Dark Matter | Hazlitt
For twenty years, PostSecret has broadcast suburban America’s hidden truths—and revealed the limits of limitless disclosure.
The achievement society is burning us out, we need more play
This is about more than a self-help switch – it will take structural changes to reject capitalism’s productivity obsession
The vorfreude secret: 30 zero-effort ways to fill your life with joy
How can you change your life for the better today? Learn not just to appreciate happiness – but to anticipate it
«“Today I will look for good moments and remember them.” Mort suggests: “May I be open to joy and have many moments of joy ahead.”»
The consequences of traveling in a straight line forever
The Universe is a vast, wondrous, and strange place. From our perspective within it, we can see out for some 46 billion light-years in all directions. Everywhere we look, we see a Universe filled with…
Lucky vs. Repeatable
Luck plays such a big role in the world. But few people want to talk about it. If I say you got lucky, I look jealous. If I tell myself that I got lucky, I feel diminished. Maybe a better way to frame…
«You can learn a lot from Warren Buffett’s patience. But you can’t replicate the market environment he had in the 1950s, so be careful copying the specific strategies he used back then.»
So You Think You’ve Been Gaslit
What happens when a niche clinical concept becomes a ubiquitous cultural diagnosis.
AI race heats up as OpenAI, Google and Mistral release new models
Launches within 12 hours of one another, and more activity expected in industry over summer
As Use of A.I. Soars, So Does the Energy and Water It Requires
Generative artificial intelligence uses massive amounts of energy for computation and data storage and millions of gallons of water to cool the equipment at data centers. Now, legislators and…
16 Changes to the Way Enterprises Are Building and Buying Generative AI
In 2024, enterprise leaders are doubling down on their genAI investments. 16 developments for founders to keep in mind to capture this new opportunity.
What MidJourney, DeepL, ElevenLabs, and HeyGen have in common (besides special teams and explosive growth!)
A common trope repeated in the media and behind closed doors is that incumbents, not startups, are best positioned to take advantage of AI. In this line of thinking, AI is a sustaining technology that…
The soft life: why millennials are quitting the rat race
Ambition once came with a promise: a home, a salary, progress and fulfilment. What happens when that promise is broken? Meet the women who are turning their backs on consumerism, materialism and…
There Is No Point in My Being Other Than Honest with You: On Toni Morrison’s Rejection Letters
Melina Moe writes about the rejection letters Toni Morrison sent as an editor at Random House....
The End of Foreign-Language Education
Thanks to AI, people may no longer feel the need to learn a second language.
The invisible seafaring industry that keeps the internet afloat
How one crew risked radiation, storms, and currents to save Japan from digital isolation.
The ‘Beastification of YouTube’ may be coming to an end
“Retention editing,” a video style featuring bangs and flashes, may have peaked.
The Supreme Court effectively abolishes the right to mass protest in three US states
It is no longer safe to organize a protest in Louisiana, Mississippi, or Texas.
Beeper was just acquired by Automattic, which has big plans for the future of messaging
Instead of fighting the blue bubbles, now Beeper will try to make them irrelevant.
Level up: exploring the artistic side of video game design
Existing in parallel to a world of hyperrealistic CGI is a growing segment of gaming using illustration and painterly art to make mesmerising and charming visual experiences. Angelica Frey explores this world of video game design and speaks to designers at the creative forefront.
Why the “Eisenhower matrix” is a fantastic productivity hack
Subscribe for counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday Does this sound familiar? You have an important project due, but as soon as you log in for the…
«they’re just crowding out your desk space, your drive space, your head space and causing you to not be able to focus on what really matters.»
How to Start Small Rituals That Make Every Day Feel Special
A psychologist and Harvard professor lets us in on the magic behind meaningful routines.
5 Lessons from a Conversation With a World-Renowned Happiness Expert
The Curiosity Chronicle has quickly become one of the most popular newsletters for growth-minded individuals in the world. Each week, subscribers receive a deep dive that covers topics ranging from…
«A number of scientific studies—including Dr. Waldinger's Harvard Study—have found that the health impact of loneliness is quite dire.»
Jonathan Haidt: Smartphones Rewired Childhood. Here’s How to Fix It.
Phones have made kids sedentary, solitary, anxious, and depressed. But, says the author and psychologist, we can reverse the damage.
