I know, I know – could it be more trite? And yet… There’s so much research demonstrating the importance of community, friendships, and loose social networks to health and happiness. Anybody who claims to have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps is forgetting all the kind words, second chances, mentoring and plain old good luck […]
A psychology professor named Angela Duckworth wrote in the New York Times about a phenomenon she calls situational agency. She means that willpower is not what works to get yourself to resist temptation, or to do something you know you should. Instead, successful people create a structure around themselves that minimizes the need for willpower. […]
For several years now I have railed against the proliferation of touch screens in cars, as they grow ever larger and more complicated. That is part of the reason I prefer older cars and keep them forever. (My trusty mechanic knows me well, and shared his home and cell numbers.) I find screens distracting, preferring […]