Time as a Currency

The money-time relativity is actually quite simple.

A friend of mine regaled me with his tale of frugalness when he spent $1 on a tie. I thought that was great, but playing the devil's advocate told me to analyze this a little further. Just how much freedom (or time) does $1 cost or buy?

If we assume a time-averaged annual income of about $100,000, we are able to come to a rate of approximately $48/hr. So if you are spending $1, you will be putting yourself about 75 seconds farther away from financial independence (retirement). Of course, there are so many things being assumed here (taxes, time-value, actual salary, etc.) that I don't even care to bother with because that's really not the point. The point is a shift in perspective.

Rather than looking at how much something costs in terms of dollars, it's a lot more useful to use a currency which is the same for every single person on earth. Everyone has only 24 hours in a day (somewhat), and that is universal for all human beings. If I'm about to spend $100 on an item, I need to be asking myself whether or not that particular item is worth delaying my financial independence (retirement) by more than 2 hours. That's an extra 2 hours I'm working for just that one item.

It's an interesting way of looking at things because you start to think about whether or not that extra $10,000 on a nicer car is worth it when you factor in the gas and other expenditures. Large expenses like mortgages or buying a house can potentially be setting yourself back YEARS.

For smaller expenditures, it also places casual items into perspective. An $8 Blizzard from Dairy Queen would require you to knock out an extra 10 minutes of work. In some cases, these things might actually be worth it. But when there are things which you don't necessary really need nor even really want, it helps to give yourself a reason not to spend.

Semi-related note:
I was walking around Dollarama the other day, and I recalled how I used to walk around stores like this looking for things to buy. I was always wondering, "hmm, I wonder if I can buy myself some happiness with any unnecessary purchases." However, I now have a different thought strategy. In a certain way, the consumer/producer dynamic can be viewed as a zero-sum game. And in that game, all advertisements are out to get you, to steal away your freedom so that the producers can have more of it for himself. Every time I walk into a store now, I have the battle mindset switched on. I find myself spending a lot less because of this, and am actually a much happier person.

The Hierarchy of Sixes

I was talking to my friend from another law school the other day and she mentioned how she had a table of contents in her notes that she takes into the (open-book) exam. My immediate reaction is that any content not directly contributing to the transfer of knowledge is a waste of space and time (spent reading the table of contents). The next day, I thought a little more about why I structure my notes the way I do and the following is what I came up with.

I realized that I tended to keep all my notes in “packages” of four or six sheets of paper. I would also only have a total of three to six of these packages at maximum (ideally one package is best). The reason for this is that six sheets of paper allow for 24 pages when printed double-sided and double-paged per side (also make sure to use the narrowest margins practical). Why is this important? To answer that, we must consider the human psychological model of chunking.

In short, the theory of chunking basically says that we can only keep track of about six things in our head at a time. Six also being an even number can easily be halved (so you can think of information residing in the first or second half). After halving, it can then be separated into thirds which is also intuitive in the sense that you can call it "beginning", "middle", and "end" in your head.

So stepping back to see the big picture, chunking limits the human brain and the ability to know in your head exactly where information resides. Therefore, rather than print out a book, separate your information into packages or different levels (be careful not to have too many) of abstraction where you can intuitively operate within the chunking limit of six items at each level of the hierarchy. That being said, some people may only be able to operate with thee or four, in which case you should adjust accordingly.

Table of contents? I think not.

Finding Our Box

Four quadrilaterals.

Motivational statements are often boilerplate because of the fact that it is playing to a public audience filled with average people. However, let's consider how we can place this into a larger frame of understanding which provides even more practical applications. Let us consider an analogy by way of the infamous and often annoying phrase, "thinking outside the box".

Most people are content to live "inside the box" even though they hear people say that it's great to "live outside the box". They do not care much for it and they are fully happy without inquiring further. This is not only fine, but our very civilization depends on them.

For those who want to achieve "more" (whatever that means), they are looking for an impetus to "live outside the box". These are the ones that subscribe to internet publications of motivational quotes and phrases.

But you and I have been there; we've been inside and we've been outside and we don't see anything new. So we go a step further and ask more questions:

• What is the box?
• Why is it good to be outside of it?
• Why do people suggest that we be outside of it?
• Who defines the box?
• Why does there even need to be a box?

Eventually we come to a conclusion that we can live our lives with the utmost freedom and direction by amorphously and dynamically defining our box and contemporaneously living outside and inside of it. But we also have to realize that we are not always one and complete. We are not isotropic pieces of meat and ideas which adhere to a single frame of mind. We are the child, the hero, and the sage all in one. And that's why the motivational slogans are important. It reminds the more child-like sides of ourselves to catch up and be earnest to go through the stages I've outlined above. Perhaps this is the realization that we all seek to reach, but even I find it extremely difficult. But that's what life is about, the struggle.

