From 600+ conversations with the world’s leading thinkers.
Guess what, it turns out that you can't make big-breakthroughs without crazy optimism and idealism! With the exception of Elon Musk, that attitude is largely missing right now.
I don't label it as a self-care or self-help book; I describe it as a self-destruct book. The reason for this unconventional title stems from the inherent problem with self-care: we are often our own worst caregivers. Left to our own devices, we tend to blow things out of proportion and expect the world to change to make us happy.
This approach initiated a trend that endured over the years, leveraging the power of peer pressure. It transformed each young owner of UGG boots into an ambassador for our brand, proving to be an incredibly potent marketing strategy.
There's a concept in psychology called naïve realism. We think we see the world perfectly and assume that everyone sees it the way we do. If they don't? if they disagree? Our assumption is that they are wrong, and that they are misinformed. It's a natural inclination we all have which stops us putting ourselves in the other's shoes.
Historically, humans have evolved to be wary of the unfamiliar—a survival instinct that's served us well. Thus, the age-old "Frankenstein" narrative, wherein we birth powerful entities beyond our understanding or control, resonates deeply with our intrinsic apprehensions.
Social media really orients us around our identity and our interests because of the way those connections are formed. It's going to suggest people for you to follow, groups for you to join, and so it slots you according to what you're most likely to be interested in based on your individual and group identity.
I look at every negotiation as an opportunity to solve a problem between me and the other negotiator. They are not my adversary – I need them – and they need me.
Emotions are the brain's way of making us pay attention immediately to what is most important so that we can react as quickly as possible. In evolution, that meant 'survival' – the rustle in the bushes may be our next meal or may make us its next meal – something that we have to chase, or run away from – and in either case, we don't want to have to stop and think.
I woke up every day both inspired and terrified by the thought of building something from scratch and helping to save lives. It's a pretty good way to live, being both inspired and terrified.
What we think of as important today is rarely what really matters. In 10 years' time, you're not going to regret using the wrong Instagram filter, or not getting enough likes on a social media post. You will however, regret not reaching out to someone before it was too late.
My early experience as an unaccompanied child refugee on the Kindertransport brought me to England in 1939, evading Nazi Europe. That really had an enormous impact on me, everything was different. It was such a big change, that change doesn't throw me anymore. I've learned to enjoy change, I like to do new things, make new things happen.
Who you are, how you perceive yourself, and how others perceive you, all are enmeshed within this tapestry, which consists of billions of neuronal connections. Alzheimer's, in essence, pulls this tapestry apart, thread by thread.