The past is not a thing – it is a story about how we got to now. The future is also not a thing – it is story about how things may be some time from now. What you really have right now is only now and a couple of stories.
There are many implications to this and it is important because humans are easily fooled by stories. Making matters worse, we often don’t recognize that we are telling others or ourselves stories even when in the act of doing so.
Once you realize this is true the thing to do is to start learning how to recognize the mistakes we make when listening to others and our own stories.
Reading is likely the most cost effective way to accomplish this and here are some of my favorites that can provide insight:
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert
Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Taleb
Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung? by Ajahn Brahm
This is just a short list of my favorites… got a good one to recommend? I’d love to read it! Add to the comments below – no log in, email or anything like that required!