Why We Need Purpose
Why do we need purpose? When I read Friedrich Nietzsche's The Gay Science, I discovered found why we need purpose.
Where All the Time Went
Time going too fast? Your life may be short on one particular ingredient.
Honoring Your Word to Yourself
By Leo Babauta There is a power to our word that is very often underdeveloped — words are magic, and can create the world around us. But most of us use this magic as if it weren’t powerful. The first…
«Over time, if you work on developing the power of your word, it will become something you don’t question. And then your word will be like a powerful magic spell you can cast anytime you need to make magic happen.»
Genius and blood: How cheap light transformed civilization
For nearly all of human history, fire was our only source of artificial light. Difficult to make and challenging to safeguard from wind and rain, fire was our first window into the darkness of night.…
You Need This Practice In Your Life
Several years ago I was swimming in a pool in Austin—I wish I could say it was Barton Springs, one of the wonders of the world or even the Los Angeles Athletic Club (photographed above), but it was…
The radical idea that people aren't stupid
OR, the toilet spoke and I understood the truth
"Insecure vibes" are a self-fulfilling prophecy
When you feel nervous, you might give off subconscious signals that make people more suspicious. Get rid of insecure vibes—and your writing, meetings, and pitches will become stronger.
«Insecure vibes look like overcompensating. When we’re feeling self-conscious, we often express it in subtle ways we’re not even aware of.»
Inspirational Websites Roundup #57
Discover a fresh collection of websites, each chosen for their outstanding design, to spark your inspiration.
When Procrastination is Productive
Productivity isn’t throwing out all your existing commitments in the fanatical pursuit of a big ambition. Instead, choosing what matters and organizing your time and energy to reach it.
Four Responses to Feedback
If feedback isn't a gift, what is it? It's data. About our impact on a particular individual at a particular point in time.
How to use ‘possibility thinking’
Have you hit an impasse in your personal or professional life? Answer these questions to open your mind to what’s possible
«You should by now have an extensive map of possibilities. The aim of this stage is to look at each in turn and ask ‘Why not?’»
3 Mindful Alternatives To Meditation
Meditation’s popularity has exploded in recent years. And that’s not a surprise, given the swaths of studies demonstrating how the mindful practice can change the brain, enhance moods, and generally…
Three Steps to Resolving Big Conflicts
In a new book, a seasoned negotiator outlines how to move through conflict effectively, even in the most intractable situations.
Human Curiosity in the Age of AI
The future of human curiosity in the age of AI is not a zero-sum game. It’s an opportunity to create a virtuous cycle of discovery where the unique strengths of human and AI curiosity build upon and…
Distribute Ideas, Not Content
Mark Rogers, Director of Content Marketing at Freshpaint, explains how to create a simple yet impactful content strategy by focusing on a central idea.
A New Philosophy of Productivity
The problem is not with productivity in a general sense, but instead with a specific faulty definition that has taken hold in recent decades. Here’s what should replace it.
Studies Show Self-Compassion is the Motivator You’re Missing
Pushing ourselves and holding ourselves accountable are how we achieve success. Unfortunately, many of us mistake harsh self-criticism and self-castigation for “pushing ourselves.” And that has the…
«“There are a whole lot of ways to be perfect, and not one of them is attained through punishment.” —science fiction author Ursula K. Le Guin»
When forming a new habit: consider not starting small?
The 'tiny habits' theory works by drastically reducing the amount of effort. But miniscule-effort for zero-reward is still maths that works out to "not worth it".
We Don't Need 'Self-Help,' We Need Support
What we can learn from Denmark, home to some of the happiest people on Earth
«Late-stage capitalism—capitalism untethered to morality, decency or any sense of the social good—is what created this mess.»
The Fitness Wearables Data You Can (and Can’t) Trust
Your fitness tracker promises to give you a lot of information—about your heart rate, your quality of sleep, and even your blood oxygen level. But you can't trust everything it tells you.
Optimising The Remote Work Environment For Better Productivity
Study reports of productivity in remote work are all over the internet. According to The New York Times , some studies link remote work with productivity declines of 8–14%. Others show remote work…
Why Did Supersonic Airliners Fail?