The Baser Desires

The colour of desire.

The past few days have had me frequently at frustration as I struggled to balance my need for food against my need for learning and productivity. It was not until I spent a good three hours hiking through a park absorbing what nature has to offer did I realize that I was missing out on opportunities to harness the necessary stimuli that the human condition gives us. Rilke in his Letters to a Young Poet phrases this most wonderfully:

"Bodily delight is a sensory experience, not any different from pure looking or the pure feeling with which a beautiful fruit fills the tongue; it is a great, an infinite learning that is given to us, a knowledge of the world, the fullness and the splendor of all knowledge. And it is not our acceptance of it that is bad; what is bad is that most people misuse this learning and squander it and apply it as a stimulant on the tired places of their lives and as a distraction rather than as a way of gathering themselves for their highest moments."

Indeed, as postmodernist philosophy goes, a lot of reality or at least reality as we know it is dependent on our own subjective perceptions. If we are able to tweak that for our own personal development, then we would be that much more powerful.

Captain America

My thoughts on Captain America

I wrote the following when the major motion picture Captain America: The First Avenger came out in 2011.

Throughout the institutionalized education us westerners are mandated to participate in, we are often asked the question "Who is your hero?". I have often found it difficult to answer such a question, because it depends on what one defines as a hero. If a hero is simply a person that one looks up to, then there are myriad of people both fictional and real that many of us could name. I, however, believe that this definition is rather spartan and requires a more in-depth discussion necessitating a look into certain characteristics which I shall discuss below.

In order to explain my own personal views regarding the definition of a hero, I shall invoke the example of a recent figure depicted in the motion pictures. This figure is none other than the fictional but nevertheless valiant, Captain America. Originally intended as a fictional hero to inspire a nation against the evils of the Axis forces, his role in the minds of the recent generations have far exceeded the intentions of the original creators. We must understand, therefore, that there are ideals that Captain America embody which have proven to be timeless.

One of the characteristics that Captain America has displayed is his will to do good unto the world. Rather than fighting Nazis with anger and vengeance, he proves his mettle by stating that his reasons for going to war is simply to suppress the suppressors; An honourable cause for war if there ever was one. When knocked down, Captain America has the will and the belief in the necessity to stand up again. For as Theodore Roosevelt once said "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, for there is no effort without error and shortcoming."

Captain America may not represent my country, nor may he represent yours; but one thing that he does represent is the spirit within all of us to accomplish something worthwhile. How long have we lived our lives striving to achieve success? How long have we tried to define ourselves by following the expectations of the world? Our bodies are mortal, and our lives are short (unlike Captain America's). And so I leave you all with this quote of his:

"Doesn't matter what the press says. Doesn't matter what the politicians or the mobs say. Doesn't matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right. This nation was founded on one principle above all else: the requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences. When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world - 'No, you move.'"

Reading: Knowing the Structure

First set up the canvas by which you will attempt to work through the book.

When we are reading, we need a goal with context. We cannot sit there and consume information without a plan. This is true for reading non-fiction and fiction alike.

When we approach a new book, we should first seek to understand its structure. If it's non-fiction, look through the table of contents to see which topics are covered and how the ideas are arranged in a way that the author believes convey their message best. If it's fiction, look to find the total number of pages and chapters so that you can track yourself and fully understand which part of the plot arc you are at when you read.

This is important because it gives you context as to where you are going. Sure, some may desire not knowing anything about the direction of your reading, but in my opinion that is wholly ineffective. The purpose of reading is to put yourself into the mind of the author, albeit with your own personal expressions of understanding. Nevertheless, it is important for us to understand how the author has structured his work. Reading is a lot more meaningful once you understand the structure of your subject.

Write What You Read

You must write what you read if you are to remember it.

"Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man." -Sir Francis Bacon

Reading allows you to consume knowledge, but one of the best ways to consolidate this is for you to produce it in a form of your own expression. So how do we remember things once we determine something is important? One of the guides we can look at is the study of classical rhetoric, the art of speaking and persuasion.

Rhetoric can be divided into the follow stages:

1. Invention - Let your ideas ferment and swish around in your brain.
2. Arrangement - Arrange your ideas in a clear and easy to understand manner.
3. Style - Incorporate style to make your message more convincing.
4. Memory - Commit your message to memory.
5. Delivery - Refine your mode of delivery.

While I can go into much detail about these steps, this brief description will suffice for now. Next we will talk about how to determine what is important when you read and how to approach different types of text.

Being Well Read

Does reading a lot of books necessarily mean you are smart?

One must be weary in attempting to be well read. For many are widely read but few are truly well read.

Many people are avid readers, but retention and application of the information in the books they read often fall short of what one may expect of such diligent readers. Why is this? How do we internalize information such that they become useful to us? In the next few posts, I'll be focusing on this issue.

