A look at why so many Americans think the best was better than it was: People in the past may... more

The world evolves faster than people's beliefs do. This episode looks at the need to change your mind, and why... more

A few laws from random sciences that almost certainly apply to your own -- regardless of what you do for... more

If you're a student of history, you know that most things have gotten better for most people over time. But... more

A few easy-to-overlook skills that are so vital in today's world. Brought to you my friends at Readwise -- visit... more

This episode digs into one of my favorite books of all time: The Big Change by Frederick Lewis Allen. Written... more

There's a Russian saying that I love: "The past is more unpredictable than the future." It explains so much about... more

A lot of mistakes in life come when you think risk is something caused by external forces, when in fact... more

The ultimate success metric is whether you get what you want out of life. But that’s harder than it sounds... more

Some of the most interesting stuff I've come across lately.

In some fields our knowledge is seamlessly passed down across generations. In others, it’s fleeting. To paraphrase investor Jim Grant:... more

Jeff Bezos once said there are different kinds of smart. Distinguishing the various flavors is important because if you think... more

A few important money and life topics to make you ponder.

"Nature is not in a hurry, yet everything is accomplished,” said Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu.Giant sequoias, advanced organisms, towering mountains... more

My deepest forecasting belief is that you can better understand the future if you focus on the behaviors that never... more

The most productive work you can do often looks like the laziest -- but it can be hard to accept... more

Every great idea can be taken too far. Take the notion that investors should ignore the short run.It's important to... more

I wrote letters to both of my kids the day before they were born. Here's what I wanted them to... more

Hacks are hard because shortcuts rarely exist. Prizes take time and effort.The personal finance industry – filled with advice that... more

Luck plays such a big role in the world. But few people want to talk about it. If I say... more

The fun part of behavioral finance is learning about how flawed other people can be. The hard part is trying... more

A few of the best and most insightful things I've read lately.

Woodrow Wilson was the only president with a Ph.D. in political science.He came to office having thought more about how... more

Mae West said, “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.” That might be true for some things –... more

This episode discusses my take on what you should pay attention to when reading history. There’s a quote I love... more

Let me share a little theory I have about optimism, and why progress is so easy to underestimate.I’ll explain it... more

Behavioral finance is now well documented. But most of the attention goes to how people invest. But the study of... more

There’s obviously a hierarchy of information. It ranges from life-changing good to life-changing disastrous.That got me thinking: What would be... more

There are two big ways to learn: Active learning: Someone tells you what to learn, how to learn it, on... more

One sentence that knocked me off my feet when I read Will and Ariel Durant’s The Lessons of History was:... more

My wife recently bought me an old book. It's called The Mathematical Theory of Investment. It was written in 1913... more

Expiring skills tend to get more attention. They’re more likely to be the cool new thing, and a key driver... more

My new book, Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes, is out today. Books are hard, a multi-year... more

All optimistic beliefs can be dangerous because they’re so comforting, so easy to accept without asking further questions. Hope often... more

Daniel Kahneman says, "The long-term success of a relationship depends far more on avoiding the negative than on seeking the... more

Measuring wealth is easy. You just count it up. Measuring some of the downsides of wealth is so much harder... more

My new book, Same As Ever, comes out in a month. It's about things that never change -- what's always... more

Just after my son was born I wrote a few things I thought he’d find helpful as an adult. One... more

A truth that applies to almost every field is that it’s possible to try too hard, and when doing so... more

All greed starts with an innocent idea: that you are right, deserve to be right, and are owed something for... more

This episode is about the difference between intelligence and smarts, and why one is valued more than the other despite... more

This is a short personal story about a fluke event 16 years ago that changed everything in my life. You... more

You spend years trying to learn tons of new stuff, but then look back and realize that just a few... more

I think there’s an “ideal” net worth for everyone, when money not only stops bringing pleasure but becomes a social... more

Chris Rock joked that Bill Gates would jump out the window if he woke up with Oprah’s money. Like most... more

A weird thing in life is that everyone strives for a good life because they think it will make them... more

The knee-jerk way to set expectations is to anchor to what everyone else has right now. But imagine the tragedy... more

Sometimes the best you can do when learning about any topic is to memorize a few short stories -- quick,... more

There are so many times in life where what you do is less important than how long you've been doing... more

If you can explain something important in just a few words, it's a double win: You've probably found something that's... more