George Carlin once said (roughly): “People who read self-help books should be killed. Life is simple, you wake up, go to work, eat 3 meals, shit, and sleep. You don’t need a book for it. And why is it called Self-Help? You’re reading someone else’s advice. It should be called “Help.”” But really, why should anyone … Read more
The costs of battle are often great, especially when you are over-committed. There are many people who sacrifice everything for a cause, business, or project – only to realize that the costs they had incurred were far too great. It is easy to be blinded by your own ambition, to lose your sense of realism. … Read more
You know, I am sure, that not numbers or strength brings victory in war; but whichever army goes into battle stronger in soul, their enemies generally cannot withstand them. Xenophon (430?-355? B.C.) In this chapter, Greene turns our attention to team motivation. To successfully build a winning army of any kind, you must know how … Read more
It has been a long-held belief that adolescence is a time of emotional turmoil. There is no shortage of people who have confirmed this claim. The first notable mention can be traced back to 1904, when the first president of the American Psychological Association, G. Stanley Hall referred to adolescence as a time of “storm … Read more
Many months ago, “logos” was re-popularized by Jordan Peterson, who has used it as a weapon against atheists. To Peterson, “logos” proves that atheists only think they are atheists – they are just fooling themselves. In a debate he had with Susan Blackmore, Peterson said that “secular” societies are built on top of Christian foundations … Read more
Many people are familiar with the idea that getting babies to listen to Mozart will turn them into geniuses. This news was also reported in China in 2001. But how did it start? A study in the early 90’s showed that performance on one task immediately after listening to Mozart improved. But this does not … Read more
Many people are well-trained to speak and to write well, but few are trained in the art of listening. Covey tells us that empathetic listening is something that is seldom practiced and because of this, a barrier is created between individuals. If you went to an optometrist and he gave you his own glasses when … Read more
The Controlled Chaos Strategy People often look for strategies in life because they fear independent thinking. They seek out a fixed formula that they can apply with success. They want to eliminate uncertainty, but unfortunately, no such strategy exists. Instead, the lesson from history is that it is better to always have options, to never … Read more
There is a widespread belief that marketers and psychologists have figured out how to hack our brains by using subliminal messages. Some audiotapes claim to improve your sex life, to enlarge a woman’s breasts, and to make you wiser, healthier, and wealthier. However, there is evidence to support the idea of subliminal messaging under tightly … Read more
This section of the book examines group leadership, Greene shows its inherent challanges, and gives us roadmap to become more proficient at it. Be Concise The reason why well-run militaries don’t use flamboyant language is because it is ineffective and vague. The execution of clearly defined goals is the purpose of the military, there is … Read more