The Science of Self

• The ancient Stoics were masters of living in the present. • One way of rethinking your relationship to the past is to adopt the Stoic attitude of amor fati. This translates roughly to “love of one’s fate.” Whatever happens is embraced, wanting “nothing to be different.” To practice it, look at events as neutrally as possible and then respond to them with a simple mantra like “good.” By focusing on action and solutions, we are able to transform adversity.• Negative visualization is where we occasionally spend a short amount of time imagining in detail the negative things that could happen in life. This renews appreciation and gratitude for what matters, allows us to prepare for the future, and creates psychological resilience. • With the “what-if” technique, we write down a fear and ask, “What if this were true?” and explore the worst that could happen, showing ourselves that it is tolerable and not so bad after all. Likewise, remember Memento mori, Latin for, “remember that you will die” to help remind you of what matters. • Problem-focused thinking zooms in on what’s wrong. Solution-focused thinking zooms in on what could be right and looks to taking action to change the situation. Thinking needs to be balanced with action. Focus on the problem needs to be balanced with focus on the solution.• Remember the Serenity Prayer and try the two-column exercise to help you identify what you can change and what you can’t. Accept what you can’t, act where you can. • Ask what you want and value, then ask yourself, “Is what I’m doing, thinking, or feeling bringing me closer to that?”#AnthonyDoerr #BeHonest #Negativity #Resilience #SerenityPrayer #Stoic #Theres #“RememberThatYouMustDie” #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #PeterHollins #TheScienceofSelf #

• Spartacus was able to do what he did because he was exquisitely focused on his goal – justice. Freedom is being outside of the control and dominion of any other being except yourself. Even if you are enslaved, you can emancipate yourself first by refusing to submit to injustice.• It may feel like you have nothing but use what you do have, reach out to others, and do whatever it takes to get where you want to be.• Finally, there is no virtue in tolerating something you cannot bear, instead of summoning up the courage to fight against it. Whether you succeed or not is beside the point – you assert your own autonomy and dignity in merely taking a stand.Get the audiobook on Audible at https://adbl.co/3NBG3vWShow notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-homePeter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition. Visit https://bit.ly/peterhollins to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will change the way you think.#Capua #Gaul #Gellius #GeneralMarcusLiciniusCrassus #Grit #KarlMarx #Lentulus #Lucania #Marx #MountVesuviusA #Plutarch #Pompey #ServileWars #Sparta #Spartacus #Spartan #Thermopylae #Thrace #SpartacusAndTheServileWars #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #Old-SchoolGrit

• Intellectual honesty is also important, and this includes humility and the ability to admit that you don’t know something, or that you have made a mistake. Geniuses know that stubbornness, bias, expectation and ego can undermine genuine learning.• Most genius types are usually polymaths (skilled in many areas) and have broad rather than narrow interests. They are well-read and make connections between all disciplines, see relationships and analogies, and find inspiration in all fields, never limiting themselves to one area.• Finally, geniuses are usually assumed to be novel, out-of-the-box thinkers. Such people are non-conventional and tend to disregard arbitrary rules, fashions or unquestioned assumptions and habits. They are comfortable pushing outside of the norms and exploring new territory—and this makes them natural innovators and trendsetters (as well as problem solvers!).• We can always be aware of these mindsets particular to geniuses and deliberately work to cultivate them in ourselves, in a variety of ways. #CoreBeliefs #CreativePossibilities #DeepThinkersPerspective #GeniusMindset #GeniusPerspective #GeniusThinker #GeniusTypes #IntellectualHeavyweights #IntellectualHonesty #IntellectualMaturity #NaturalCuriosity #NaturalInnovators #NegativeFeedback #PersonalFailure #SuccessfulEntrepreneur #IntellectualHonesty #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #PeterHollins #TheScienceofSelf

