Adam Grant on think again

vutran | Feb. 5, 2021, 4 p.m.

“When people reflect on what it takes to be mentally fit, the first idea that comes to mind is usually intelligence. The smarter you are, the more complex the problems you can solve— and the faster you can solve them. Intelligence is traditionally viewed as the ability to think and learn. Yet in a turbulent world, there’s another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn.  Mental horsepower doesn’t guarantee mental dexterity. No matter how much brainpower you have, if you lack the motivation to change your mind, you’ll miss many occasions to think again. 

Research reveals that the higher you score on an IQ test, the more likely you are to fall for ste­reotypes, because you’re faster at recognizing patterns. And recent experiments suggest that the smarter you are, the more you might struggle to update your beliefs.  The curse of knowledge is that it closes your mind to what you don’t know. Good judgment depends on having the skill— and the will— to open your mind. A hallmark of wisdom is knowing when it’s time to abandon some of the most cherished parts of your identity.”  

— Adam Grant in Think Again

Nicholas Carr on the intellectual bond between authors and avid readers

vutran | Jan. 31, 2021, 8:24 p.m.

“The bond between book reader and book writer has always been a tightly symbiotic one, a means of intellectual and artistic cross-fertilization. The words of the writer act as a catalyst in the mind of the reader, inspiriting new insights, associations, and perceptions, sometimes even epiphanies. And the very existence of the attentive, critical reader provides the spur for the writer’s work. It gives the author confidence to explore new forms of expression, to blaze difficult and demanding paths of thought, to venture into uncharted and sometimes hazardous territory.”

— Nicholas Carr writes in The Shallows

Mo Gawdat on the star of the movie

vutran | Jan. 28, 2021, 1:32 p.m.

"Get real. You are not the star of the movie. Most of what happens around you isn’t about you at all. There are infinite numbers of other movies. In those, if you feature at all, you’re just a supporting actor. It would really help your happiness if you started to look at your life that way." 

— Mo Gawdat in Solve for Happy

Morten Hansen on doing exceptional work

vutran | Jan. 8, 2021, 2:19 p.m.

"Instead of asking how many tasks you can tackle given your working hours, ask how many you can ditch given what you must do to excel."

— Morten Hansen

James Clear on being better with curiosity

vutran | Jan. 8, 2021, 2:18 p.m.

"There are nearly endless opportunities to improve each day and finding them largely boils down to being curious.

People who are better in the end are usually curious in the beginning."

— James Clear

James Clear on solving problems early

vutran | Jan. 8, 2021, 2:12 p.m.

"Solve big problems early.

Rebound after one missed workout, not a decade of inactivity.

Repair a strained relationship the next day, not years later.

Fix overspending before it becomes a lifestyle.

Problems with simple solutions at first become difficult to unwind over time."

— James Clear

James Clear on maturity

vutran | Jan. 8, 2021, 2:11 p.m.

"Maturity is learning how to start when you feel like procrastinating and learning how to listen when you feel like talking."

— James Clear