Hello and welcome!

Read books and write about them.

That was partly the initial goal of my website.

I've also used this concept to create The Study Newsletter - the one you're reading right now.

Twenty-five editions later, I'm even more inspired than when I initially started.

Creating this letter gives me the opportunity to note down interesting concepts from the world of literature (or the world of wisdom). 

And although I can't read every book I recommend, nor write a detailed article on my website about every smart person who ever lived. I can provide a short variant of the concept here. Thus, the process of searching, reading, and then writing gives me clarity on what I should learn and write later.

After 25 editions. I hope that the information you receive twice a month is helpful for you, too. I hope you find the concepts I share genuinely useful and intellectually inspiring. Enhancing your mental architecture and giving you extra strength to overcome the challenges of everyday life.

Since the Christmas holidays are quickly approaching. I decided that 25 is a good number to pause. Or in other words, I'll see you next year.

I'll spend the upcoming weeks outlining a strategy for the year to come. And, spend an equal amount of time having my head stuck inside books.

Here's a couple of reading recommendations for the snowing seasons that will hopefully keep you away from spending irrational amounts of cash on stuff...

• [NEW] The Daily Laws by Robert Greene: If you feel unqualified to plan your life. Create a path for yourself to follow – taking into account the devious nature of us, humans. The Daily Laws will aid you. Robert Greene – an author I deeply admire – consolidating all of his previous books, offers a powerful ally that will prepare your fragile psyche for the monstrosities of the real world.

Full text for members only.

Interesting books I recently added to my reading list (and hopefully will read at some point):

• The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain by John E. Sarno: The main thesis of this book is that chronic pain problems in the body are caused by psychological issues. Thus, the mind should be treated, not the body.
• Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body by Daniel Goleman: Is the hype around meditation genuine? Is it really that useful? The book shows us the truth about what meditation can really do for us, as well as exactly how to get the most out of it.
• Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin To Munger by Peter Bevelin: This book is for those who love the constant search for knowledge. The author focuses on explaining how our thoughts are influenced, why we make misjudgments, and what mental tools we can use to improve our thinking.

Interesting words from books and around the web:

• Sisu (noun): Almost magical quality. A combination of stamina, perseverance, courage, and determination held in reserve for hard times.
  
• Lulu (noun): Something that is remarkable or wonderful; Any remarkable or outstanding person or thing.
• Logy (adjective): Dull and heavy in motion or thought; Sluggish; Not able to think or move normally because of being tired, sick, etc.

Georg Hegel

Georg Friedrich Hegel was born in Stuttgart in 1770. He is considered one of the most important figures in German idealism and one of the founders of Western philosophy.

He wrote some very long and very famous books and ascended the academic tree by becoming head of the University of Berlin.

Big Idea: Aufheben

Accused of writing confusing and complicated. Hegel's concept of aufheben is equally perplexing.

Aufhebung uses contradictory concepts that eventually help you become something better. The word aufheben means "to cancel", "to keep" and "to pick up" - all three. Or what Hegel is trying to talk about is that a person should preserve what he knows while at the same time completely destroying some of his current beliefs to eventually progress. 

You are both preserving ideas and changing them. These two eventually lead to advancement. There is never a permanent state. Only transitioning from something to another (hopefully happier condition).

From my desk:

• On Frustration: Being upset or annoyed by something can be quite depressing. But it can be also used as a tool. You can use the feeling of resentfulness to create something. Something useful. In this article, I share how I channel annoyance into words.

From around the web:

• From Construction to Teaching: Seven Writers On Their Day Jobs: I found this article especially relevant. People who want to write find the time. Even when time is scarce.
• How to Level Up: Really useful text explaining the mechanics of effective reading. "A slow reader and a fast reader aren’t simply doing the same thing at different skill levels. They can be doing two entirely different things."

Poka-Yoke

Poka-Yoke is a Japanese term that means "mistake-proofing" or "inadvertent error prevention".

Plainly, it's a method that either makes it impossible for an error to occur or makes the error immediately obvious once it has occurred, giving you a chance to quickly correct it.

The grand idea of Poka-Yoke is to prevent errors and defects from appearing in the first place. You think about what can go wrong, and you apply mechanisms that prevent mistakes.

A simple example of this concept is the electric eye in elevators. Ensuring that the door won't close while you're still not fully inside.

Thank you for being here! 

I hope you're safe, healthy, and sane wherever you are in the world!

Wishing you and your family health, happiness, and prosperity this Christmas and in the coming New Year.

See you in 2022!

Ivaylo Durmonski

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