In 1930, Harvard psychologist B.F. Skinner came up with an experiment. He took a hungry rat and placed it in a box with a lever on one side. As the rat explored its new cage, it would accidentally hit the lever and, when it did so, a food pellet would drop on the floor. After the […]
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The time of consuming one medium at a time is over. We’re no longer just reading a book, just watching television, or just listening to our favorite tunes. We now watch television while browsing the Web. We answer emails while listening to music. We are “watching” a YouTube video in one tab, while instant messaging […]
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We live in the era of multitasking. According to a recent study, 81% of Americans always or almost always engage in at least one additional activity while watching television. When 200 people were asked to track their media activities during a one-hour evening period in another study, they reported switching between mobile phones, tablets, and […]
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A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William Irvine tries to answer the question, “How to have a good life?” and it’s written for those seeking a philosophy of life. “The Stoic philosophy of life may be old,” Irvine explains, “but it merits the attention of any modern individual who […]
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Stoicism and the Art of Happiness by Donald Robertson is a book about Stoicism and how to apply it in the modern world. The book shows you ways in which Stoicism can contribute towards a philosophy of life – an art of living with Happiness that aspires to be both rational and social. “In a nutshell, […]
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According to a Nielsen report, U.S. adults spent an average of almost six hours (5:57) per day on video in 2018. The good ol’ TV, live and time-shifted, eats up most time, with adults watching a staggering average of 4 hours and 46 minutes per day. The number differs heavily depending on your age, as shown […]
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“If you wish to improve,” Stoic philosopher Epictetus said, “be content to appear clueless or stupid in extraneous matters.” We sometimes play general knowledge games, such as Trivial Pursuit, at our family get-togethers. Questions include such classics as…In ‘Shrek,’ what comedic actor voices Donkey?What superhero has been played by Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney and […]
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Stoicism is popular. And its community seems to grow every day. But Stoic philosophy is also complex and it’s immensely challenging to explain it in simple terms. The original texts from the Stoic philosophers consist of lecture notes, personal letters, and diary entries. They don’t offer a clear-cut explanation of the philosophy like one out of a […]
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Unsubscribe is a short book on email management by Jocelyn Glei. The book does four things.First, it explains the psychology that makes email so addictive and problematic.Second, it gives you strategies for managing email in more productive ways.Third, it teaches you how to write better emails.Fourth, it gives you pre-written scripts for various email challenges, including […]
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The Shallows by Nicholas Carr tries to answer the question, “What can science tell us about the actual effects that Internet use is having on the way our minds work?” Carr came upon this question as he found his ability to concentrate had gotten worse and worse since the advent of the internet. “The very way […]
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