But for now, let me leave you with this quote from How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler.

There have always been literate ignoramuses who have read too widely and not well. The Greeks had a name for such a mixture of learning and folly which might be applied to the bookish but poorly read of all ages. They are all sophomores. 

To avoid this error—the error of assuming that to be widely read and to be
well-read are the same thing—we must consider a certain distinction in types of learning. This distinction has a significant bearing on the whole business of reading and its relation to education generally.

Cultivating Curiosity

Being a curious person just requires dropping the excuses you give yourself everyday.

So far, we've talked at length about the importance of curiosity and how it factors into being an intrinsic motivator. So let's continue to drill down and ask the question, how can we cultivate our curiosity?

This Psychology Today article sums it up quite nicely, and I'll attempt to summarize it here:

1. Reframe boring situations as opportunities to be inquisitive. Ask questions about things that you normally would not.
2. Don't be afraid to take that dance class, or click that link for a beginner's programming tutorial, at least just give it a shot.
3. Focus on your old passions no matter how many setbacks you've had. Did you try to learn an instrument but gave up? Go back to it!

Short and simple; and admittedly often easier said than done. But then again, better said than not at all. So what are you waiting for?

Write Lives Like Songs

Music

We must write our lives the way we write songs.
We must not be afraid to step out of the staff,
We must not be tame to play outside our key,
We must not be afraid to dance to a different rhythm.
For the beauty of music is in its originality,
So too is the beauty of life in its uniqueness.

Motivate Yourself Intrinsically

Find your inner carrot.

So it's great that we know we work best with intrinsic motivation, but you may ask how do we develop this? You can increase your intrinsic motivations by:

1. Attributing results to factors under your own control (autonomy),
2. Believing that you have the skills to be effective agents in reaching your own desired goals (self-efficacy belief)
3. Becoming interested in mastering a topic, not just in achieving good grades (curiosity)

That last point is important, because it relates most closely to the original question. How does one become interested in something when they simply are not?

The key is curiosity. Developing a vivacious curiosity is one of the best things you can do for yourself. You will be happier because you'll rarely get bored of things, and even when you do get bored, you will be able to exert conscious effort into discovering how to make your environment and task interesting again.

The Importance of Curiosity

Are you a curious person?

Curiosity is important. When we speak of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, curiosity is an extremely strong intrinsic motivator and is absolutely crucial to our goal of being productive, creative, and effective people. According to Psychology Today, in reference to a study by Todd Kashdan of George Mason University:

"People who exhibit high levels of curiosity, he found, experience higher levels of satisfaction with life than their more disengaged peers. While the less curious derive more pleasure from hedonistic behaviors such as sex and drinking, curious people report finding a greater sense of meaning in life, which is a better predictor of sustainable, lasting happiness."

Curiosity has also been shown to positively correlate with personal growth, openness to experience, autonomy, purpose in life, self-acceptance, psychological flexibility, positive affect, and positive social relations. 

As an added bonus, curious people tend to be less predisposed to interpersonal aggression. This might be helpful not only for choosing the people you want to be around, but also in thinking about your own attributes as well.

Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivators

Chasing the carrot?

Daniel Pink is the author of a book which talks about motivation. I am often skeptical of committing time to watching talks on YouTube, but I do believe that the RSA video below is worth a watch (it's a shorter animated version of a TED talk that he did). The takeaway that I would like to talk about is the understanding of the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivators.

Extrinsic motivators tend to require us to do something in order to achieve a favourable outcome. An example would be rewarding someone with money if they completed a task well. Intrinsic motivators, by contrast, refer to an interest in completing the task in and of itself. Think of a time where you spent hours doing something just because it felt interesting and fun to you.

Interestingly, extrinsic motivators are good for tasks which don't require much creative thought, but actually decrease performance for tasks which do require creative thought. If you are reading this blog, I'd hazard to guess that your tasks are of the second type.

Of course, then comes the question, "If I don't find something fun, how can I be intrinsically motivated to do it?"

Since I'm at my word limit for today, the answer to that question will come in the next daily post, stay tuned and reflect on what motivates you in your life.

Animated RSA Talk (10:48)

Ted Talk (18:37)

Believing the Impossible

The impossible often become the possible, indeed it is the only thing that ever does.

One of the perspectives I frequently take on is the need to believe in the impossible. Today, I will attempt to explain why this is so important in the field of optimization and improvement.

All improvements require a first step in experimentation with new techniques and methods. This decision to abandon the old and experiment with the new often places us in a quandary. When we consider attempting something new, we must weigh: (1) the probability of the decision working itself out along with (2) its resultant benefits.

The probability can be somewhat ascertained through studying academic literature and understanding the principles which govern the system. However, this can only go so far. The other part of the formula needs to be considered; what benefits can this new method bring?

