Words of Wisdom — June 12, 2014

Jane Austen on Listening to Yourself

“We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.” – Jane Austen

bigthinkeditor

The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

“We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.”

– Jane Austen

The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

A colorful butterfly with vivid patterns hangs near an empty cocoon on a twig against a soft, gradient background.

Neuropsych

The Big 5 personality traits you can change with practice

“Personality isn’t based on what we say we’ll do. It’s rooted in what we actually do, which becomes what we think about.”

Abstract design with human profiles, a silhouette of a person walking, and text reading "The Happiness Paradox 4" on a grid background.

The Present

Why happiness is not the best indicator of well-being

Achieving values and pursuing growth is the real secret to a fulfilled life.

Digital rendering of multiple human brain models floating against a gray background, highlighting specific brain regions in red.

Neuropsych

Mind-reading and neuroplasticity: In conversation with neurologist Alvaro Pascual-Leone

“The brain is never the same from one moment to the next throughout life. Never ever.”

A split image with a blurred, colorful portrait of Sam Bankman-Fried on the left and Peter Singer on the right.

The Present

“Alive and well”: Peter Singer on effective altruism after FTX

“The movement is much bigger than Sam Bankman-Fried, or any one person, no matter how wealthy,” philosopher Peter Singer told Big Think.

An AI-generated illustration of a man sitting at a desk, accompanied by thought-provoking poetry.

Thinking

Can AI write authentic poetry?

Cognitive psychologist and poet Keith Holyoak explores whether artificial intelligence could ever achieve poetic authenticity.

Up Next

Starts With A Bang

The Largest Black Hole In the Known Universe

It’s a huge surprise, and shows up in the most unlikely of places! “You cannot, in human experience, rush into the light. You have to go through the twilight into the […]