In the world of sports, we easily understand that someone has to be in a certain type of shape to compete in a specific event. And we acknowledge that applies to other professional endeavors. But it’s oftentimes overlooked that the same principles also apply to our personal lives.
What are You in Shape For? Read More »
All too often we think that the more interesting we are, the more others will be interested in us. It makes sense, right? By appearing to have impressive skills or to have accomplished incredible feats we’ll seem alluring and naturally attract people to us. It’s easy to get sucked into the fallacy that you should try to be interesting rather than interested. But when we combat this temptation and strive to be interested, it produces better outcomes for everyone involved.
Be Interested, Not Interesting Read More »
Interviews are mapmaking sessions where the interviewer and interviewee endeavor to understand each other better. In order to do that, they must ask strong, probing questions. Unfortunately, many interviews fall short of their intended purpose.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
In the book Zero to One: Notes on Startups or How to Build the Future, Peter Thiel shares an interview question he dubs “The Contrarian Question.” It goes like this:
What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
The Contrarian Question: Peter Thiel’s Favorite Interview Tactic Read More »
There’s an asymmetry when it comes to creating versus critiquing. That’s to say critiquing is more prevalent than creating. Because we can play both roles, we need to be aware of the power and tendencies of each one.
Critiquing vs. Creating Read More »
While there is truth to the phrase, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” it’s incomplete. Ultimately, it comes down to what you know, who you know, and how well you communicate it.
Knowledge: It’s More Than What We Know Read More »
Fallacies affect how we communicate our thoughts and ideas with others. They are the use of faulty reasoning in the construction of arguments and can be used intentionally or unintentionally. The point of an argument is to persuade your audience into agreement with you, and if you can do this through the use of fallacies, then that is fair game. It should be noted, however, that using fallacious arguments opens you up to the potential of someone calling you out for your faulty reasoning. Tread carefully.
Fallacies: An Overview of Unsound Arguments Read More »