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Why does winning feel so good?

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Why does winning feel so good? How your brain, story, and status team up to create that “we did it” high Quick framing Why does winning feel so good, and why do some wins stick with us for years while others fade overnight? At its core, that rush combines brain chemistry, social status, and the personal stories we tell ourselves about what matters. In this article, we’ll unpack how the “high” of winning works, why it’s about much more than trophies, and how to enjoy success without becoming addicted to it. You’ll walk away with a clearer way to think about motivation, goals, and what a meaningful “win” actually is. The brain chemistry behind a win On one level, winning feels good because your brain literally pays you in “feel-good” currency. When you succeed at something that matters to you, your brain releases a cocktail of chemicals—especially dopamine. Dopamine is like your internal “Yes, do more of this” notification. It spikes when you move toward a goal and when you finally hit i...

How do the questions we ask quietly train the way we think?

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How do the questions we ask quietly train the way we think? How your everyday “why” and “what if” sculpt your mental habits Big-picture framing The questions we ask don’t just  reflect  how we think—the questions we ask quietly train the way we think next time. Every “Why is this happening to me?” or “What can I learn from this?” is like a tiny rep in a mental gym, strengthening certain patterns of attention, emotion, and action. Over time, your default questions become the operating system of your mind. The hidden power of questions Instead of obsessing over having the right  answers , it’s often more useful to design better  questions . They direct what you notice, how you interpret events, and what options you see. By becoming more intentional about the questions you ask yourself and others, you can upgrade your thinking from reactive and defensive to curious, creative, and focused on what you can influence. 1. Questions as invisible training data for your mind Th...

Is Your Team’s Tacit Knowledge Training AI to Replace You?

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Is Your Team’s Tacit Knowledge Training AI to Replace You? How to turn hidden know-how into leverage—not a layoff plan Snapshot: What’s really at stake here As Generative AI spreads into tools your team already uses, it’s natural to worry: is our  tacit knowledge —the hard-won know-how we can’t fully explain—being silently captured to train AI that could replace us? The truth is subtler and more strategic. AI does learn patterns from how your team writes, decides, and collaborates, but that doesn’t automatically equal replacement. Why this question matters This question is ultimately about  control and design : who owns the value created when your tacit knowledge shapes an AI system, and how do you make sure it amplifies your work instead of undermining it? Think of this article as a practical frame you can use in leadership conversations, procurement decisions, or AI pilots—so your expertise becomes a multiplier, not a threat. What does it mean for AI to “learn” from your tac...

What Can We Learn by Watching People Learn?

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What Can We Learn by Watching People Learn? How observing learners becomes a shortcut to understanding ourselves Framing the Question When we start  watching people learn —really watching—we discover that every classroom, meeting room, and Zoom call is a live documentary about how humans change. Instead of only asking, “What did they learn?” we can ask, “How did they get there?” and suddenly patterns appear: how people handle confusion, seek help, use feedback, and bounce back from mistakes. This lens turns everyday scenes—training sessions, first days on the job, someone learning a new app—into data about motivation, mindset, and culture. Why this matters By studying  how  people learn, we gain a practical playbook for building better teams, designing clearer training, and improving our own learning habits. The question isn’t just academic; it’s a daily leadership, parenting, and self-development tool. Learning as a Mirror Watching someone else learn is like holding up a...