In Thinking: Fast and Slow, Kahneman explains the representativeness heuristic, by giving us the example of Tom W, a fictional graduate student. Assume that you know nothing about Tom W, and you were asked to guess which major he is most likely in. I will simplify the example and include only three of these majors. … Read more
Cognitive Science: An Introduction to the Science of the Mind – José Luis Bermúdez – 2010 A text that introduces Cognitive Science, with examples, illustrations, applications, cutting-edge research, and new developments. Explores the achievements cognitive scientists have made and the challenges in the future. Acts of Meaning – Jerome Bruner – 1990 A critique of … Read more
Narcissus spent hours staring at his reflection until he turned into a flower, or so the Greek myth goes. Today, we think of Narcissus as the person who is too interested in how they look, are entitled, admire themselves too much, lack empathy, and have an excessive need for attention from others. This leads to … Read more
Synaptic Self: How Our Brains Become Who We Are – Joseph E. LeDoux – 2002 How does the memory function? What is the synaptic basis of mental illness and drug addiction? What is the mechanism of self-awareness? Consciousness and the Brain: Deciphering How the Brain Codes Our Thoughts – Stanislas Dehaene– 2014 How does our … Read more
To know yourself and to know others is useful because you will be better able to conduct yourself in the world. Without error, you don’t learn. But to learn, you have to undergo the painful experience of destroying previous conceptualizations of the world. Error is unpleasant but necessary. If you don’t err, and you get … Read more
Lesson 1: Deadwood Lesson 2: Order and Chaos Lesson 3: Don’t be Naive Lesson 4: Intelligence is not Necessarily Wisdom Lesson 5: You Don’t Lose Fear, You Become more Courageous Lesson 6: You Must be Willing to be a Fool to be a Master Lesson 7: Learn How to Negotiate with Yourself
Charles Bukowski, today known as a celebrated author, found success only in his fifties. In his twenties, he wrote hundreds of short stories. Two of these were published, both of which barely sold any copies. This was during a time when Bukowski traveled across the U.S, and worked several blue-collar jobs. Years later, he nearly … Read more
The busiest people harbor the greatest weariness, their restlessness is weakness – they no longer have the capacity for waiting and idleness.” Nietzsche With Nietzsche, as with any great contrarian, we find quotes that point us towards a truth that is at once counter-intuitive and provocative. Of course, when asked to imagine what it would … Read more
Imagine losing everything you own, your health, and everyone you love. Too depressing, I know. But for the Stoics, this was a daily routine. And not for nothing, the Stoics realized that there was something about human psychology that worked against us. We lose a sense of urgency and relish for life when things are … Read more
Here is a list of twenty-seven alphabetized mental models from behavioral economics and psychology, briefly explained. Availability Heuristic: Kahneman discovered that we tend to remember what is most salient and frequent. To have a truly comprehensive memory would be debilitating. Anchoring: The human tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information offered (the … Read more