How to make a smoother entrance into any room or conversation

Sometimes, the more understated you are, the more positively you'll be received.

  • Knowing how to enter can make or break you, according to business psychologist and advisor Dr. Melanie Katzman.
  • You don't own the room or conversation by dominating it. Instead you're better off asking permission, acting respectful, and taking the time to consider what interests the person with whom you're interacting.
  • Who can you look to as an example? Somewhat surprisingly, professional clowns.
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How to activate the ‘seeking system’ of your brain

Play and experimentation are the keys to creativity and innovation.

  • There is a part of the brain called the ventral striatum, aka the "seeking system," that drives humans to explore and learn new things. When activated, the system releases dopamine and makes us feel good.
  • There are three main ways that leaders can stimulate the ventral striatums of their team: through experimentation, by finding ways to learn and play to individual strengths, and by making the purpose of the work personal.
  • As some major companies have learned, being playful and curious is a pathway to boosted creativity and innovation.

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The art of walking: How this everyday act can bring you inner peace

Here's how to exercise your curiosity and truly experience the world.

  • "[T]oday, most people are sitting on their arses in a chair looking at the screen to discover and explore the world," says Norwegian explorer Erling Kagge. "And that's a huge misunderstanding. You're missing out on some of the greatest things in life."
  • There is an inner silence to be found through walking, says Kagge. You exercise your curiosity and the movement of your body, which are two ancient and important things for Homo sapiens.
  • Some people experience silence through meditation, mindfulness, or yoga. But Kagge emphasizes that you don't need any formal techniques. If you are interested in finding inner silence, you can create it anywhere, just by walking.
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How should you react to speech you disagree with?

Disagreements should not equal censorship.

  • Defending someone's right to speak does not mean that you have to agree with what they say. The correct response is not censorship, but more discussion.
  • Physician and sociologist Nicholas Christakis argues that in politics, defending the principle of a contested election is not the same as agreeing with or endorsing a candidate. "We should defend that principle even if we don't like the outcome of the vote."
  • The best way to test your ideas and beliefs is to argue them against someone with a different stance/point-of-view.


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Correctness makes you less creative. Here’s why.

Effort-focused exercises often lead to better, more innovative ideas.

  • Anthony Brandt argues that everyone is born with the facilities for creativity. Being creative means being a risk-taker, and that's something that needs to be encouraged and taught to children.
  • Techniques such as sandboxing place more of an emphasis on the effort as opposed to the results. This gives people, children especially, permission to try different approaches and offer new ideas without the usual pressures.
  • Without experimentation, there can be no innovation.
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