Philosopher George Santayana famously said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” I believe that’s true. But right now it seems we’re not just repeating history—we’re remixing it and speeding it up.

Also (in my mind) adding a soundtrack by Leonard Cohen, who wrote in his song “The Future”: “Things are gonna slide, slide in all directions.” 

I think this is actually an understatement. But before you panic, breathe with me. Because sliding is not the same as falling apart, and chaos is not just destructive. 

If we can respond to our fears by acting wisely, and not [...]

A while ago, I made a video called “The Pyramid and the Pool” to describe what I think about changes in society. I updated that video today because it helps me feel a bit more relaxed and hopeful. Actually, a LOT more relaxed and hopeful.

For centuries, powerful and wealthy societies have taken the general shape of a pyramid. At the top, you’ve got a few powerful, wealthy people. At the bottom, the majority of people work, struggle, create value, and pass most of what they’ve made up to the privileged. This mirrors the self-centered, materialistic, judgmental aspects of [...]

Not everything I wrote for my upcoming book, Beyond Anxiety, could be included in the final manuscript. Some parts had to be cut—that’s just the nature (or culture) of publishing. However, I can still share them with you here!

Fresh from the cutting-room floor, the following is about two distinct kinds of curiosity and how to ignite the one that makes you feel good. Enjoy. 

According to psychologist Jordan Litman, curiosity comes in two flavors. One is “deprivation curiosity,” a worried need to know that stems from lacking enough information to feel safe. The other, which Litman labeled “interest curiosity,” comes [...]

If you’re like most people, you’re feeling a bit anxious. Anxiety is skyrocketing all over the world, and I’ve spent the last couple of years focusing intensely on it. 

Truth be told, I’ve spent most of my life focusing intensely on anxiety, because I’ve always been an anxious person. On most days, I’d wake up panting and shedding like a scared terrier. I still do, sometimes. But now I know how to stop.

I’ve written a whole book about this (Beyond Anxiety, due out in January 2025) but in the process I learned a lot of tricks and hacks. My favorite [...]

I recently had the chance to see Hadestown, a Broadway re-telling of an ancient Greek myth. Spoiler alert: I’m going to tell you the ending, but it’s been out of the bag for thousands of years, so I don’t feel too bad about it. 

The story follows a young man named Orpheus, whose girlfriend, Eurydice, gets swept off to hell by Hades, god of the underworld. When Orpheus follows her, Hades makes them a deal: They can leave, but only if Orpheus walks just ahead of Eurydice and never looks back. 

Hades knows that this is a particularly efficient form of [...]