The Reading Mind: Surprising Science-Based Benefits of Reading Everyday
The reading paradox has fascinated scientists for a while. There are many benefits we can unlock by reading everyday to activate the reading parts of the human brain.
Anne-Laure Le Cunff
Human Curiosity in the Age of AI
Curiosity has been a driving force behind our species’ remarkable success. By pushing us to question the status quo and explore the unknown, this innate desire to learn has sparked some of our greatest achievements—and shaped the course of human history. In a world where AI is rapidly transforming our lives, it may seem obvious … Read More
Intentional Curiosity: Get your Brain to Focus on What Matters
Intentional curiosity is the ability to direct your attention towards information inside or outside of you in a deliberate way. In other words, curiosity helps us direct our limited attentional resources to the most important stimuli within our attentional field.
Rediscovering Ikigai: What We Got Wrong and How to Find Meaning in Life
I lived in Japan for seven months when I was younger. For all of the challenges I faced there as a woman and a foreigner, I still learned a lot from Japanese culture. Because Japan experienced a long period of relative isolation from the outside world — caused by sakoku (literally “closed country”), the isolationist … Read More
The Curiosity Conflict: Why we Struggle to Shift from Exploration to Exploitation
Do you always find yourself excited by new ideas and projects? Being naturally curious, you enjoy learning, discovering new insights, and developing your skills. Your curiosity is one of your greatest strengths, driving you to explore and grow. But that same curiosity can be a double-edged sword. With so many ideas competing for your attention, … Read More
How to Build a Better Writing Habit
In 2019 I made a pact to write a hundred articles in a hundred workdays. Since then, I have written and published one new article almost every week, and I have kept with this cadence while running a business and studying for my PhD. This is my longest running personal experiment. Over the years, a … Read More
Timeshielding: How to Do the Things you Actually Want to Do
Timeshielding allows you to protect blocks of time in your calendar for what matters to you, with no specific task list. This could be for research, reading, creative brainstorming, or even just doing nothing. Because timeshielding feels more fun than timeboxing, you are less likely to ignore the blocks in your calendar.
The Alchemy of Generative Questions
We all know that children are curious. Very curious. In fact, children ask more than a hundred questions an hour. This is how they explore, learn, and make sense of the world. However, researchers lament that “over the course of their education, students and adults ask fewer questions and more passively accept facts as the … Read More
Free-Floating Anxiety: When You Feel Anxious for No Apparent Reason
Racing pulse, tense muscles, dry mouth, restlessness, irritability, difficulty concentrating… The symptoms of anxiety are many, but sometimes we can’t pinpoint why exactly we experience this panicky feeling. Objectively, everything seems to be going well, and yet the sensations of anxiety are definitely there. The American Psychological Association refers to this phenomenon as free-floating anxiety, … Read More
The Curiosity Matrix: 9 Habits of Curious Minds
All healthy human babies and young children display curiosity, suggesting this is an innate human trait. Exploring our environment and babbling questions appear almost universal in early childhood across cultures. As an adaptive trait, curiosity draws us to seek information and new experiences. It’s how we learn about ourselves, others, and the world. However, research … Read More