Farnam Street
Mastering the best of what other people have already figured out
A breathtaking passage from Will Durant’s Fallen Leaves: Last Words on Life, Love, War, and God: See him, the newborn, dirty but marvelous, ridiculous in actuality, infinite in possibility, capable of that ultimate miracle— growth. …
Lucius Annaeus Seneca (around 4 B.C.—A.D. 65) was an insightful lawyer, senator, philosopher, and playwright best known for his pithy wisdom that still helps understand how to deal with anger, failure, poverty, success, education and so …
“We are each a river with a particular abiding character, but we show radically different aspects of our self according to the territory through which we travel.” *** The most difficult of David Whyte‘s three marriages, …
Aristotle, in The Physics, produces “a statement of the difficulties about the attributes of time.” Next for discussion is time. The best plan will be to begin by working out the difficulties connected with it, making use of the …
David Foster Wallace, in an interview with Larry McCaffery, found in Conversations with David Foster Wallace, comments on our dread of both relationships and loneliness. It’s always tempting to sit back and make finger-steeples and …
David Foster Wallace, who brought us gems such as This is Water and insights into ambition and perfectionism, was the guest editor of the 2007 edition of Best American Essays. His introduction explores why pre-formed positions are so …
It isn’t enough to be good. You need luck. We tend to think that smart people make good decisions and stupid people make bad decisions and that luck plays very little role. That is until we’re one of those smart people who has a …
As found in Bruce Lee: Artist of Life, which provides unique insight into the mind of Bruce Lee through his private letters and writing. 1. Aboutism keeps out any emotional responses or other genuine involvement — as though we were things. …
Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, was the famous children’s book author. He was also a philosopher. Seuss-isms! A Guide to Life for Those Just Starting Out…and Those Already on Their Way offers a taste of some of …
There are two main mindsets we can navigate life with: growth and fixed. Having a growth mindset is essential for success. In this post, we explore how to develop the right mindset for improving your intelligence. *** Carol Dweck studies …
This could be the most beautiful thing I’ve read so far this year. From Lang Leav’s amazing Love and Misadventure: Soul Mates I don’t know how you are so familiar to me—or why it feels less like I am getting to know you and more …
The excerpt is from this version online, although if you’re going to read it, get the Hayes translation. Our mental powers should enable us to perceive the swiftness with which all things vanish away: their bodies in the world of …
What is a conversation? A simple question that’s difficult to answer. We think we know until we try to explain it to someone else. In The Domestication of Language, Daniel Cloud explores the wonderful world of conversations. Our …
Bruce Lee the philosopher brought us some insightful comments on self-actualization. Now he’s back with more goodness. In Bruce Lee: Artist of Life, Lee talks about the curative power of awareness. The important thing to remember and …
Recently on Reddit, Bruce Lee’s daughter, Shannon, did an ask me anything. One of the questions caught my attention: … of all your father’s philosophies, which do you feel we can all learn from? I am a huge fan of your …
Tidying and organizing our homes can make a huge difference to our happiness and productivity. The Japanese art of decluttering focuses on the philosophical side of decluttering, while also offering practical advice. “When you are …
The Patagonia video below is a reminder that things can be built to last, that we don’t need to buy more than we need, and that we can celebrate the old. It’s also a great reminder that you can It’s also a great reminder …
Relationships are a major component of our health and happiness, so it’s worth paying attention to how we can improve them. In this post, we cover one of the most significant predictors of relationship success. *** When does a broken …
Plato devoted his life to one goal: helping people reach a state of fulfillment. To this day, his ideas remain deeply relevant, provocative, and fascinating. Philosophy, to Plato, was a tool to help us change the world. In this short video, …
St Augustine, the theologian, and philosopher, famously posed the question ‘What is time?’ in The Confessions. After waxing on for a bit about what he can say about time, he admits (that he’s in a) “sorry state, for I do …
The Holstee Manifesto sits above my fireplace. A reminder to live a life of purpose and meaning. This is your life. Do what you want and do it often. If you don’t like something, change it. If you don’t like your job, quit. If …
“Expectation is the grandfather of disappointment. The world can never own a man who wants nothing.” One hundred years after Confucius, came Wu Hsin. His name literally means ‘no-mind.’ And there is almost no trace …
It’s one thing to live and another to live your life in a way that is antifragile. What is Antifragility Author Nassim Taleb says defines the term antifragile this way: Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when …
Sometimes we lose our way. We all make mistakes. We focus on the wrong things. We pursue goals at all costs. We teeter on ethical and moral cliffs. We get too far down a slippery slope. We steal. We cheat. We lie. We deceive others. We …