Strive for a better harmony between your rational mind (the ‘rider’) and your intuitive, emotional processes (the ’elephant’), rather than viewing your rational mind as solely in control or trying to force the ’elephant’ to obey. The goal is for these parts to work together effectively.
Cultivate humility by understanding that all humans, including yourself, are prone to hypocrisy and struggle to discern truth. Admitting your flaws and being honest about them can paradoxically lead to long-term benefits and personal growth.
Understand that you are anti-fragile, meaning you grow stronger through exposure to stress and challenges. Intentionally take risks and put yourself out there, as this is how you learn, grow, and become more resilient.
Utilize practices like meditation, self-hypnosis, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to gradually train your intuitive and emotional ’elephant’ mind. These methods help you catch and correct automatic, erroneous thoughts and gain control over your internal responses.
Implement Stoic principles to prevent external events from triggering negative emotions and to gain control over your perceptions. Practice reappraising situations to redirect your mental course positively, rather than reacting with immediate negativity.
Create consistent morning and evening routines that involve reading great thinkers and meditations. This practice helps to set and maintain a proper mental frame, preparing you for the day and allowing for reflective closure.
Be highly selective about the content you consume on social media and protect your mind from the influence of anonymous or unimportant critics. Prevent their comments from causing confusion or upset, or significantly reduce time on platforms that expose you to such negativity.
Approach social media as a tool to achieve specific goals, rather than allowing it to control your attention or emotional state. Be wary of platforms designed to hook users for advertising, as these models can be detrimental to well-being.
Actively expose yourself to ideas and writings from opposing viewpoints, especially in politics or complex issues. This practice broadens your understanding, improves your reasoning, and helps you become smarter faster.
Learn about Moral Foundations Theory to understand how different political temperaments and upbringings lead to varying moral intuitions. This knowledge fosters empathy across tribal divides by explaining why others see things differently.
Seek out work that aligns with and utilizes your natural strengths, as this significantly increases job satisfaction and overall happiness. Strive to arrange your life so you have a sense of control and efficacy over what you do in your career.
Build and maintain friendships at work, as having good relationships with colleagues is a significant contributor to happiness in the workplace. Being embedded in a community, including your work community, is crucial for well-being.
Incorporate a structured journal, such as the Five-Minute Journal, into your daily routine. This guides your morning and evening reflections, helping to foster a positive mental frame and consistent self-awareness.
Apply principles from ‘Atomic Habits’ by identifying desired personal changes and breaking them into small, manageable steps. Set up reinforcements to support these small steps, making it easier to build new habits and achieve self-change.
Partner with an accountability partner and establish regular check-ins, such as midweek, to discuss your progress on committed goals. This external accountability helps overcome excuses and accelerates progress toward desired changes.
Recognize that appropriate adversity is necessary for personal growth and strengthening. Avoid overprotecting yourself or others from normal challenges, as this can hinder the development of resilience and mental fortitude.
Adopt a mindset of joyful participation in the world’s sorrows, choosing to embrace life fully and maintain joy despite challenges. This ‘warrior’s approach’ offers guidance for living engaged and reasonably happy lives during tumultuous times.
Avoid vastly overprotecting children from normal adversity, as this can deprive them of experiences necessary for developing resilience and social skills. Exposure to minor challenges helps them learn how to deal with people and the world.
Prevent individuals under 16 from using any social media platforms where they post and await comments. This is crucial due to the significant negative impact such platforms have on teen mental health, particularly for girls.