It is this very notion that compels us to choose to believe our wildest dreams. The amount of intrinsic curiosity and wild belief in the impossible is directly proportional to the amount of experimentation you are willing to take on in your life. As a result, the more you believe in the impossible, the more likely you are to accomplish just that.

The Crippled President

Appearances matter.

Having spent several years with engineers, you start to get a sense of their perspective on things in life. One of the more common ones is their refusal to accept the importance of form and aesthetics. In the business world, the importance of marketing is already a known axiom, but within the world of many technical individuals the notion that results will sell themselves continue to hold fast.

Here is the story of a man who exerted immense efforts to defy what many may have considered impossible.

Inspiration often lie in unfamiliar places and former US president Franklin D. Roosevelt's paralytic illness is a story that few are aware of. Despite primarily being confined to a wheelchair and unable to walk, FDR campaigned and was successfully elected as president with most of the world not knowing about his illness. How did he do this?

No matter what you may believe, the facts are that better marketed products often hit the jackpot and attractive people are perceived as more trustworthy and capable. Even if your task to change your image may seem impossible, never give up, because FDR surely didn't.

Impossible is nothing... unless you are dead.

The Free Rider Problem

Understanding the concepts of the free rider problem.

Many people who work in teams or groups have a disdain for the free rider. In a team situation, there will always be people who pull a little less weight than the rest and it's important to know how to deal with it.

When I first entered my first year of university for engineering, we were given a paper on how to deal with unfair working situations in group work. Many of the suggestions can be described as increasing communication between members in order to align interests and simply reporting the problem to the supervisor.

Well, it is clear that the second option is often not sufficient in real life. What is important is that we need to understand what drives this discomfort within us and how to resolve it. This feeling is called inequality aversion (IA). It has been shown that the perceived lack of fairness (in the presence of strong IA) decreases productivity within a group, much more than the actual decrease brought by the free rider alone.

Bottom Line: It often pays more to ignore the free rider and take on a bit more work rather than worry about the problem so much.

That's not to say you shouldn't also continue to try to alleviate the problem by increasing communication, working on dispute resolution, and the alignment of interests.

Locus of Control

It's important to maintain a strong locus of control.

According to Wikipedia, the locus of control is defined as "Locus of control is a theory in personality psychology referring to the extent to which individuals believe that they can control events that affect them."

Whether we choose to believe it or not, there are always certain things within our realm of control and other things that are not. And as much as your personality can be defined by your surrounding environment, it's important to realize that the amount of control you have over your own life is at least partially defined by the amount of control you believe you possess.

The mystical concepts of someone who is smart or lucky often have a negative effect on your locus of control. Indeed, when students were praised for being smart as opposed to being praised for having worked hard, their performance suffered in comparison. By bringing the source of success and praise into a strong internal locus of control, students are more likely to excel.

In short, this echoes my previous post that there is a significant advantage in taking a perspective on things where you are handling the steering wheel.

It's Good to Blame Yourself (...sometimes)

It's always good to look for opportunities for growth.

When bad things happen, we're often told it's not our fault and that we shouldn't blame ourselves. That's all well and good, but sometimes when responsibility for the blame is not so clear, I think a different perspective may be more productive (so long as your self-esteem is intact). Assuming responsibility for things that may not objectively be your fault can be good because it provides an excellent opportunity for an excuse in improving yourself.

Even when things are clearly not your fault, you can still try to rationalize far-out factors that you could've/should've/would've taken care of if only you were a better person. You can make sense of the situation by thinking about how you can improve yourself from this experience by analyzing your weaknesses. This type of focus will also distract yourself from any discontent that you may feel.

Obviously, this does not work in all situations. Sometimes, the fault clearly lies with other people and there really is nothing you could have done. But nevertheless, I find that these instances are a lot rarer than most people think. Besides, it's always nice to take responsibility for things and put the control back in our own hands.

A Little Bit Everyday

Guest Image: ThunderCougarFalconBird

The following is a guest post by ThunderCougarFalconBird about his experience with language learning and spaced repetition techniques.

It was the night before the first midterm in a university course for Mandarin Chinese and I found myself trying to cram 10 chapters in 12 hours. It was terrible, and I swore that I would never do it again.

And so, I began using Anki everyday, a spaced repetition software (SRS). SRS is basically a set of flashcards, but with an algorithm that continuously schedules familiar cards to be reviewed less often while unfamiliar ones are reviewed more often. I did this for the remainder of the course and in the end I only spent about two hours studying for the final and was able to take the exam with a high degree of confidence.

I now study Korean, and every week my classmates cram for the weekly vocabulary quiz while I only spend 15 minutes a day on the commute to school. This not only prepares me for the quizzes, but also seals in vocabulary in the long term. Cramming last minute is great for storing it in the short term, but the information may not remain for long.

