Skills & Behaviours

In 11th-century Japan, Murasaki Shikibu wrote what’s considered the world’s first novel: The Tale of Genji. In 1454, Johannes Gutenburg built the world’s first printing press. There are many other milestones in the timeline of books, and together, they form the history of books. Every year, millions of new or …

How does anyone get anything done? How do you build new skills and break bad habits? Motivation is the driving force that gets you to your goals and dreams. Without motivation, it would be very challenging to change or accomplish much of anything. There’s extrinsic motivation, which is the motivation …

Self-awareness is knowing yourself. It is understanding your feelings, motives, goals, and biases. Psychologists have identified two types: internal self-awareness and external self-awareness. Internal self-awareness focuses on your thoughts, feelings, strengths, weaknesses, values, and so on. External self-awareness is being tuned to how other people perceive you. Both types of …

Philosophy, psychology, and countless self-help books have discussed the art of discipline for thousands of years. In ancient Greece, there was “sophrosyne,” an ideal of excellent character and soundness of mind that leads to moderation, self-control, and balance. In most religious traditions (like Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism), self-discipline is …

The very first traffic signs were simple stone columns. The Romans used them to let travelers know how close they were to the city. Traffic signs as we know them began to appear with the invention of the bicycle, as cyclists needed signs that warned them about obstacles. These signs …

Sir Francis Bacon once said, “A prudent question is one-half of wisdom.” Many people focus on trying to find answers and solutions to problems, but they often forget just how valuable good questions are. Questions provide unique frameworks for thinking, which can open up doors to unexpected revelations. Whether it’s …

Art can unite and divide. It can be found everywhere, including fancy galleries, people’s living rooms, and on the sides of buildings. Art fans debate about the meaning of art and whether something is “true” art. With most art, there’s no simple answer. What is clear is that art matters. …

Creativity isn’t something that comes naturally to everyone. It’s also something that isn’t necessarily encouraged in our society and careers. If you aren’t an artist, musician, or someone in an “artsy” field, you might wonder why creativity is important. If it’s something that doesn’t come easily, is it impossible to …

We have so many choices when it comes to how we spend our time. Why should we read when there are movies, TV shows, video games, and more? Reading both fiction and non-fiction comes with a wide range of benefits. Here are ten reasons why reading is important: #1. It …