Episode 211 - Arete & Kakia

In The Hardiness Effect, Dr Paul Taylor reveals practical strategies for moving from coping to adapting in the face of modern life's challenges. Combining cutting-edge research with ancient wisdom, the book shows how to harness stress as a catalyst for growth, improve mental and physical resilience, and live a more purposeful and fulfilling life. Readers will learn how to rewire their brains, use hormetic stress, master the four pillars of psychological hardiness, and leverage natural elements for healing and longevity.

In this book, Mark Manson argues against the typical self-help advice of constant positivity, instead suggesting that life's struggles give it meaning. He emphasizes the need to focus on what truly matters and to accept and confront painful truths. The book is divided into nine chapters and uses blunt honesty and profanity to illustrate its ideas, encouraging readers to find meaning through values they can control and to replace uncontrollable values with more meaningful ones.

In this book, Daniel Kahneman takes readers on a tour of the mind, explaining how the two systems of thought shape our judgments and decisions. System 1 is fast, automatic, and emotional, while System 2 is slower, effortful, and logical. Kahneman discusses the impact of cognitive biases, the difficulties of predicting future happiness, and the effects of overconfidence on corporate strategies. He offers practical insights into how to guard against mental glitches and how to benefit from slow thinking in both personal and business life. The book also explores the distinction between the 'experiencing self' and the 'remembering self' and their roles in our perception of happiness.