Of course, SRS is only one part of language learning; we must not forget to use the language itself.

It's also worth mentioning that spaced repetition has much research behind it. For decades now, different algorithms have been tested, developed, and optimized for better learning; see Wikipedia for more information.

Learning From Garbage

Does this can hold wisdom?

Sometimes we think about how other countries may be dirty and may even have the inclination to look down on them for lacking a sense of proper hygiene in their culture. Thus, it may be wise to serve ourselves a reminder that even North American society wasn't all that great not too long ago. Check out the following video clip from Mad Men (a TV show set in the 1960s).

I realize this is a fictional TV show produced in today's world, but it is nonetheless a representation of what might have been seemingly more acceptable in the past. We can also just look at our parks during firework days and see exactly how little we have changed in some respects.

Indeed, we must realize that societal values are not tied indefinitely to a specific culture. All cultures have the ability to evolve and change, and the forces that do so are arguably balanced between government and our own self-awareness. Hopefully, realizing this interesting tidbit will allow us to recognize that the power to change is within ourselves and more importantly I hope this realization will help to prevent racism and stereotyping. After all, we are all just only human.

Moon Landing Hoax

Impossible?

The moon landing hoax conspiracy tells us more about our perceptions as human beings rather than about the moon landing itself. While most pundits and experts have come to a general consensus that the moon landing did in fact happen, there is still a significant portion of the population that doubt this. Notwithstanding the enormous cost of faking such an enormous endeavour with so many participants, conspiracy theorists refuse to accept that landing on the moon is a feasible and historical accomplishment.

The inability to believe the moon landing stems largely from a lack of understanding about how surmountable the task really is. It is difficult for many people to wrap their heads around complex concepts and it is simply much easier to reject something rather than to look at it analytically. However, all great things seem difficult at first. If you were to ask a child whether or not a sail boat can sail upwind, it is likely that they may answer no.

Indeed, the point of this post is not only to point out our very human apprehension of FUD, but also to recognize the importance of viewing something impossibly hard as something within our grasp.

Food for Thought: Snowstorms

What can we learn from snowstorms?

Not too long ago, Toronto had a snowstorm that affected many of its residents and caused substantially longer commutes. I have said before that inconvenience is one of the best sources of ideas and I think it's worth taking time to think about what snowstorms can bring us in terms of food for thought.

What the snowstorm exacerbates are pre-existing problems built into how the city is run. The most obvious one is that of a commute. Commutes significantly contribute to environmental pollution along with a waste of time and money, things that could be used to boost an economy. There are many jobs that can simply be done from home, and increasingly many offices are starting to do just this.

At the most extreme there is the Results Only Work Environment, where there is no requirement for commuting to an office and sitting there for a period of time. It is claimed that this type of per-hour billing is an antiquated form of human resources management from the days of the industrial revolution.

I am not suggesting that telecommuting is a panacea to all work situations, but isn't it interesting that such a discussion can come from a snowstorm?

Good Ideas: Inconveniences

You know it's serious business when you're using both hands.

Good ideas often come from inconveniences, especially inconveniences that we have accepted as necessary in society. And when I teach about innovation, the first example I always talk about is the telephone.

The early phones required two handed operation, and while that may look a little odd in today's world it is only because we have gotten used to telephones which have a joined speaker and microphone. Later on, someone would eventually figure out that the distance between the ear and the mouth doesn't vary all that much for most people and the two pieces would then be joined.

Sure, this seems obvious to us now, but people used the candlestick telephone for decades. There are numerous similar examples of this, but it is important for us to realize that "back in the day", everyone thought they were really advanced and high-tech just as much as we currently do. Let us never lose sight of the humble nature of our human beginnings and let's try to be innovative by taking a deeper look into the things in our lives which we have unconsciously accepted.

Don't Get Used to Being Right

Where there's a wrong, there's an opportunity to learn.

It's always sobering when somebody points out you are wrong. When you find out that you are too often right about many things, the reward circuits within your brain actually rewire to reinforce a superior opinion of yourself. This concept is called illusory superiority, the idea that you think you are better than you actually are. What's frightening, however, is that this can happen at an early age.

When at a young age, many people may tend to think they have mastered a specific particular domain. This kind of illusory superiority is what drives us to become stubborn and repress creativity and learning. Since doing the things we are good at provide a rewarding response in our brain, we see no need to attempt the things we may be bad at in fear of doing something wrong.

For a lot of people, this is just a phase. Eventually, most will realize that there is still much to learn. Unfortunately, many hold on to this illusory superiority for the rest of their lives. This gives rise to the Dunning-Kruger effect, where under average individuals mistakenly rate their abilities above average.

Just remember, sometimes it's good to be wrong.

The Gift of Being Average

Embracing mediocrity.

