Check out the abstract to a paper posted last month where the researchers created false memories in people. They gave participants made-up stories and pictures and asked people if they remembered them. About half the people “remembered” events that never happened. About a quarter “remembered” seeing the story on the news. People remembered stories that fit their political orientation better than ones that challenged them. The stories in this study[…] Keep reading →

I write a lot about models on this page. By model I mean a simplified representation of something for a purpose. I promote recognizing what models work and using those, and not dwelling on if the model is right or wrong or accurate or not. Sometimes I like using models that work despite being very wrong. For example, sometimes thinking men are from Mars and women are from Venus helps[…] Keep reading →

Illustrative labels can help, as opposed to evaluative, judgmental ones like yesterday’s post. I love the term “Monkey Mind.” I heard it from a friend who teaches yoga. Without hearing any explanation I immediately understood its meaning and saw how the term helped understand a concept. When you increase your self-awareness you start to notice how your mind works. The less you know how to manage it, the more it[…] Keep reading →

If you work at an office and eat lunch in the middle of the day, what is the relationship between working and eating for you? Do you take a break to eat? Do you eat alone or with others? Do you eat while you work? The way I think of it is to ask Are you there to work and eating is a distraction? or Is eating one of life’s[…] Keep reading →

The other day I was arguing with a friend. Maybe not a full argument, but a misunderstanding. During a break I got online and noticed a link to an interview with someone whose thinking I liked. The first few minutes of the interview told me it would help. I suggested to my friend we both listen to the interview. We did. We then immediately came to understand each other, resolved[…] Keep reading →

Richard Feynman, one of my heroes, Nobel prize in physics winner, and entertaining guy, had concise advice in his commencement address to Caltech relevant to yesterday’s post on not fooling yourself. The first principle is that you must not fool yourself – and you are the easiest person to fool. Here’s the text of the full speech, which is famous in scientific circles for his concept of “cargo cult science“,[…] Keep reading →

I can’t help reposting a comment I put on another site. Readers here know that while I don’t eat meat I don’t consider avoiding it virtuous or better. I don’t consider not eating meat any more healthy, virtuous, humane, delicious, or whatever than eating meat. I don’t understand why so many people who eat meat call themselves vegetarian. What do they gain? As best I can tell they consider not[…] Keep reading →