From 600+ conversations with the world’s leading thinkers.
Humans can be parasitized by actual brain worms, but also by idea pathogens that cause them to behave in profoundly maladaptive ways.
We also don't really have cultural mechanisms that emphasize what truly matters—not so much the hustle, but the rest. The social connection. The deeper forms of connection we get from meeting people face-to-face.
An uneducated unconscious is a perilous entity. The intuition of a seasoned doctor with 30 years spent diagnosing ailments is immensely beneficial. Conversely, the intuition of a teenager is not only unfruitful, but potentially hazardous.
If you want other people to open their minds, you have to open yours too.
Don't become paralysed by anticipating the unexpected. It does not pay to be worried about failure. If your mind is crowded with thoughts of what could happen, you will never achieve your best performance.
It is natural that a society would want to keep what they think works, the status quo. We are also acutely aware that technological changes alters society in unpredictable ways. It is the uncertainty associated with change—especially the fear of losing what we value—that leads to resistance to change.
We are a very flexible species, and we can change things. It is clear biologically that men are more violent than women. This is true for all primates. However, there are societies we know – from anthropological studies – where violence is extremely rare because kids are elevated, from a young age, to be peaceful and not to fight at all. Even a trait that is basic in our biology is still subject to cultural influence.
What people fail to recognise is that fear is different for everyone. Your emotions are unique to you and you've really, really got to take time to concentrate on yourself.
Emotional intelligence however is a skill that is learned and learnable. We learn it in life- and we can be trained in it. It's not enough to have someone come and talk to your team about why it's important however, it's something that needs practice, something that you have to work at.
A great entrepreneur always acts with full intention and without limitation, always striving for the best in everything they do. From an early age I knew I had to rely on myself, look after myself, to not be afraid of anything. It gave me huge confidence and unshakable belief.
Becoming more optimistic involves meticulously noting down your problems and then systematically reinterpreting them to find the most positive alternative explanation. I describe this process as becoming your own advocate—stepping outside yourself, scrutinizing your initial interpretations, and challenging them with counterarguments.
Technology is systematically undermining human weakness, the costs are huge. This is what degrades our quality of life and how we make sense of the world. This is what destroys our ability to form identity, to form relationships and make choices.