Vermont is very political—people say what they think. They disagree without being disagreeable and have discussions without fighting.
— Alyssa Mastromonaco, in ‘Who thought this was a good idea’
Category: Paper Book
Saying the obvious…
One of the things Ford Prefect has always found hard to understand about humans was their habit of continually stating and repeating the very very obvious.
If they don’t keep on exercising their lips, he thought, their brains start working.
—H2G2
H2G2 on the ‘Confirmation bias’
See first, think later, then test.
But always see first. Otherwise you will only see what you were expecting.
— Wonko the sane, in ‘So long, and thanks for all the fish’ (H2G2 part 4)
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… but what actually is it?
Once you do know what the question actually is, you’ll know what the answer means.
—H2G2
The Nappuccino
The most efficient nap is the nappuccino. The caffeine won’t fully engage in your bloodstream for about twenty-five minutes, so drink up right before you lie down. If you’re not a coffee drinker, search online for an alternative drink that provides about two hundred milligrams of caffeine. (If you avoid caffeine, skip this step. Also reconsider your life choices.)
— Dan Pink’s tip on tackling the most of the mid day slump, from ‘When‘
The peak-end rule (& the duration neglect)
The rule says that when we remember assign the greatest weight to its most intense moment (the peak) and how it culminates (the end).
We downplay how long an episode lasts – Kahneman calls it “duration neglect” – and magnify what happens at the end.
—Dan Pink in ‘When‘
Culture of Relativism
Mandela was prepared to break ranks with his fellow African leaders and condemn oppression. He did not indulge the ruinous culture of relativism and solidarity that had led to so many abuses in Africa passing unrebuked.
—Alec Russell, in ‘After Mandela‘
I love the term ‘Culture of relativism’. It’s a much better name for what’s come to be known as ‘whataboutery’ in the social media age.
Culture of relativism is also something that’s made a strong comeback in the era of social media empowered populism across the globe.
Self-confidence & leadership – Mandela v Mbeki
Mandela was sufficiently confident in his own abilities to want to surround himself with advisors who were cleverer than he was, while Mbeki needed to be the brightest in the room.
—Cyril Ramaphosa, After Mandela
Swimming… pigs
We had been sailing across the Aegean in a small wooden sloop, heading for the harbour at the northern end of Kythnos, but were blown so far off course by the Meltemi that we almost missed the island altogether. Having just managed to claw our way around its southern tip into the shelter of a providential cove, we rode out an anxious night and awoke to rosy-fingered dawn and a perfect sandy bay. There was not a soul in sight. But the beach was not empty. In the shade of a tin shelter on driftwood stilts, occasionally strolling into the sea for a dip and a roll in the shallows, lolled a dozen ample sows. I hope those pigs still have the beach to themselves.
—Roger Deakin, in Swimming
Please Exercise!
Exercise is one of the few activities in life that is indisputably good for us—an undertaking that extends enormous benefits but extracts few costs. Exercise helps us live longer. It fends off heart disease and diabetes. It reduces our weight and improves our strength. And its psychological value is enormous. For people suffering from depression, it can be just as effective as medication. For healthy people, it’s an instant and long-lasting mood booster. Anyone who examines the science on exercise reaches the same conclusion: People would be silly not to do it.
—Dan Pink, in When
Use my marker 