I have alluded to this in my previous post about the subjective value of achievement. Being average really isn't that bad. Sometimes, we gain a lot more from having been bad at something and then later on achieving mastery. In fact, I believe this is a core aspect of human life. It is what gives us the ability to be special, so that we can each pursue different goals and build up our own sense of identity.

If you have ever seen the film Gattaca, it reflects this exact sentiment. Indeed, the allure of the story is the very human aspect of struggle and despair followed by triumph against all odds. In a dystopian future with genetically tweaked newborns, the naturally-born protagonist struggles to reach his dreams. If we compare the protagonist with his genetically enhanced brother, we can see that there are character traits which were developed through a life-long struggle present in the protagonist but absent in his brother.

The human condition lies in the struggle of life.

Thus, rather than accepting the cards dealt to us by our genes and childhood, we should embrace our circumstance and strive to take control of our future.

The Culprit of Ineffective Discussions: Emotion

Are you having effective discussions?

It is important to realize that not all discussions are productive, a fact that I am sure most of my readers can attest to. I strongly believe that the key to effective discourse is the control of emotions. Many aggravated arguments tend to arise from being emotionally affected by something that someone else has said. Many may initially disagree with this, but upon introspection of this disagreement, I believe that most people would come to a similar conclusion.

Where do we have the least productive discussions? Instant messaging tends to be a bad platform. One can spew off several points of argument, each triggering an emotional response. The recipient of these arguments are then forced to focus on one and reply to it immediately while the other points are temporarily neglected. After the reply of their first point, before one can reply to their second point, the rebuttal of the first reply has already been sent. Eventually, different ideas are lost in an attempt to multitask and the argument ends with all parties feeling like they achieved something but nothing is truly learned. How can one provide for effective discourse by controlling emotion? Let us try to answer that tomorrow.

Sense of Utility With Respect to Time

What are accomplishments if not evaluated w.r.t. time?

Today I'd like to point out a few things regarding the subjective utility of our accomplishments. I have recognized a long time ago that there are, in our society, a few people who seem to be naturally inclined to certain feats of tasks. And while I have long accepted that I am not one such people, I do notice that there are a few things that I do excel in. When I reflect on these experiences, I find that those things I derive the most satisfaction and learning from are the same things that I have initially failed at.

Indeed, it is true when people say that the journey is more important than the destination. Since our lives are often perceived as a linear representation of time, it would make a lot of sense to value the utility of our accomplishments with respect to time rather than as a scalar quantity in and of itself. Put another way, life is a lot more enjoyable if we focus not on the value of our accomplishments, but the first-order derivative of it (the increase in its value).

In other words, where you are going is more important than where you are.

What is Robustness?

Are your plans in life robust?

Most people use this word in day-to-day conversations without knowing what it really means. A robust system, is a system that can take a variety of different inputs, but still have a consistent output. An example would be certain websites, which when you login with your username, does not require it to be case-sensitive. You can enter in any combination of your username with either all-caps or none at all and it would produce the same response.

This whole concept of being able to take on different inputs while producing the same output is an important understanding for those of us who would like to improve ourselves. We have talked previously about why goals are important. And if we are to achieve those goals effectively, we must take into account the fact that the world is often not in our control. However, the system that we design and operate with is something that we can change. Therefore, whenever you set out to do anything (an essay, a work of art, scheduling an appointment, studying for an exam), make sure that you take contingencies into account and consider all the possibilities which may affect your work.

A simple example that most people can relate to is writing sentences. When people write sentences, there are often times when ambiguity may arise depending on the style that the reader is accustomed to. When proofreading your own work, make sure that the phrasing is unambiguous such that no matter who your audience is, they will be able to understand the message.

The Myth of Multitasking

Keeping your mind clear; should you multitask?

It is a scientific consensus that multitasking does not really exist. This article from Psychology Today summarizes this pretty succinctly. What is physiologically happening when you switch from one task to another, is that your brain actually has to shift its activity (and as a result, the focus of nutrients) to different parts of your brain to make that successful shift. The more switching you do, the more tired you get, and the faster that tends to happen.

Think back to when you were really "in the zone" and pumped out an amazing essay or made an awesome webpage in one go. A lot of the impressive tasks we tend to accomplish are done in isolation either early in the morning or in the middle of the night where no Facebook or instant messenger notifications can bother us.

Now think about when you're in class, and you're trying to juggle answer your friends' messages on MSN and Google Chat while browsing Facebook and listening to the lecturer.

This and the success of cramming that many students can attest to shows a pretty clear picture of how to achieve maximum productivity. And multitasking surely isn't it.

Worrier or Warrior?

Setting goals through dopamine and cortisol.