• The ancient Stoics were masters of living in the present. • One way of rethinking your relationship to the past is to adopt the Stoic attitude of amor fati. This translates roughly to “love of one’s fate.” Whatever happens is embraced, wanting “nothing to be different.” To practice it, look at events as neutrally as possible and then respond to them with a simple mantra like “good.” By focusing on action and solutions, we are able to transform adversity.• Negative visualization is where we occasionally spend a short amount of time imagining in detail the negative things that could happen in life. This renews appreciation and gratitude for what matters, allows us to prepare for the future, and creates psychological resilience. • With the “what-if” technique, we write down a fear and ask, “What if this were true?” and explore the worst that could happen, showing ourselves that it is tolerable and not so bad after all. Likewise, remember Memento mori, Latin for, “remember that you will die” to help remind you of what matters. #Aurelius #Buddhist #CBT #Cicero #Cyrenaics #Desensitizing #Disputation #EcceHomo #EnchiridionEpictetus #Epistles #FriedrichNietzsche #GayScience #JockoWillink #Lucilius #LuciliusSeneca #MarcusAurelius #Meditations #Nietzsche #Seneca #Stoic #Stoicism #StopNegativeThinking #Tusculan #UpgradeYourPsychologicalToolkitWithStoicAmorFatiPhilosophy #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #StopNegativeThinking #NickTrenton

• The Spartans lived by a set of principles and core beliefs that guided everything they did, and this is ultimately what allowed them to act with strength, conviction, and discipline. When you commit to a cause and belief greater than yourself, you become unstoppable, and even death itself is no longer something you fear.• We don’t have to believe the Spartans were perfect in every way to appreciate the courage it took to live life the way they lived it. We can be inspired in our own lives and ask, what do we care about so deeply that we would be happy to die for it? Knowing the answer to that question allows you to access vast stores of grit, courage, and strength.• Be active. Be tough. For the Spartans, physical prowess was everything, but we can follow suit by making strength – all kinds of strength – a non-negotiable part of our personal identity. If life seems scary and challenging, then train yourself to be equal to the challenge. Work hard, dedicate yourself, and choose toughness even when it would be easier to fold.Get the audiobook on Audible at https://adbl.co/3NBG3vWShow notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-homePeter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition. Visit https://bit.ly/peterhollins to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will change the way you think.#Darius #FrankMiller #GeorgeHarris #Gerousia #Golding #Herodotus #HotGates #Leonidas #Salamis #SirWilliamGolding #Sparta #Spartan #Sperthias #Theban #Thermopylae #Thespian #Xerxes #ZackSnyder #TheBattleOfThermopylae #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #Old-SchoolGrit

• Geniuses come in all shapes and sizes, from all walks of life and all historical periods, but they can all be seen to possess certain predictable characteristics and mindsets. • If we can model our own lives on the traits we find in great and successful thinkers, we too can learn to fulfill more of our intellectual and creative potential.• The first trait is a lust for learning and an insatiable curiosity about how the world works, and why. This is knowledge and understanding pursued for its own sake, and not because it indirectly leads to another goal like fame or money. Such inspiration and passion gives incredible stamina to any effort. • Another trait is diligence, patience, dedication and self-discipline, i.e. everything associated with consistent hard work. Without detail-oriented and practical action taken daily, and a willingness to delay gratification, success will never materialize.#Copernicus #Darwin #Descartes #Experiment #Genius #Geniuses #WhatMakesAGenius? #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #TheScienceofSelf #PeterHollins

• We need distress tolerance skills to help us cope with extremely trying or painful moments, or emergency situations. When we’re distressed, it’s easy to default to clumsy, destructive, or unconscious ways of coping—these are false coping mechanisms. • Self-soothing is a way to acknowledge and accept pain that is inevitable—without making it any bigger than it should be. It is not distraction or avoidance, but about anchoring in the present using your five senses—a technique called grounding. • TIPP stands for temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing, and paired muscle relaxation, all of which can help lower physiological arousal. Try cold water, vigorous movement, or breathing exercises to calm the limbic system.• Practice radical acceptance, which doesn’t mean we like what is happening, only that we have agreed to not fight with reality. Acknowledge how you feel and the reality of the situation and remind yourself of what matters.• The ACCEPTS acronym (Activities, Contribute, Comparisons, Emotions, Push away, Thoughts, and Sensations) can help you better tolerate momentary distress—although not for the longer term.• With anxiety, our goal is not to force ourselves not to worry, but to worry more efficiently. Scheduling worry time puts you in proactive control and helps you gain distance. • Notice the anxiety, write down the time you’ll postpone to—with the duration and content—then follow through as agreed. • Mental noting and focused mundane tasks can help you turn anxious moments into opportunities for mindfulness. #ACCEPTS #Selfsoothing #StopNegativeThinking #TIPP #MasterTheArtOfDistressToleranceAndSelf-Soothing #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #StopNegativeThinking

