Wisdom in fragments

It took me 10 years to secure a seed round, even with existing customers. Meanwhile, my Columbia peers would raise millions with just a pitch deck. I've had well-meaning partners suggest that appointing a white CEO would make fundraising easier.

I believe it boils down to confidence and fearlessness—believing in yourself and your own perspective. When you fail to follow your vision and instead listen to the consensus, it dilutes your vision. Consensus tends to pull everything towards mediocrity.

Hip hop, in my view, stands at the vanguard of cultural and technological adoption, consistently ahead in both marketing and technological innovations. If you aim to create cutting-edge businesses, there's a lot to learn from these fields, which consistently remain at the forefront.

I don't believe that social media is directly responsible for mental health issues. I see social media more as an accelerant than a cause. It tends to amplify pre-existing conditions, speeding up and enlarging problems rather than creating them.

Psychologist known for research on child development and magical thinking in children

While people may have more connections than ever, these connections often lack depth; they are rarely reciprocal and seldom provide emotional sustenance. The pain of loneliness is something else entirely—stemming from being deliberately excluded, ostracized, or bullied.

Psychologist known for research on child development and magical thinking in children

The 'compare and despair' generation is constantly bombarded with unrealistic portrayals of success, leading everyone to feel inadequate, regardless of their achievements. We all have flaws and recognize our weaknesses, and there will always be someone who seems better in some way.

Psychologist known for research on child development and magical thinking in children

I believe happiness is a consequence, not a goal. If you engage in the right activities that bring contentment, happiness will naturally follow. Viewing happiness as a goal makes it elusive; it's like chasing an illusory concept.

Psychologist known for research on child development and magical thinking in children

During the day, we strive for efficiency. The brain forms habits to avoid wasting energy on unnecessary tasks, like finding a new route to work daily. It automates routes, like driving on autopilot, sometimes arriving home without recalling the journey. This efficiency undoubtedly has its benefits in a resource-limited environment shaped by evolutionary pressures.

There's a compelling hypothesis in the field of machine learning called 'overfitting,' where systems become so tuned to recognizing patterns that they falter when faced with new, unexpected scenarios. Interestingly, some computer scientists are exploring ways to inject noise into computational models to keep them adaptable.

Similar to the 'use it or lose it' principle that applies to muscles, our brains engage in a nightly routine that stimulates thoughts and ideas not typically relied upon during the day. This built-in process keeps our thinking adaptive and nimble, fostering divergent thoughts and offering an evolutionary advantage.

Unlike the waking brain, the dreaming brain shows reduced executive function, specifically in areas like logic and mathematical reasoning. Instead, areas like the default mode network, which I'd argue functions as an imagination network, along with emotional centers, are highly active. This configuration makes the dreaming brain less logical but more emotional, visual, and imaginative.

If dreams are brain-generated, then understanding brain activity during sleep becomes crucial. This continuous activity during certain sleep phases, especially those associated with vivid dreams, is so intense it resembles waking brain activity, a phenomenon dubbed paradoxical sleep. It challenges the notion that the brain 'rests' during sleep.

People have been told that asthma is an incurable condition, that they'll need to rely on a bronchodilator every few hours for life. But that's just not true. The way you breathe is deeply connected to asthma symptoms.

Author of "Breath" & Investigative Journalist on Respiratory Science

We get more energy from air than from food or drink. So, if we're absorbing that energy inefficiently, it's bound to catch up to us.

Author of "Breath" & Investigative Journalist on Respiratory Science

About 65% of the population mouth breathes at night. If you're breathing through your mouth for eight hours, you increase your susceptibility to respiratory illnesses, sleep apnea, snoring, and allergies. You get less oxygen and overwork your body.

Author of "Breath" & Investigative Journalist on Respiratory Science

We have become the only species with chronically crooked teeth. Consequently, a smaller mouth leads to a smaller airway and various obstruction issues. We have become dysfunctional breathers due to our environment.

Author of "Breath" & Investigative Journalist on Respiratory Science