Marcus Brown

Marcus Brown

Note: the names have been changed for the sake of privacy. This story is about Marcus Brown, but first, I need to tell you about coffee shops. The next time you visit a coffee shop lay on the ground. Don’t offer any explanation. Just lay there for a solid 30-seconds,...

Self-control is overrated and how to play the long game

Self-control is overrated and how to play the long game

The importance of using self-control to reign in our impulses is often overstated. Pop psychology has spread this myth by misinterpreting The Marshmallow Test. We’ll debunk The Marshmallow Test by using new research to show how impulse control is relatively unimportant when predicting positive educational outcomes after socioeconomic factors are taken into account.

A Jubilee Encounter

A Jubilee Encounter

Through the crowd, a voice cut through, 'You have a lucky face'. Weaving through the jubilee bustle, I'd ducked down Bow Street to skirt the edge of the celebratory storm that stretched from Buckingham Palace to Leicester Square and overflowed into Covent Garden's...

Almost Giving Up Alcohol

Almost Giving Up Alcohol

Trigger warning: this story mentions drink spiking. At 24, I decided to give up alcohol for the year. Well, 99% of the year. A month before my birthday, I had my drink spiked. It was a blackout moment for me. I was at a party with dire wolves, caged dancers, and...

Speilburgers

Speilburgers

What we gain in luxury, we lose in community. Sometimes that's brilliant. Community can be the undoing of many joys. Take community peanuts. They're theoretically a fun snack, but sharing is certainly not caring after being touched by a few unwashed hands. That's when...

Chickens in the Attic

Chickens in the Attic

'I've been told to tell you that you need to check your pidge'. She buzzed with mulled wine and held my gaze, seeing if her message had made it through the Christmas jingles playing in the Old Kitchen Bar. It hadn't, so she urged me with her eyebrows, lifting them in...

4:6 Breathing for Focus and Calm

4:6 Breathing for Focus and Calm

The quality of our feelings affects the quality of our thinking. How we feel, however, based on an increasing wealth of clinical studies, is a skill. We can, far more than we might expect, direct our mood to overcome challenges like procrastination, anxiety, short attention spans and a lack of motivation.

Jamie’s Butterfly

Jamie’s Butterfly

The butterfly’s first mistake was visiting my balcony. His wings were the colour of optimism, and he’d popped by after spotting the greenery growing in my plant pots. He would flutter and land, flutter and land, acknowledging each plant with a quick perch like a...

The War Between the Grey and the Green

The War Between the Grey and the Green

My parent’s garden is unlike the others in the neighbourhood. If one of the satellites falling through space were to cast its camera over the part of England where I grew up, it would see a sprawl of suburban houses. With each passing day, the satellite would uncover...

The Weakest Link

The Weakest Link

Would you ever hack someone’s Facebook account? What if they’re grooming underage students and you need evidence to convict them? This is the story of how I helped catch a criminal. — I remember when the internet used to sing. Explaining it to someone unfamiliar with...

The Cow Survival Guide

The Cow Survival Guide

After the last weekend, I’ve been compelled to write a cow attack survival guide. I couldn’t find one, so I have to presume it’s because there haven’t been any survivors up until now. Below is a story on getting charged at by a cow and how I lived to tell the tale....

Glow in the Dark Teeth

Glow in the Dark Teeth

Western media is pretty mischievous. You can see it in the UK, but it’s clearer in America. Ordinary looking people are brushed under the carpet, so centre stage can be given to those with a perfect sort of beauty. At its extreme, its the pursuit of perfect beauty...

Thinking Slow With HQ&A: Take Better Notes When Reading Non-Fiction (Pt 1)

Thinking Slow With HQ&A: Take Better Notes When Reading Non-Fiction (Pt 1)

The 21st century is an information fire hose. Being able to adjust, filter and turn information into insights has become a basic expectation. We must think deeply on a deadline.

The classic note-taking techniques haven’t caught up with the times. That’s why I’ve created two new techniques: the Highlight, Question and Answer (HQ&A) technique and Jump Notes.