Criticism is an unavoidable part of life. Whether we want it or not, feedback will find us — at work, at home, and in our closest relationships. Some people avoid it at all costs, and wrestle with how to make sense of other people’s opinions about their work. Others embrace criticism, and use it to develop the insights they need … Read More

Making friends isn’t just a smart networking approach or strategy for status. It’s intimately connected to our physical and mental well-being. If you needed more proof that our relationships literally make or break us, then check out the latest findings of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which has found once again that social capital — the stuff of great … Read More

Social anxiety: we’ve all suffered from it. In fact, for most members of the Art of Charm community, this is the single most common challenges that dogged them long and hard enough to make them go looking for a solution. Here are three tips for beating social anxiety that you should keep under your hat for a rainy day. The … Read More

Everyone wants more of it. Some seem to be born with it. Others had it and lost it. Some never seem to get it, no matter how hard they try. Whatever your story is, if you want more confidence, you’re going to have to go build it yourself. Here’s how. Confidence isn’t actually required to do anything. We can get … Read More

Struggling with social anxiety is painful. For this reason, most people try to get rid of their anxiety at all costs. Here, you’ll learn why trying to get rid of social anxiety can do more harm than good — and what to do instead. [Image by Dryhead] January, 2011 I entered the party with a sigh. My friends dragged me here. … Read More

Talent stacking, as impressed upon us most recently by Dilbert‘s Scott Adams, is the symbiosis of disparate skills — even if it seems a contradiction at first glance. [Photo by Marcin Cajzer] Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.) – Walt Whitman, “Song of Myself,” Leaves of Grass If you’ve been … Read More

How powerful is confirmation bias? As skeptic Michael Shermer says: “It’s the mother of all biases.” In truth, we all believe in things we can’t prove. If you’re intelligent, well-educated, and good at pulling facts, you’re going to be even better at confirming your own beliefs than someone who’s less intelligent or well-educated. [Photo by Colonel Robert Wilson] Our brains … Read More