Learn to Think in Color

Why does another person’s misfortune sometimes feel strangely satisfying? schadenfreude How schadenfreude exposes our insecurities, values, and social wiring   Big Picture Box That tiny jolt of satisfaction you sometimes feel at another person’s misfortune has a name:  schadenfreude , a German word that literally means “harm-joy.” It can feel unsettling— What kind of person am I to feel this? —but the feeling itself is common and deeply wired into how humans compare, compete, and protect their sense of self. In this post, we’ll unpack why another person’s misfortune can feel satisfying, what that says (and doesn’t say) about you, and how to turn that awkward spark into self-awareness. Along the way, we’ll look at status, fairness, and even a touch of brain science—and how understanding schadenfreude can actually make you more compassionate, not less. What is schadenfreude, really? Schadenfreude, a German word that literally means “harm-joy,” is the oddly satisfying feeling you...

How do you frame a financial ask so it feels like an opportunity, not a request? Turn “Can you help us?” into “Do you want in on this?”   Big-Picture Framing Framing a  financial ask  as an opportunity starts with a mindset shift: you’re not begging for budget, you’re opening a door to value. The more clearly you connect money to outcomes—results, impact, or returns—the more your financial ask feels like a smart option instead of a burden. At the same time, opportunity framing must stay honest: no hiding risks, no inflating upside. When you mix clarity, ethics, and just enough vulnerability, people experience your ask as a chance to build something with you, not simply fund you. Reframe the Financial Ask Around Value Most financial asks sound like a gap that needs filling:  “We’re short on funds; can you help?”  That triggers defensiveness and scarcity. Shift the focus from  what you lack  to  what their money unlocks : What concrete outcome will ...

What Makes Something Resonate? Why some ideas land in your bones—and others vanish on contact Snapshot: Why “Resonance” Feels So Powerful When people ask  what makes something resonate , they’re really asking why a message, story, or song feels like it was made just for them. Resonance happens when what’s outside (words, images, experiences) lines up with what’s inside (memories, values, hopes, fears). It’s less about how loud you speak and more about how precisely you’re tuned to your audience. In this post, we’ll unpack the anatomy of resonance—emotional truth, a bit of behavioral science, and the power of  niche  fit—so you can craft ideas that stick, spread, and keep echoing long after the moment has passed. The Core of Resonance: Alignment, Not Volume Resonance isn’t about being bigger, louder, or more dramatic. It’s about  alignment . Think of a guitar string: it vibrates when another note hits the same frequency. Ideas work the same way. A message “vibrates” i...

What Makes Workplace Feedback Actually Change Behavior? Why some comments fade by Monday—and others permanently reset the bar Framing the Question Effective workplace feedback isn’t about saying something “nice but honest”; it’s about creating conditions where people  actually  change what they do next week. Workplace feedback that changes behavior is specific, timely, and tied to a meaningful outcome, not a vague judgment or a personality critique. When you understand the psychology behind how adults learn at work, feedback becomes less about awkward conversations and more about tiny course corrections that compound over time. Below we’ll break down the ingredients of behavior-changing feedback, how to deliver it, and what it looks like in real teams. The Core Formula: Clear, Caring, Consequential Most feedback fails because it’s fuzzy (“great job”), feels like an attack (“you’re not strategic”), or lands in a vacuum (no clear stakes). Feedback that  actually  chang...