This New York Times article discusses a classification of people into worriers and warriors. In my opinion, it's always best to be wary of classifications of ourselves because I have a strong belief that we have the ability to change. That being said, I think it's worth examining these theories and experiments to find what works best for you. Especially since the reality is that, while many things can change, certain things are a little more difficult to control. And as I have often said, it's not only important to find what works, but more importantly what works best for the situation you may be in.

If you find that you work best in the absence of stress, then simply set up that kind of environment for yourself. Meticulous planning allows us to control our variables with contingencies. For example, when I receive the course syllabus in the beginning of the course. I plan out what exactly is required of me in the evaluations and I only focus myself on that. In that case, I don't worry when I am "behind" on readings because I am following my own plan and I have already anticipated any variables since the beginning.

The Case For Drugs

Is there an objective right or wrong?

As kids, we've long been told that drugs are bad, and there have always been the distinction of good drugs (from doctors) and bad drugs (from dealers). As a child, I followed society's classification because I felt that these adults probably knew better than I did. However, having read countless scientific papers, I now realize that I possess the same tools to evaluate the evidence as the adults who passed the laws did.

One key aspect of the nature of substances is that there is no such thing as good or bad; it is rather a simple subjective declaration. Thus, what is considered good or bad in society is simply the subjective declaration of those who wield the power of law. What we must do in our lives, is not to simply say yes or no because our government has told us so. As individuals lucky enough to partake in a university education, I believe that we should take the time to evaluate the academic literature and make up our own decisions along with our subjective knowledge of our physical selves before saying yes or no to any drug (be it coffee from Starbucks or antibiotics from the pharmacist).

I'd like to mention that not everyone may not be fully adept at reading scientific journals and conducting literature review. If that is the case, then yes, we should consult the experts of our society. But don't stop there. If you don't have the ability to read scientific journals, learn. Learning is the real theme of this blog, and  my alma mater has a brief guide on how to learn this particular skill. Later on, I'll be providing a blog post dedicated to teaching this skill.

Success is in the Struggle

We find ourselves only if we are searching within.

We know that active learning and effort enhances your study sessions, but today let's focus on the value of recall and retrieval. Many studies have shown that the processes of recall and retrieval enhance learning (even if you don't get it right). It's the act of trying to look around your brain and search for an answer that enhances learning. In fact, the gains from this method is rather astounding.

In one experiment, students studied a list of words on their own. They found that the words the students were proficient with earlier on were often neglected in later practice. Since the students thought that they "learned" it the first time, there was less retrieval later on. The result was that these very words (which students had much confidence with) did not yield performance as well as those words which were difficult earlier on.

As it is in life, we shouldn't leave ourselves to be comfortable with what we think we are already good at. We should always strive to push forward while making sure we retain what we have learned in the past.

Groupwork Tips: The Ringelmann effect

Beware of the Ringelmann Effect

On this blog, I often advocate working on something alone whenever possible, but of course there are many instances where that is not possible or simply not practical. Large projects will always require more than one person, and this is a good thing. However, one of the things we have to be aware of is the Ringelmann Effect. According to Wikipedia, "the Ringelmann effect is the tendency for individual members of a group to become increasingly less productive as the size of their group increases." So how do we combat this?

Well first we must understand why this is happening, two important reasons are the loss of motivation and the loss of coordination. Having led teams up to 20 people, I have found it best to break down your project into tasks which people can work on in isolation. When you have each team member solely responsible for something, the Ringelmann effect is much less pronounced because each person feels responsibility, autonomy, and ownership over their work. However, this requires modular coordination on the part of the leadership, and that in itself is another post entirely.

Always End On A High Note

The Peak-End Rule: The peak and end of an experience is how we judge an experience.
[Image Credit: Michael Johnston]

In numerous studies, it has been shown that we tend to prefer what ends well. Instead of citing a whole bunch of studies (a lot of them by Dr. Khaneman), let's just focus on one.

In this study, a bunch of students were asked to do two parts of a test. In the one part, they had to do 20 very difficult questions. In the other part, they had to do 20 very difficult questions and in addition to that, 15 easier ones subsequent to the 20 difficult ones.

When asked which part they preferred, most students indicated the longer one. The relatively less discomfort of the 15 ending questions made the students prefer the longer section instead of the shorter one, even though total discomfort is objectively higher.

That's why it is important that we do a "wind-down" when we finish a long bout of studying or an arduous task. It's also very beneficial to reward yourself and get that ice cream from McDonald's at four in the morning.

What Learning to Draw Feels Like

Official Website - Amazon Link

Recently, I took it upon myself to start learning to draw. I should first go ahead and mention that I have always been atrocious with my artistic skills and my drawing skills have remained at the elementary school level up through adult-hood. I am currently working through the book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" and it's been absolutely fantastic so far. The whole idea is predicated on neuroplasticity and the lateralization of brain function. You have to believe that your brain can change.

