Letters Remain

Month: July 2009

  • The Negative Effect of Positive Thinking

    An entire industry has been created and thrives based solely on the theories of positive psychology: self affirmations help to motivate, we are told, and they may even help those with low self-esteem build their confidence. Now research is starting to show the opposite: that self affirmations (or ‘positive self-statements’) have a negative effect on…

  • Developing a Web App on a Shoestring Budget

    As the title suggests—and the tips prove—this brief guide to getting a web app up-and-running on a small budget requires, well, a budget (as opposed to no budget and doing it all yourself). The steps: Create a clear wireframe model Outsource the development Use an open source content management system Start a design contest Leverage…

  • Books to Ignore

    Like timesink productivity websites, books written purely to instruct us what books to read are inherently counterproductive.  The Second Pass does the opposite, producing a list of ten ‘classic’ books not to read. White Noise by Don DeLillo Absalom, Absalom by William Faulkner One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel GarcĂ­a MĂĄrquez The Road by…

  • Alcohol in Moderation: Not So Good, Maybe

    Moderate alcohol intake has long been lauded as an ingredient of the healthy lifestyle; being good for your heart and your longevity. According to a growing number of vocal psychologists, however, studies showing health benefits from moderate alcohol consumption are purely correlatory and any advice coming from them should be taken with caution. From an…

  • Epiphanies Through Daydreams

    Research aimed at discovering how ‘Eureka moments’ are triggered and how these moments of clarity and insight differ from typical methodical reasoning has found that not only are epiphanies more likely when we’re daydreaming, but our state of mind before we tackle a problem is also crucial. They materialize without warning, often through an unconscious…

  • When Money Buys Happiness (or Not)

    After discussing consumer signalling and Geoffrey Miller’s Spent in his Findings column (mentioned previously), readers of John Tierney’s Lab were asked, List the ten most expensive things (products, services or experiences) that you have ever paid for (including houses, cars, university degrees, marriage ceremonies, divorce settlements and taxes). Then, list the ten items that you have ever…

  • Why We Dream

    After decades of research and speculation, the reasons for dreaming are still unknown. There are many theories, of course, as Harvard psychologist Deirdre Barrett notes as she reviews the most prevalent evolutionary theories for why we dream: Brain Conditioning External Vigilance Threat Simulation Costly [Genetic] Signalling Problem-Solving The article also notes how many “notable figures from…

  • Aspen Ideas Festival

    The Aspen Ideas Festival–a joint production of the Aspen Institute and The Atlantic–is an annual gathering of “some of the most inspired and provocative thinkers, writers, artists, business people, teachers, and other leaders drawn from myriad fields and from across the country and around the world” who meet to discuss “some of the significant ideas…

  • Tests On Language and Click-Through Rates

    By varying the language used in a sentence at the end of his articles, Dustin Curtis increased click-through rates to his Twitter profile by 173%. Dustin describes his multivariate (‘split’) testing of different call to action sentences, revealing the most persuasive, in a visually excellent article. This puts me in mind of how both Tim…

  • Self-Esteem vs Self-Discipline in Children

    Self-esteem, we are told, is a great virtue to foster in a child, hence the many school programs to instill it in young children and the self-help experts extolling its benefits to all who will listen. This is folly, says psychologist Angela Duckworth in this interview where she discusses the futility of attempting to enhance…