Against Self-Criticism

I have thought and continued to think a great deal about the relationship between critical thinking and cynicism — what is the tipping point past which critical thinking, that centerpiece of reason so vital to human progress and intellectual life, stops mobilizing our constructive impulses and topples over into the destructiveness of impotent complaint and embittered resignation, begetting cynicism?…

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Nice People Have Emptier Wallets

Are you an agreeable person—you know, a nice guy? If so, a logical follow-up might be: how are your finances? And here’s why: “Agreeable peoplehave lower savings, they have higher debt, and they’re also more likely to go bankrupt or default on their loans.” Sandra Matz is a computational social scientist at the Columbia Business School…

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Why We Don’t Follow Through

In the summer of 1830, Victor Hugo was facing an impossible deadline. Twelve months earlier, the French author had promised his publisher a new book. But instead of writing, he spent that year pursuing other projects, entertaining guests, and delaying his work. Frustrated, Hugo’s publisher responded by setting a deadline less than six months away.…

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