Words of Wisdom — June 7, 2014

William James on Controlling One’s Thoughts

“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” – William James

bigthinkeditor

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”

– William James

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

A painting of a group of boats in a body of water.

The Past

Pax Economica: The forgotten history of the free-trade movement

Big Think spoke with historian Marc-William Palen about the egalitarian aims of the free-trade movement in past centuries.

A black and white photo of albert einstein laughing.

Starts With A Bang

Einstein’s 7 rules for a better life

The most celebrated genius in human history didn’t just revolutionize physics, but taught many valuable lessons about living a better life.

A young girl giving her undivided attention to a TV screen displaying an engaging cartoon.

The Learning Curve

An ancient technique can improve your attention span

The modern attention economy hijacks our ability to focus, but an ancient technique offers a means to get it back.

A successful man with a beard symbolizing empowerment.

Smart Skills

Unlock success by taking control of “disempowering narratives”

“Choose not to be harmed—and you won’t feel harmed,” advised Stoic philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius. He had a point.

a painting of a man's face and a woman's head.

The Future

A new AI lie detector can reveal its “inner thoughts”

A new AI lie detector can dive into their hidden thoughts and reveal “what language models truly believe about the world.”

Up Next

Surprising Science

Dancing with Drones: How Machines May Play a Part in the Future of Art

In a new dance routine, Japanese dance troupe ElevenPlay explores the relationship between the body and technology by dancing with drones programmed by designer Daito Manabe.