Progress in aviation has traditionally been associated with speed. Following the Wright Brothers’ flight in 1903, aircraft speeds steadily increased each decade, and increasing aircraft speeds was one…
The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows: Uncommonly Lovely Invented Words for What We Feel but Cannot Name
“Despite what dictionaries would have us believe, this world is still mostly undefined.”
The Science of Mental Models
Diving deep into Johnson-Laird’s theory of mental models. It is one of the leading psychological theories of reasoning, even though it doesn’t have the status of being a consensus theory (few theories…
How To Stand Out in an Ocean of AI Content
3 ways to survive the rising tide.
«there are three ways you and your squishy human brain are uniquely qualified to add value beyond AI: experimentation, experience, and effort.»
Physicists Capture First-Ever Image of an Electron Crystal
The findings affirm a 90-year-old theory about how electrons can assemble without atoms.
Elevate Your Marketing Dashboard: How to Impress the CEO, CRO, and CFO
A Pro-Active Data Snapshot Can Help Everyone Focus on What Really Matters
Navigating New Waters: 10 Tips for First-Time Founder Success
Tactical advice from seasoned founders like Thumbtack’s Marco Zappacosta and Dropbox’s Drew Houston about the biggest mistakes to avoid as a first-time startup founder.
AI Finds Personality Shapes Genes
Our personalities can significantly influence gene expression, providing new insights into the mind-body connection.
How to Use the Trigger Technique
Want to turn your buyer research to actionable insights quickly? See how to use The Trigger Technique to turn customer stories to marketing ideas that work.
Is It Even Possible to Become More Productive?
I read all the books and tried all the hacks in a mad quest to optimize my time.
Why UI designers should understand Flexbox and CSS Grid
Or bye bye, 12-column grid layout
These Plants Could Mine Valuable Metals From the Soil With Their Roots
A government agency is funding research into phytomining, in which plants are used to extract valuable metals from the soil through their roots.
Have We Reached Peak AI?
Last week, the Wall Street Journal published a 10-minute-long interview with OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, with journalist Joanna Stern asking a series of thoughtful yet straightforward questions that…
The GenAI Compass: a UX framework to design generative AI experiences
Implementing human-centric design thinking to GenAI.
Crossing the Chasm: Summary, Notes, Review
Rating: 9/10. Welcome to internet's best — and most extensive summary of the book, although I think that no summarizing does it any real justice.
How to Write Sales Emails People Want to Read
Learn how to write effective sales emails with the right content, timing, and four simple measurements to track success.
A long read about NBA shot data
I used to play basketball and I do a lot of data analysis and mapping, but I haven't actually blogged about it before, so here I am. Scroll ...
Surf the web like it’s 1999 with these old-school cursors
404 isn’t just an error code—this year it’s our annual April Fun Day. We’re throwing it back to our favorite digital design eras.
Who’s Afraid of Emotional Suppression?
Emotional suppression can be perfectly legitimate and very useful strategy if you know what you're doing...
Content Marketing Resources: Our Favorite Blogs, Newsletters, and Podcasts
Discover the best content marketing resources handpicked by the Animalz team. From blogs and newsletters to podcasts, level up your skills with these gems.
Combat “quiet quitting” with an experience mindset
Subscribe for a weekly email The practice of “quiet quitting” isn’t anything new. In the cult satirical movie Office Space, protagonist Peter Gibbons, played by Ron Livingston, had quietly quit his…
The life changing magic of walking 🚶
📚 This is an extract from my new book Feel-Good Productivity, check it out at www.feelgoodproductivity.com !
Advice That I Can't Get Out of My Head
If you want to spend years in high growth environments, and reap the benefits that that growth entails, it’s essential to make sure that you are learning at least as quickly as your role is growing if…
I rebuilt my self-esteem by changing the story of who I am
I once clung to a dubious family legend to help me cope with a difficult childhood. I’ve since found a better story to tell
To Build a Better AI Supercomputer, Let There Be Light
OpenAI and other AI leaders think new leaps in machine intelligence will require new forms of computer hardware. One proposal involves connecting GPUs with light.
Yes, But Can You Really Explain the Difference Between Morals and Ethics?
Hermit vs. Anchorite A hermit retires from society to live alone in the wilderness. An anchorite retires from society to live in an enclosed cell attached to a church. One lives apart. The other, w…
The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Exercise
A quick 2-minute exercise to pull you back to reality from anxious thoughts.
