…or why I force myself to only bring carry-on baggage. I try to never check bags. There are many reasons for this: I don’t have to wait for my bags upon arrival; I know that my bag will arrive with me to my destination; I increase the likelihood that I can get bumped (good for…
If you want to stop yourself from snacking late at night or mindlessly eating after dinner, try brushing your teeth earlier in the evening. This works especially well if you’re also following my other advice of only allowing yourself to brush your teeth after flossing. By brushing your teeth earlier, you’re making it more inconvenient…
…or rather, why playing the lottery might make sense, depending on your utility function. I once had a math teacher who proudly proclaimed that she played the lottery every week. She justified this by saying that her ticket had just as much chance to win as any other ticket, and someone often wins, so why…
…or more reasons why you should ask people out. Here’s a writeup of a psych study that attempts to discern differences in how men and women respond to sexual offers. In the study, confederates went up to random students on campus who they found attractive and asked them one of three questions: 1) would you go out…
I personally love flossing, and I have strong opinions about what kind of floss to use, but a friend who had read that post asked me, “Edward, how do I make flossing a habit?” I recently read The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, and Duhigg repeats throughout his book that a habit has three things:…
This is my wallet: I love my binder clip wallet. It’s frugal, and it forces me to carry as few things as is reasonable. My wallet contains the following: Clipper card Driver’s license Credit card Work badge Gym membership That’s it. Occasionally, I’ll carry $20 clipped to the back if I know I’m going somewhere…
I’m always astounded at people with thousands of unread emails sitting in their inboxes; I get anxious when I have more than ten. I generally try to keep inbox zero, but in actuality, I usually have 1-3 emails sitting in my inbox. Here’s how I manage my email: 1. Does this email require any action from…
I hate haggling. It makes me anxious, and I often feel like I get ripped off. But I have a new strategy that I effectively used on my last trip abroad: figure out how much I’m willing to pay before I even ask for a price, and then stay firm to that price. Why does this…
…or why you shouldn’t settle down until you’re at least 27. Another of my favorite math problems is the secretary problem. Let’s say that you’re trying to hire a secretary. You have n applicants for the job, and you know a priori that you have a strict ordering of the candidates once you’ve seen them (i.e….
I lied. This post isn’t about how to deal with rejection; it’s about how to make sure our fear of rejection doesn’t hold us back. I’m a strong believer that taking the initiative is the best tack in most situations. For example, you should always ask people out instead of waiting around for someone to ask…
