With a few tweaks in how you see the world, you can make yourself a little smarter than most people. — O n this site and in my book I’m always railing against how irrational we are, and how we’re filled with unconscious biases that lead us to making the wrong decision. What I’ve spent little time discussing is exactly what some of these errors our irrational mind is prone to…

They’re responsible for your terrible dating life. Sorry. — Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. There’s this guy. He’s like a prince, or an orphan, or kind of a loser — like an orphan-prince-loser-type guy. And then there’s this girl. And she’s hot. And then usually there’s a bad guy too. And he’s bad. So, logically, our…

Over the past 15 years, I’ve received questions and learned about the lives of around 50,000 people. And this has been my biggest lesson learned from all of you. — This is a Mindf*ck Monthly newsletter from May 9, 2022. Every month, I send out big ideas I’ve been chewing on in the hopes that it makes you less of a shitty person. Let’s dive right in. Today marks the one hundredth edition of this newsletter. For ninety-nine newsletters, I’ve…

Pandemic filmmaking isn’t a cakewalk. Here’s how I got my documentary made all the way in New Zealand. — Note: This post was originally published on MarkManson.net in April 2021. For the past couple of months, I have been in New Zealand filming a feature documentary based on my work. And because I know there will be a bajillion questions about the film, the process, when it comes out…

The best way to judge the usefulness of self-help advice is by how many people eventually leave it behind. It’s time to stop. — This is a Mindf*ck Monthly newsletter from December 13, 2021. Every month, I send out big ideas I’ve been chewing on and stuff I’ve enjoyed reading that month in the hopes that it makes you less of a shitty person. Let’s dive right in. The Point Is to Stop Years ago, I wrote an article…

It’s the 21st century and two things are abundantly clear: 1) sex education matters and 2) cultures that believe sex is shameful screw everything up. The statistics are glaring. More pragmatic approaches to teenage sexuality (i.e., “Hey, you’re going to do what you’re going to do, but here’s how to…

The same way you can’t have a healthy relationship without accepting a person’s flaws, you can’t really be a “fan” unless you’re willing to accept the celebrity’s shortcomings. — This is a Mindf*ck Monthly newsletter from April 1, 2022. Every month, I send out big ideas I’ve been chewing on in the hopes that it makes you less of a shitty person. Let’s dive right in. The Slap Last weekend, Will Smith walked on stage at the Oscars and slapped Chris…

The mind has an ability to manifest its own reality. But “Believe it and it will be” doesn’t always work — there are limits to our belief. — This is a Mindf*ck Monthly newsletter from November 8, 2021. Every month, I send out big ideas I’ve been chewing on and stuff I’ve enjoyed reading that month in the hopes that it makes you less of a shitty person. Let’s dive right in. The Limits of Belief In 1959, a surgeon named Leonard…

It’s not as hard as it sounds to quit your job, drop everything, and travel the world. Here are a few ideas to consider. — Many years ago on a sunny April morning, I slinked into my new office building, suit slightly too big, 24-years-old and clueless. It was my first day working at a large, prestigious bank in downtown Boston. …