Mutual aid has become a standard ingredient of modern evolutionary theories, albeit not exactly in the way Kropotkin formulated it. Like Darwin, he believed that cooperative groups of animals (or humans) would outperform less cooperative ones. In other words, the ability to function in a group and build a support …

There’s a popular picture of the Big Bang as some kind of explosion—a sudden conflagration of light and matter from a single point that billowed out through the universe. It wasn’t like that. The Big Bang wasn’t an explosion within the universe, it was an expansion …

I have always been keenly aware that I have the kind of personality that attracts people to me and to whatever I’m excited about. The authors of the assessment tool Strengths Finder call this “woo.” While I was at Lancaster, I used this ability heavily. In fact, as soon …

The leading cause of failure in life or any business is negative thinking. One of the essential reasons for all results in life or any business is positive thinking. Your idea is the catalyst for your success or failure. For the average person who hasn't achieved much in life, be …

Markets are at work all around us. If my used car example is too intangible, or too theoretical, then consider something as simple as grocery shopping. When I visit the grocery store, I usually buy some kind of fruit depending on the prices. My favorite is raspberries, which vary in …

Each meal of the retreat is a spirited and energetic celebration. The meals are ritual celebrations of life in which the opportunities for fellowship are created. Every meal begins with a lavish welcome, similar to the one the candidates experienced upon arriving. When the candidates enter the dining room, the …

Good sellers know their product inside and out. Big sellers transcend their understanding of the product by intimately understanding all the ways in which it will have a positive impact both on their prospects' business and their daily lives. When you're trying to sell your prospect based on characteristics, you're …

Just as a work team makes it possible to do more than you could do on your own, a home team lets you focus at work, and spend your off-hours in enjoyable ways. For many of us, the primary home-team need is childcare. In non–social distancing times, this might …

A combination of challenging, rugged terrain, a network of old roads, military roads and stalkers’ paths, and legislation that enshrines free access to the countryside has earned Scotland a reputation as one of the world’s top mountain-biking destinations. Fort William has hosted the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships every …

Remember that it was mentioned earlier when we discussed the three Rs of habit formation that every behavior that becomes a habit will have a reward associated with it. The reward reinforces the behavior, which is why it becomes habitual. If you are nurturing a bad habit, that means you …

I define empathy as the experience of another’s situation, though I do also consider and discuss research that leads to different definitions. The concept of experience has a wider (though in another sense a narrower) range of meaning than another common definition of empathy, namely that of emotion-sharing. I …

After you get across the parking lot to your car, if you were to compare your actual path to a map of the shortest possible distance there from the door, you might become quite critical of your route. You might say to yourself, “I crossed this row of parked cars …

Of all the Middle East’s enduring problems, that of the Palestinians and the Israelis has remained a crucible for tension, violence and distrust. There is tragedy not just in its duration and the suffering on all sides that has ensued, but in the fact that it has arisen through …

Your heartbreak told you who he was—he said he would end you, he left you again and again. Why is it so hard for us to believe them, to pack up our bags and say, Okay, well, you aren’t the person for me, then, instead of sticking around …

It doesn’t matter who you marry. All you ever end up with is yourself, after all. The other person is always just the backdrop against which you check out your own unmet needs, your own ability to love, your own barriers and hurts, your own vitality, and, most of …

Leaders have created a foundation for confidence that permits unexpected people to achieve high levels of performance, and to do it as part of a successful team. Each time the team or the organization wins a victory, support for confidence is increased. An occasional win turns into a long winning …