I’ve noticed a lot of people getting really upset lately about the presidential election. This particular cycle is Trump/Clinton, but people seem to get upset every cycle. There are angry fights on FB threads and forums, in bars and restaurants. I’ve read that the divorce rate goes up during election years. It makes zero fuckingRead more »
One of the biggest sources of stress (which is a happiness antagonist) is big decisions. Well, decisions that feel big at least. Next time you’re stressing over a big decision, ask yourself “what is the worst case scenario?” Then really spell it out, make it super explicit in your head. Chances are good that theRead more »
Sometimes things happen that make you unhappy. Well, not really. Things happen and you become unhappy. But you can train yourself to just be happy instead. When I was just starting out, I found the 10-year trick especially helpful for situations that feel like stress. If you start to stress out about something, ask yourselfRead more »
School lunches were a real lottery at my school. You walked down the line, and the lunch lady would heap whatever portions she deemed appropriate on your plate. Some of the lunch ladies were generous, some were stingy. Some ladles were heaping, others were practically empty. It seems to me that most people think ofRead more »
In my fourth-grade class, like every fourth-grade class before us, we attempted to hatch chicks. We got fertilized eggs, incubated them under a lamp, and waited FOREVER to see them hatch. Every day, I’d come into the classroom and head straight to the eggs, hoping to see a change. I spent hours staring at thoseRead more »
“This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill—the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill—you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. Remember: all I’m offering is the truth.Read more »
“I don’t want to wait, for my life to be over…” -Dawson’s Creek Theme Song A friend of mine was complaining to me that he just wants to retire already (he’s 27). I’m sure most people would laugh at him, but you probably know me well enough by now to know that I took himRead more »
I really like TV. I don’t watch much, but when I do, I really like it. One show I really like in particular is Parks and Recreation. Aziz Ansari’s character Tom has a hilarious line in a classic episode (paraphrasing): “I know in 20 years I’ll be on a million-dollar yacht with my gorgeous wife,Read more »
We humans have stupid monkey brains with lots of bizarre mental quirks, not the least of which is our desire to be consistent. If I’ve been a republican my whole life, I probably won’t vote democrat. The longer I’ve been a republican, the truer this is. No matter how elegant the argument, the fact ofRead more »
One of my friends spends too much time on Twitter, and he’s been trying to cut that down. A valiant goal, and one I’m happy to hear about. I was disappointed to hear that two weeks in, it’s still pretty hard on him. So I asked him what his system is – how he’s approachingRead more »