Engineers and lawyers tend often to be very L-mode oriented (previously known as left-brain), while drawing requires an R-mode state of mind. I can say that within a couple hours of the first exercise in the book, I have already begun to realize what it was like to draw. By day three, it begins to feel like I have a foggy vision, just almost able to grasp what it really means to know how to perceive things as an artist does. I will continue with this book because it is truly life-enriching.

Here are some before-after examples of what improvements people have made 5 days:

More Examples Here

The Only Productivity Trick You Need

This is all you need for success in anything.

This Lifehack article talks about the only 2 tricks you need for maximum productivity. And what it proposes is something that I believe is akin to all successful endeavours. Essentially what it comes down to is planning and evaluation. Everything we want to achieve requires a plan to get there. And we require constant evaluation to make sure that we iterate our approach in order to reach our goals as efficiently as possible.

After every single time you finish any kind of task, you should be looking back to see what you did well and what didn't go so well. Write this down somewhere and file it. The next time you start any kind of task, go back and look at your library of prior tasks and type out the things you should do and the things you should avoid with this new task. This is necessary and must be detailed because almost everybody will say to themselves: "I'll start and finish earlier this time!" but the thought never lasts and it is also not specific enough.

During the planning phase for each task, prior evaluations and experience must always be consulted. Indeed, this is the only way to improvement.

Thinking About Trends

What are the odds?

Since 2008, a share of RIM (the creators of the BlackBerry phones) dropped from a high of over $140 to what is now less than $20. Every single one of these years, I have heard people say to me that I should buy RIM now because there was no way it was going to get lower. They said it when it was at $100, $80, $50, etc. The question you should ask in these circumstances is:

Is it more likely that:

A) You have guessed exactly when the trend is going to end;

B) Or that the trend should continue like it has in the past?

Similarly, education has been evolving and changing all throughout history. Why would we settle with what we have right now? Why are we satisfied with what we do day by day? I propose that, in all aspects of our lives, we should continue to evolve and learn just as human kind has in the past. Follow the trend of improvement.

As an aside, this article from Quora has some insight on why RIM's stock price collapsed so fast.

Never Read Anything More Than Once

Reading more than once means you are not reading effectively.

Do you often read a paragraph and not know what happened? Subsequently, you had to read it again to understand what you just read. A friend of mine strongly objected to my previous post that compared reading speed with listening speed in terms of efficient learning. According to him, full comprehension often requires him to re-read material more than once. I concede, my previous comparison rests upon the assumption that you will be able to have equivalent comprehension of both methods of learning.

But if you are reading anything more than once, the chances are you are not in the right mindset. When you read, you should be speeding up and slowing down and creating comments in your head as you go; there should be a type of mental clarity and active learning. If you are not feeling this, then stop and take a break (either nap or go eat). If that doesn't work, you can try what I did for the LSAT for every single reading comprehension passage:

1. Close your eyes
2. Inhale slowly for 3 seconds
3. Hold your breath for 1 second
4. Exhale slowly for 3 seconds
5. Hold your breath for 1 second
6. Repeat steps 2 to 5, two more times
7. Open your eyes and immediately start reading (do not do anything else)

This sounds a little far-fetched, but try it out. It works because it primes your brain to focus on the reading, and once you have enough practice with it, you'll never have to read anything more than once ever again.

Why Banks Chain Their Pens

"Why do banks chain their pens to the desk? if I trust you with my money, you should trust me with your pen."

This quote has been floating around the internet for some time now, and I think it's worth using it as an example of how most people neglect to think about things from a more macroscopic perspective. It identifies how we as a society tend to focus on how we as individuals are affected by our surroundings rather than seeking an explanation from a larger framework.

The pen on a chain issue stems from the fact that people inadvertently take pens with them after signing things. It's not that people intend to do it, but often times, you forget to put the pen back down. Each time this happens, the major cost to the bank is not the pen, but the man hours wasted and the unnecessary increase of serving time at the teller. This may not seem like much to the regular customer who frequents the bank occasionally for 10 minutes or so, but if we consider the scale of these operations you'll start to see why it makes sense to retain the pens.

Thinking About Thinking

Most people don't see the point in thinking about thinking.

One of the key themes I try to get across with this blog is the importance of metacognition. Simply defined, metacognition essentially means thinking about thinking or knowing about knowing. Everything that has to do with personal improvement rests on the belief that you can think about the way you think, to be able to learn from that process, and eventually to change it to your advantage.

A lot of people recognize "smart" people as people who are simply innately geared towards easily understanding complex concepts. However, in my experience, this is not the case. The malleability of characteristics which help people learn has long been underestimated. The relatively recent discovery of neuroplasticity tells us that the structure of the brain is, in a lot of ways, extremely malleable even in late-adult life. An interesting tangent to this is this Economist podcast about an author who investigated how to change certain attributes of children.