One Daily Nugget

2021-08-29 11:59:52 Make Good Art and Other Advice by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is a brilliant writer and story-teller. In today’s nugget, we feature the commencement speech Gaiman delivered at the University of the Arts in 2012. Among other gems, he encourages us not to work for the money, and to instead focus on doing work that we are proud of; to avoid becoming someone who professionally replies to email and does substantive work merely as a hobby; and, importantly, to savor our achievements, to “let go and enjoy the ride”, rather than constantly worrying about the challenges that lie ahead.

Make Good Art

University of the Arts • 11-minute read Open / Comment

2021-08-28 07:34:54 Irina Dumitrescu on How to Learn Everything

It’s Saturday — time to grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and enjoy a great piece of long-form journalism! In today’s nugget, published by Longreads, Irina Dumitrescu, an essayist and scholar of medieval literature, provides an entertaining account of her quest to “learn everything” by going on a six-month binge of celebrity-led online courses from MasterClass, a popular online education subscription platform.

How to Learn Everything: The MasterClass Diaries

Longreads • 21-minute read Open / Comment

2021-08-27 07:34:54 What Would Old Me Think of This?

A week ago, we featured an inside look at the one and only Elon Musk. Today, we are seeking life advice from another tech titan: Jeff Bezos.

Read today’s nugget, by Inc.’s Jessica Stillman, to learn more about Bezos’ famous “regret minimization framework”, and get inspired to make bolder life decisions yourself!

How Amazon's Jeff Bezos Made One of the Toughest Decisions of His Career

Inc. • 2-minute read Open / Comment

2021-08-26 07:34:56 A Rational Altruist’s Guide on How to Care More

Many of our readers are successful professionals with philanthropic aspirations of giving back at some point. If this applies to you, ask yourself: How much would you be willing to spend in order to save the life of a single bird after an oil spill? Maybe 3 minutes of your time? Or perhaps $3 in expenditures to have someone else do it for you?

After BP’s Deepwater Horizon spill, many thousands of birds were oiled. Extrapolating from the above, would you be willing to spend fifty thousand dollars to de-oil them all?

If you are like most people, you probably answered yes to the first question, and no to the second one. According to Nate Soares from LessWrong, this means you have fallen prey to the trap of “scope insensitivity”.

Read on to learn why you cannot trust your care-o-meter in matters of philanthropy, and what happens when you suddenly realize that, all of a sudden, “everything becomes your problem”!

On Caring

LessWrong • 12-minute read Open / Comment

2021-08-25 07:34:56 How to Apply the “Seinfeld Strategy” to Combat Procrastination

Around two weeks ago, we featured a humorous two-article series on procrastination by Tim Urban. Today, we are getting back to the topic with an insightful piece about Jerry Seinfeld, one of the most successful comedians of all time. (In 1998 alone, he earned $267 million.)

Read on to learn more about the “Seinfeld Strategy” in today’s nugget!

How to Stop Procrastinating on Your Goals by Using the “Seinfeld Strategy”

James Clear • 5-minute read Open / Comment

2021-08-24 07:34:56 Why It’s Critical to Get Enough Sleep

You probably know that it’s important to get enough sleep, right? But you probably won’t suspect just how critical it really is.

In today’s nugget, Matthew Walker, professor of neuroscience and psychology at UC Berkeley, and author of the New York Times bestseller Why We Sleep, makes a persuasive case for why we should all take sleep much more seriously.

The best thing you can do for your health: sleep well

The Guardian • 6-minute read Open / Comment

2021-08-23 07:34:58 If You Have to Rush to Say It, It Might Not Be Worth Saying

Most people are nervous when speaking in front of an audience. As a result, they inevitably give in to an instinctive urge to rush their speech.

In today’s nugget, Seth Godin wonders why. After all, as he puts it, the “audience isn’t going anywhere.” Good point.

Read on to savor Godin’s little gem and get emboldened to speak slowly and with effect! After all, you have something important to say, haven’t you?

The fermata

Seth's Blog • 1-minute read Open / Comment

2021-08-22 17:59:58 Hello Nuggeteers! We hope you enjoyed the fifth week of daily nuggets!

Now, as always, we are sharing our traditional weekly poll to find out which nugget you liked best (Remember that you can vote for more than one option.) Open / Comment

2021-08-22 07:34:58 Does It Spark Joy?

Marie Kondo is a celebrity tidying consultant, a best-selling author, and, since 2019, the star in the critically acclaimed Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.

In today’s nugget, Constance Grady, a staff writer at Vox, explores the (sometimes elusive) magic of tidying up. Read on to learn more about Kondo’s methodology, its benefits, and its limitations.

Marie Kondo and the fantasy of a tidy life, explained

Vox • 19-minute read Open / Comment