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325 pages, Hardcover
First published December 31, 2019
The Lab's work is guided by two founding principles:Tierney identifies himself as a libertarian, and has become increasingly identified with libertarianism. His columns have been critical of rent stabilization, the war on drugs, Amtrak and compulsory recycling. His 1996 article "Recycling Is Garbage" broke the New York Times Magazine's hate mail record.
1. Just because an idea appeals to a lot of people doesn't mean it's wrong.
2. But that's a good working theory.
By recognizing the negativity effect and overriding our innate responses, we can break destructive patterns, think more effectively about the future, and exploit the remarkable benefits of this bias. Bad luck, bad news, and bad feelings create powerful incentives—the most powerful, in fact—to make us stronger, smarter, and kinder. Bad can be put to perfectly good uses, but only if the rational brain understands its irrational impact. Beating bad, especially in a digital world that magnifies its power, takes wisdom and effort.
"There is no opposite of trauma, because no single good event has such a lasting impact. You can consciously recall happy moments from your past, but the ones that suddenly pop into your head uninvited—the involuntary memories, as psychologists call them—tend to be unhappy."
Be a good-enough husband, a good-enough wife, a good-enough friend or neighbor, a good-enough teacher or boss. Focus not on achieving perfection but rather on avoiding elementary mistakes, both in your behavior and in the way you interpret others’ behavior.