Effectiviology is a weekly blog about science and philosophy you can use.
If you’re just starting out with the site, here are a few recommendations for some of the best articles in the categories that we cover:
- Mental performance- a good article to start with is the guide to debiasing, which explains how you can reduce the cognitive biases that affect you. Then, take a look at the category page to learn about other interesting concepts, such as how self-distancing can help you make more rational decisions, or how you can teach yourself to be more innovative.
- Logical fallacies- start with the guide to logical fallacies, which explains the anatomy of logical fallacies. Then, read about strawman arguments and ad hominem attacks, which are the most common fallacies that you will encounter, and finish by looking at the category page to find other logical fallacies that are worth knowing about.
- Social psychology- read about the confirmation bias and the backfire effect, which are two of the most important types of cognitive biases to be aware of when you talk to others. Then, take a look at the category page to discover other useful psychological concepts, such as spotlight effect, the illusion of transparency, and the halo effect.
- Practical philosophy- start with Hanlon’s razor, which is a great example of a philosophical principle that you can use to improve your everyday life. Then, check out the Principle of Charity or Lessons in Stoicism from Marcus Aurelius.
- Productivity- start with learning about the 80/20 rule, which is one of the most important principles that you can use when it comes to increasing your productivity in every area of life. Then, take a look at the category page to discover other useful concepts, such as Parkinson’s law and Good Enough is Good Enough.
- Optimal learning- start with the articles on the stages of learning and the factors that determine success at learning, which will teach you how the learning process works. Then, take a look at the category page to learn about other useful topics, such as how to use mental practice or how you can benefit from the protégé effect.
Tip: if you want to just get the key takeaway points from each article, scroll to the bottom where there is a section called “summary and conclusions”.
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