• No matter how bleak things look, stay calm and take heart.: you always have the power to choose your response, and you can often turn a disadvantage into an advantage simply by changing your perspective.• When faced with a challenge or obstacle, try to think outside of the box and imagine a solution beyond your current way of thinking. Understand the rules, like Caesar, and then be brave and audacious enough to rewrite them completely to your advantage.• There is never any reason for despair or giving up – things can and often do change at a moment’s notice. Stay alert and take whatever action you can, reminding yourself that, if there are no opportunities on the table that you like, you can create opportunities. The double rampart idea didn’t exist before the battle of Alesia – what novel solution to your own current problems is just one ingenious idea away?Get the audiobook on Audible at https://adbl.co/3NBG3vWShow notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-homePeter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition. Visit https://bit.ly/peterhollins to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will change the way you think.#Alesia #Caesar #Grit #Oldschool #JuliusCaesarAndTheBattleOfAlesia #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #Old-SchoolGrit

• According to author Max Gunther, there are 13 attitudes, traits and habits that set lucky people apart from unlucky ones. Lucky people clearly understand the difference between luck and planning, and never confuse them. They repeat hard work that gets results, and are grateful for luck when it happens, knowing they weren’t responsible. • Lucky people find the “fast flow” of people and information and position themselves within it, being extroverted and sociable and building connections with others to maximize possible channels for luck. Lucky people take appropriate risks – neither overextending themselves nor being too hesitant. They allow data and research to guide them.• When something isn’t working, know when to cut your losses and move on. Quit while you’re ahead rather than risk losing it all on a bet that your luck will continue. On a related note, “select” your luck by cutting ties with any course that is 100% not going anywhere, rather than wasting more time and effort on it. • The path to success is usually a zig-zag and not a straight line, so relax and become curious about the most optimal – even if unexpected – path from A to B. Superstitions can help you make decisions in impossible situations, since they encourage you to act rather than freeze with indecisiveness. A little irrationality won’t hurt if it ultimately gets you to do the right thing! • Pessimism can be a useful thing if it helps you to protect yourself and plan for when things go well. Lucky people plan for the worst but expect the best. Gunther also believes that lucky people don’t narrow their possibilities by talking indiscriminately about controversial or divisive topics – it makes sense if you’re trying to connect optimally with people!• Recognize a “non-lesson” which is just bad luck but doesn’t mean anything. Don’t twist yourself in knots trying to understand it. Likewise, accept that you are owed nothing and that none of us “deserves” luck or a charmed life. • Avoid idleness and stay busy to increase your exposure to lucky new opportunities. Finally, partner up with people that seem to improve your luck, or pass opportunities your way.Get the audiobook on Audible Show notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-home#BeingLucky #Superstitions #MaxGunther #Superstition #StrategicLuckPlanning #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #TheScienceofBeingLucky

• Stay present. It’s something we hear frequently, but what does it mean? Simply put, we are more often caught in the past or looking forward to the future. When we are caught in the past, we are affected by things and events that we have no control over. When we are looking forward to the future (excessively, of course), we are also affected by that which we have no control over. • Author Eckhart Tolle has great insight into the problem of fixating on the past or future; he once said, “All negativity is caused by an accumulation of psychological time and denial of the present. Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry—all forms of fear—are caused by too much future and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence.”• To let go of the past is to forgive, excuse, and allow for errors. We can learn from the past, and we don’t have to experience things in vain. To stop fixating on the future is to accept uncertainty and a certain amount of randomness. We cannot control very much in our lives, and all we can control is our actions and reactions. • Staying in the present is of course easier said than done, but the practice of meditation is a useful blueprint. It is important to clear your mind and simply lose yourself in a thought, feeling, or sensation. Preoccupation is the worst of sins here, and it can only be defeated with time and practice—and the knowledge that the past does not matter anymore and the future is out of our control.Get the audiobook on Audible Show notes and/or episode transcripts are available at https://bit.ly/self-growth-homePeter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a dedicated student of the human condition.Visit https://bit.ly/peterhollins to pick up your FREE human nature cheat sheet: 7 surprising psychology studies that will change the way you think.#EckhartTolle #Eckhart #Guilt #Preoccupation #Suffer #Tolle #TheMindsetOfThePresent #RussellNewton #NewtonMG #PeterHollins #TheScienceofSelf #SufferWell