John Green reminds us that the people we admire (maybe even feel envious of) may not have it all together like we imagine. And that’s okay. We all try to put our best “frame” forward, hoping no one will tilt the camera in a direction that reveals something we’re not ready to share. …
This Heineken ad is brilliant. Titled “World’s Apart” and produced for the #OpenYourWorld campgain, I unreservedly declare it worth your time to watch to the end. It’s a beautiful statement about humanity. …
Social competition appears to be a vital part of the solution to getting humans to change their behavior. Focusing on doom and gloom just isn’t the right message.
Happiness and Gratitude – I tend to agree with Nassim Taleb, that statistical evidence in the social sciences often amounts to little more than lies, but the concept seems worth some self-experimentation. Here’s the method… …
Fascinating the reaction of the monkey that is not paid well for doing the same task as the other monkey. There is a lesson here: Keep pay secret! 🙂 Teasing….
Game designer Jane McGonigal gives a fascinating TED talk on how video games can have a real, positive impact on people’s lives as she compares deathbed regrets to the reported benefits of playing a simple game. In the talk, McGonigal reveals that she suffered a severe concussion or traumatic brain injury and used a simple game she designed (SuperBetter) to help cope with her symptoms while healing.
I was quite inspired by McGonigal’s enthusiasm and confidence that video games can be a source for good in our lives. I’ve gotta check out her book Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World
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The 7 deadly sins, a list created, appropriately, by the Catholic Church is familiar to many:
Below is a revised, non-secular list, which also provides insights on our weaknesses.
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On Fresh Air, Terry Gross interviewed reporter Charles Duhigg, who has written a book titled The Power of Habit
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This is a story about shame. In November of 2011, former adult film actress Sasha Grey dropped by Emerson Elementary School in Compton, CA and read children’s stories to 1st and 3rd graders. The event was supposedly part of the school’s “celebrity guest reader” program, though the school initially denied her participation. Given the photo evidence, they probably just didn’t realize her background as an “adult” film actress (who also starred in Steven Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience
