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The purpose behind sadness
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The purpose behind sadness
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The Smarter Brain is a curation of thought-provoking ideas and actionable reads to help you build better habits and become more productive.
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Estimated Reading Time: 2 mins
3 Ideas For Better Habits
The Purpose Behind Sadness
Bestselling writer, Daniel Goleman, on the value of sadness.
“[Sadness] enforces a kind of reflective retreat from life's busy pursuits, and leaves us in a suspended state to mourn the loss, mull over its meaning, and, finally, make the psychological adjustments and new plans that will allow our lives to continue.”
The Power of Effort
Researcher and educator, Angela Duckworth, on turning potential into achievement.
“Without effort, your talent is nothing more than unmet potential. Without effort, your skill is nothing more than what you could have done but didn't.”
Moving Beyond the Victim Narrative
Addiction specialist, Anna Lembke, on the limits of victimhood.
“The victim narrative reflects a wider societal trend in which we’re all prone to seeing ourselves as the victims of circumstance and deserving of compensation or reward for our suffering. Even when people have been victimized, if the narrative never moves beyond victimhood, it’s difficult for healing to occur.”
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Brain Food
Today I Learned: Chimps use medicinal plants to treat themselves for illnesses and injuries. (Source)
Science: Even individuals whose symptoms do not yet meet the criteria for clinical depression benefit from therapeutic interventions. Participants who received interventions were significantly less likely to develop clinical depression within the first year. (Source).
Have a productive week ahead, The Smarter Brain Team
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