You must read Crimes against Logic

Jamie Whyte’s angry and witty rant against the rhetoric, faulty reasoning and misinformation we are subjected to from all sources is fascinating, enlightening and fun. The book is a quick read and will equip you with the tools you need to become a staunch defender of truth.

You can buy it at:
http://www.amazon.com/Crimes-Against-Logic-Jamie-Whyte/dp/0071446435/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-5283451-1587818?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174864371&sr=8-1

Morality in Primates

The New York Times had a very interesting article on morality in primates. As many primates display empathy, understand who has done them favors, display altruistic behavior and take into consideration the greater good of their group when resolving disputes, they are displaying some of the required building blocks for morality.

You can read the entire article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/20/science/20moral.html?ref=science

Youtube: I told you so :)

In a previous post (http://www.fabricegrinda.com/?p=120), I mentioned that my biggest concern with the Google / Youtube deal was not the valuation, but copyright issues. Now that Viacom has sued Google for $1 billion, those fears seem validated.

That said, traditional media companies probably don’t want to alienate their viewers too much by refusing to embrace the web so chances are that they will settle for a large dollar amount plus a licensing deal.

I wonder how much of the $1.65 billion was put in escrow to be used against copyright claims…

幸福与相信文字的危险 :)

有趣的是,我们人类是如此容易受骗。 如果我们读到或在纪录片中看到了什么,我们就更有可能相信它。 这就是谷歌的魔力。 如果你就某个主题写了足够多的文章,你就会开始出现在该主题的搜索结果中–无论你真正了解多少。 不久,就会有人把你当成该领域的专家,要求采访你。

因此,我很惊喜地被误认为是 “国际幸福专家”,并被要求回答几个问题。 我一开始就告诉面试官,如果她认为我是幸福问题专家,那她一定会大失所望,但我还是决定陪她玩玩。

以下是我的一些回答,供您阅读:)

您如何定义幸福?

幸福是一种情绪或情感状态,以享受和满足感为特征。 因此,就像恋爱一样,你要么快乐,要么不快乐,但不一定知道为什么–你就是快乐。 因此,很多人把幸福定义为他们所做或拥有的事情,就像下面查理-布朗所做的那样:

幸福
选自《你是个好人,查理-布朗
(Clark Gesner)

幸福就是找到一支铅笔。
在月光下入睡
报时
幸福就是学会吹口哨。
系鞋带
第一次
幸福就是打鼓
在自己学校的乐队里
与幸福携手同行

幸福是两种冰淇淋。
知道一个秘密
爬树
幸福是五种不同的蜡笔。
捕捉萤火虫
让他自由
幸福就是偶尔独处。
幸福再次降临

幸福是早晨和傍晚、
白天和夜晚也一样。
因为幸福是任何人、任何事
这就是你的爱。

有一个妹妹是幸福的。
共享一个三明治
相处。
幸福就是一起唱歌
当白天过去
而幸福就是那些与你一起歌唱的人。

幸福是早晨和傍晚、
白天和夜晚也一样。
因为幸福是任何人、任何事
这就是你的爱。

不过,虽然做这些事情能让查理-布朗开心,但有时,这些事情对你来说可能并不适用。

您认为迈向幸福的重要一步是什么?

尽管我在上面说过,但你可以采取一些明确的措施来获得快乐。

具体来说

  1. 不要把幸福等同于金钱。
  2. 不要上下班。
  3. 定期锻炼。
  4. 多做爱
  5. 花时间和精力建立密切的关系。
  6. 暂停反思,沉思生活中的美好事物(换句话说,心存感激)。
  7. 寻找能发挥你技能的工作,享受你的工作。
  8. 让身体得到所需的睡眠
  9. 不要为了追求幸福而追求幸福,要享受当下。
  10. 掌控自己的生活,为自己设定可实现的目标(换句话说就是要有目标)。
  11. 拥有乐观的态度和人生观。

你可能会说,”心存感激 “这样的事情并不容易做到,但事实证明,即使是每天在笔记本上写下今天发生在你身上的三件好事这样简单的事情,也是非常有效的!

