Personal Development for Smart People^TM

In the previous post, we identified some fears that hold people back from taking more social risks, including the fear of others forming a negative opinion of you and the fear of hurting others through social interaction with them, fears that would be eliminated if you were dealing only with computer-generated characters in a simulation […]

If you found yourself in a Holodeck from Star Trek (i.e. a computer-generated simulation where the “people” are all just part of the simulation), how would your behavior towards the artificial characters differ from your default behavior towards real human beings?
Would you feel more or less introverted?
Why?

A few weeks ago my wife and I decided to try the Netflix video rental service. We both like watching movies together, and this service seemed like a good idea, especially since we’ve been miffed at Blockbuster for changing their rules in a way that’s been detrimental to us.
If you aren’t familiar with Netflix, […]

Rick Cecil made a post on Developing Social Interaction Skills that may be of help to you if you want to grow in this area.
I think the best advice I can give for improving social skills is simply: Practice. You can study techniques like matching and mirroring to build rapport, and you can […]

Here’s a true story of some very bad luck, which ultimately became a positive memory….
Los Angeles, Tuesday, June 28, 1994 - I arrive at my girlfriend Erin’s house bright and early. We’ve only been dating for 3 months, and we’re about to begin our first vacation together — 3 fun-filled days in Las Vegas. We […]

As a child I was very introverted, often spending my time on the computer, reading, playing video games, or pursuing other solo hobbies. I’d spend time outdoors biking, exploring the nearby fields and hills (which today are filled with houses), or shooting hoops, but I’d usually favor doing these things alone or with people […]

Here’s a great article I just read (actually a transcript of a presentation), written by a scientist about how to think:
Extreme Thinking
This article suggests three principles for making a contribution to society:

Define a meaningful purpose for your work (the why).
Develop a long-term vision (the what and the how).
Create social roles that reinforce the behavior you […]

I’m well aware that many people will become pissed off, turned off, put off, or simply want me to step off when I stray from “safe” topics like productivity and time management and explore more sensitive, even controversial topics like relationships, health, or spirituality. However, from past experiences I’ve seen that it’s the ideas […]

Are human beings anatomically more similar to natural carnivores or to natural herbivores? Let’s find out….

Intestinal tract length. Carnivorous animals have intestinal tracts that are 3-6x their body length, while herbivores have intestinal tracts 10-12x their body length. Human beings have the same intestinal tract ratio as herbivores.
Stomach acidity. Carnivores’ stomachs are 20x more acidic […]

I won’t be doing a podcast this week, as I have relatives visiting from out of town for the next four days. Time for some fun in Vegas.
I’d like to know which day of the week you feel is best for posting podcasts. Are you more likely to listen to them if they’re […]