerts, galaxies, heroes. You will meet people who have been all but destroyed, who have risen up and will bring you with them. Books and stories are medicine, plaster casts for broken lives and hearts, slings for weakened spirits. And in reading, you will laugh harder than you ever imagined laughing, and this will be magic, heaven, and salvation. I promise."

— Anne Lamott on the value of reading