Learn to Think in Color

When a story feels convincing, what background facts do we stop checking? How persuasive narratives slip past our critical thinking—and what to watch for Big-picture framing When a  story feels convincing , our brains often trade careful fact-checking for the comfort of coherence. This piece looks at the background facts we quietly stop checking—like time frames, base rates , and incentives —once a narrative “just makes sense.” You’ll see how  base rate neglect , fuzzy definitions , and missing context sneak in under the radar, and how even thoughtful people get swept along. We’ll also walk through a real-world example and a simple questioning pattern you can use in meetings, strategy, and news consumption to enjoy good stories  without  being fooled by them. The invisible trade-off: coherence vs. curiosity When a story clicks, the brain gets a tiny reward:  Ah, this fits. That “click” is great for memory and communication—but it has a cost. We start treating ...

Why does work feel heavier even when hours don’t increase? How invisible load, context-switching, and emotion quietly add “phantom hours”   Big Picture Frame When work feels heavier even when hours don’t increase, it’s usually because the  shape  of your work has changed, not the clock. More decisions, interruptions, and emotional friction can make an eight-hour day feel like twelve. In this post, we’ll unpack why work feels heavier without more hours, how cognitive load and context-switching drain you, and what subtle signals to watch for before burnout sneaks in. You’ll walk away with a simple lens to diagnose “phantom workload” in yourself and your team and language to talk about it without sounding like you’re just complaining. Why work feels heavier without more hours The short answer: “hours worked” is a terrible proxy for “energy spent.” Two people can both work 8 hours. One finishes energized, the other feels flattened. What changed? Usually it’s a mix of: Cogniti...

What would my future self thank me for practicing now? How to make tomorrow-you quietly grateful for today-you. Framing the Question Most people think about their  future self  in vague, fuzzy terms—like a stranger they’ll meet “someday.” But your future self is just you, plus the compound interest of today’s choices. This question isn’t about predicting the future; it’s about practicing the few skills, habits, and mindsets that pay off across almost any path you take. A better way to hold the question Instead of asking, “What should I do with my life?” try, “What can I practice now that will give almost any version of my future self more options, more energy, and more peace of mind?” When you frame it this way, you stop hunting for a perfect plan and start building a reliable foundation your future self can stand on. The quiet power of investing in your future self Think of your life like a staircase: every small practice is a step. You rarely notice a single step, but twenty...