What’s in a Name?
This is another post in our Code Health series. A version of this post originally appeared in Google bathrooms worldwide as a Google Tes...
A Million Dollar Stripe Page: Why Some Content Is Worth $$$
Stripe created a blog post that brings in almost a million dollars of traffic per year. Find out how they did it and how you can learn from their success.
How to Build Your Design System
Learn the basics of creating a system tailored to your unique goals and challenges, whether building from scratch or starting with existing pieces.
Analysis | Wait, does America suddenly have a record number of bees?
A gold-standard source shows a stunning boom in U.S. honeybee populations. Could that possibly be right? A Department of Data analysis found two possible explanations, one more surprising than the other.
Why UX designers should create object maps (and how to start)
Object-oriented design can help designers align products with how people use them
5 Interesting Learnings from Klaviyo at $800,000,000 in ARR
So we've covered Klaviyo several times at SaaStr, and we're super excited CEO Andrew Bialecki is coming to 2024 SaaStr Annual Sep 10-12 in SF Bay to share
Rethinking Personas: Empathy and Inclusion in UX Design
“User-centred” it’s a buzzword but I like it. The emphasis is on setting aside personal biases and listening to the users — a principle…
You Can’t Want It More Than They Do
Your marriage is struggling. You’ve invited your wife to do couples therapy, to go out for date nights, to spend more time together in general. But she’s refused all these invitations. Your daughter…
All creativity happens in relationship
The myths that drive our creativity, how they create suffering, and igniting our creative fire by embracing the power of the collective.
The (not so) subtle reason you hate chatbots
Virtual agents, decision trees and ChatGPT-powered conversations aren't exactly the future of customer service that we were promised.
Why We Need Limits on Extreme Wealth ❧ Current Affairs
An introduction to limitarianism, and why there should be an upper limit on how much money people can accumulate.
Software Development 450 Words Per Minute
It’s only me, and my colleagues can assure you that I’m mostly harmless. I do software development and work at one of Vincit offices in Phoenix, Arizona.
5 Interesting Learnings from HubSpot at $2.4 Billion in ARR
So we've probably covered HubSpot more than any other SaaS and Cloud leader on this 5 Interesting Learnings series, but there's a good reason for it:
SaaS Landing Pages: Must-Have Pages For Every SaaS Company
Discover the five landing pages every SaaS company should have, how to structure them, and what content to include for the best results.
We Need To Rewild The Internet
The internet has become an extractive and fragile monoculture. But we can revitalize it using lessons learned by ecologists.
What It's Like to Take a VO2 Max Test (and Why You Should)
They're no longer just for Olympians. Take one today to live more tomorrows.
Scientists Like Me Knew There Was Something Amiss With Andrew Huberman’s Wildly Popular Podcast
He recommends supplements. He’s iffy on the flu shot. And more.
We Are a Nation Obsessed With Sauce
So we like to get a little saucy. What’s the big deal?
10 Advanced JavaScript Tricks for Experienced Developers 🔥🔥
10 JavaScript Hacks You Need to Know Right Now (Before Your Peers Do!)
Dark energy might not be constant after all
First results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument offer hints of new physics.
How Deep Does Life Go?
Geologist James Powell chronicles the evolution of our understanding of life in the deep-sea biosphere.
Sallie Krawcheck’s Best Advice on Recovering From Career Setbacks
From investment banker, to research analyst, to CEO, CFO, and now CEO again, Sallie Krawcheck knows all about navigating career changes — and the perseverance needed to bounce back after setbacks.…
Can we learn about innovation from patent data?
The final post of Patent Data Week!
267. The Flamingo's Secret To Stability At Work
Are you stable? Before you answer that, you need to read this article about stability at work. In fact, your life depends on it.
On Letting Go of the Idea of "Keeping Up"
“So, what have you read lately?” It sounds like an innocent question, but it came with a pile of expectations.
Content Marketing ROI: How to Put a $ Value on Your Content
3 quick and easy ways to prove the value of your content.
Elizabeth Goodspeed on the importance of taste
As templates, tutorials and tools become ubiquitous, technical skills are more accessible than ever. It’s no longer enough to be able to simply draw or design. Now, our US editor-at-large argues, you…