你认为一个人有可能在大部分时间里真正感到满足吗?

当然可以! 许多人一般都很快乐,这只是因为–基于他们的成长经历和基因的结合。 不过,即使默认情况下你的幸福感只是一般,你也可以采取上述 11 个有意识的步骤,让自己变得更加幸福。

无序的结论:学术期刊文章平均有 7 个人阅读,包括作者的妈妈。 也许真正的专家应该写博客:)

The Science of Happiness

I recently came across an interesting article on the science of happiness in Harvard Magazine recounting the emergence of “positive psychology” as a field of study, its findings and the emergence of new research areas such as the study of joy instead of happiness.

Many of the findings will be familiar to the readers of my previous posts on happiness. However, a few of the research results were surprising such as the fact that having kids tends to slightly decrease happiness.

Here are two interesting paragraphs:

“Nobel Prize-winning psychologist and behavioral economist Daniel Kahneman of Princeton (see “The Marketplace of Perceptions,” March-April 2006, page 50) asked thousands of subjects to keep diaries of episodes during a day—including feelings, activities, companions, and places—and then identified some correlates of happiness. “Commuting to work was way down there—people are in a terrible mood when they commute,” Etcoff says. “Sleep has an enormous effect. If you don’t sleep well, you feel bad. TV watching is just OK, and time spent with the kids is actually low on the mood chart.” Having intimate relations topped the list of positives, followed by socializing—testimony to how important the “need to belong” is to human satisfaction.”

“Gilbert reconsiders his grandmother’s advice on how to live happily ever after: “Find a nice girl, have children, settle down.” Research shows, he says, that the first idea works: married people are happier, healthier, live longer, are richer per capita, and have more sex than single people. But having children “has only a small effect on happiness, and it is a negative one,” he explains. “People report being least happy when their children are toddlers and adolescents, the ages when kids require the most from the parents.” As far as settling down to make a living—well, if money moves you into the middle class, buying food, warmth, and dental treatment—yes, it makes you happier. “The difference between an annual income of $5,000 and one of $50,000 is dramatic,” Gilbert says. “But going from $50,000 to $50 million will not dramatically affect happiness. It’s like eating pancakes: the first one is delicious, the second one is good, the third OK. By the fifth pancake, you’re at a point where an infinite number more pancakes will not satisfy you to any greater degree. But no one stops earning money or striving for more money after they reach $50,000.”

Inside Facebook is a fun, quick read that allows you to experience the startup spirit!

Reading the book, I felt like I was reading about the first two years of almost every startup I have been involved with. The names of the people and product were different, but the ethos and spirit was truly there. I suppose it’s partly that spirit that keeps me going back and starting from scratch over and over again!

The book’s self-help parts are annoying and the story would have been stronger if it focused only on Facebook, but that aside Inside Facebook, with its compelling characters and a story line on the way to fairy tale ending, is extremely fun and energizing!

Why people believe in God

The NY Times just published a great article called “Darwin’s God” discussing why people believe in God. It’s a great complement to reading the enlightening and entertaining “The God Delusion.”

While there are some scientific debates, especially on the evolutionary components of religion, it seems that our three fundament mental frameworks and cognitive tools – agent detection, causal reasoning and theory of mind – predispose us to belief.

Read the full article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/04/magazine/04evolution.t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&pagewanted=all

Warren Buffet’s 2006 Letter to his Shareholders

I have been a fan of Warren Buffet’s letter to his shareholders for many years. It is clear, concise, honest, often funny, and provides insight into many matters outside of Berkshire Hathaway. The 2006 version is no exception to the rule.

You should also check out the full Berkshire Hathaway annual report at: www.berkshirehathaway.com

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