Too many people spend their lives being dutiful descendants instead of good ancestors. The responsibility of each generation is not to please their predecessors. It's to improve things for their offspring. It's more important to make your children proud than your parents proud.

Addiction is a progressive narrowing of the things that bring you pleasure. Happiness is a progressive expansion of the things that bring you pleasure. The former emerges passively. The latter takes work.

I heard Andrew D. Huberman, Ph.D. say on a podcast how he regularly stops himself from doing trivial things - like picking up a paper clip or fidgeting with a pen in a meeting. Why does he do that? Why does it matter? (Surprise, surprise: it has something to do with our brains 🧠)

Good character is not about maximizing virtues but moderating them: to have high standards but low expectations, to be sensitive without being fragile, confident without being cocky, steadfast without being stubborn, driven without being reckless, focused without being obsessed.

This is the best elephant picture, EVER! ❤️

Being a critical thinker is about more than challenging other people's assumptions. It also requires you to rethink your own views. The top 22 ideas about life, work, and well-being that you enjoyed rethinking with me in 2022...

No matter how high you climb or how much you earn, if you aren't proud of how you got there, you haven't succeeded. Status is a reward for the result. Character is revealed by the process. The most meaningful accomplishments lie on the path that aligns with your principles.

Seán Ono Lennon Fully agreed. I call this approach #starmanning. If you’re interested: centerforinquiry.org/blog/how-to-st…

So many young people today are suffering from mental illness. It's heartbreaking. However, I think society is making it worse by teaching young people that they should avoid any uncomfortable experiences or ideas, that the world is to blame for all their problems, and that if

Psychological principle: There is no perfect anything-- perfect mental health, perfect economic situation, perfect secure attachment, perfect life, perfect happiness, etc. To be human is to struggle and everything has trade-offs. You may think others have it better than you, but

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” – Rumi

Three questions determine 99% of the happiness in your life: 1. What am I working on and why? 2. Who am I spending time with and why? 3. How well am I treating my body and why? Everything else is noise.

Self-acceptance shouldn’t stand in the way of self-improvement. Self-acceptance is refusing to be ashamed of your weaknesses. Self-improvement is striving to overcome your weaknesses. Recognizing that you’re good enough today doesn’t prevent you from getting better tomorrow.

Comparison is not the thief of joy. Envy is. Resenting others' success breeds misery and rivalry. Admiring their success brings motivation and learning. We all compare ourselves to others. A key to growth and happiness is focusing our comparisons on people who inspire us.

The best cure for loneliness is not more frequent interaction. It's more meaningful interaction. Many people enjoy solitude. They can spend up to ~75% of their time alone without feeling isolated. What matters most for well-being is the quality of connections, not the quantity.

The hallmark of an open mind is refusing to let your ideas become your identity. If you define yourself by your opinions, questioning them is a threat to your integrity. If you see yourself as a curious person or a lifelong learner, changing your mind is a moment of growth.

Good day to remember just how big that green tree is

Brutally Honest Reminders From Seneca: 1. Stop putting things off 2. Most suffering is self-inflicted 3. Seek out challenges 4. Stop acting like you’re going to live forever