The value of sharing emotions

and making decisions on deeper understanding

Author

Mario Peshev
March 30, 2025

Welcome to The Smarter Brain, a curation of thought-provoking ideas and actionable reads to help you build better habits and become more productive.

Happy reading - See you on Wednesday!

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The Smarter Brain Team

Estimated Reading Time: 2 mins

3 Ideas for Better Habits

The Space for Clear Thinking

Investor and podcast host, Shane Parrish, on cultivating clarity for success.

“In order to get the results we desire, we must do two things. We must first create the space to reason in our thoughts, feelings, and actions; and second, we must deliberately use that space to think clearly. Once you have mastered this skill, you will find you have an unstoppable advantage.”

The Value of Sharing Emotions

Bestselling author and behavioral expert, Charles Duhigg, on the importance of expressing feelings.

“Hearing people describe their emotional lives is important because when we talk about our feelings, we’re describing not just what has happened to us, but why we made certain choices and how we make sense of the world.”

The Paradox of Productivity

Time management expert, Oliver Burkeman, on why efficiency doesn’t create more time.

“Rendering yourself more efficient — either by implementing various productivity techniques or by driving yourself harder—won’t generally result in the feeling of having ‘enough time,’ because, all else being equal, the demands will increase to offset any benefits. Far from getting things done, you’ll be creating new things to do.”

We’re emotional creatures. That’s a good thing, until our emotions get out of balance and lead us to say or do something we later regret. Emotional intelligence helps you make emotions work for you, instead of against you.

Productivity Tools and Resources

Your Guide to Achieving Creative Breakthroughs

This article outlines a 10-step plan, from recognizing impasses to harnessing mind-wandering and meditation, to unlock your next big "Aha!" moment.

The Notecard System for Remembering What You Read

Ryan Holiday reveals his transformative notecard system for organizing ideas, quotes, and concepts from everything you read.

What We're Reading

Daniel Goleman shares matters close to his heart, stimulating ideas, and practical tips and best practices about emotional intelligence — and beyond.

Brain Food

Today I Learned: Rock band Oasis were named after a leisure center in Swindon, England. (Source)

Science: People who eat more red meat, especially processed red meat like bacon, sausage and bologna, are more likely to have a higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia when compared to those who eat very little red meat, according to a new study. (Source)

Have a productive rest of your week,

The Smarter Brain Team

Resource Spotlight

Why Critical Thinking Matters

Critical thinking empowers leaders to analyze situations objectively, weigh evidence, and craft more informed decisions. By questioning assumptions and embracing a systematic approach—like the six development stages, assessing diverse perspectives, and using proven frameworks—businesses can foster a culture that drives better outcomes, reduces risks, and keeps teams engaged and resilient.

Does Emotion Help or Hinder Reasoning?

Emotions tied directly to the content of a task (“integral” emotions) can have less detrimental impact on reasoning, while unrelated emotions (“incidental” emotions) lead to more errors. In four experiments, presenting emotional or neutral images and videos—either related or unrelated to conditional statements—showed that irrelevant emotional states reduced logical accuracy, while relevant emotional states did not.

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