Emily Kitazawa, Author at Shortform Books

Gamification Motivations: Understanding & Balancing Them

What is gamification motivation? What are the different kinds of motivations? How can you use them to attract and retain players? According to author Yu-kai Chou, gamification is an effective tool to enhance motivation and engagement in various contexts, such as education, business, and personal development. But simply having a range of gamification motivations isn’t enough to create an engaging system. Read on to learn more about gamification motivations and how to balance them, according to Chou.

Mark Manson: Happiness Requires Letting Go of Hope

What’s Mark Manson’s view on happiness? What’s the relationship between happiness and hope? According to Mark Manson, happiness is becoming less meaningful and more elusive. He blames it on an epidemic of hopelessness. However, he argues that hope can lead to harm, so it’s essential to learn how to live a fulfilling life without hope for the future. Read on to learn more about Mark Manson’s views on happiness and living a life without hope.

How to Cope With Grief and Loss: 2 Methods for Healing

Want to know how to cope with grief and loss? What are some healthy coping methods? Dealing with grief and loss is a complex process that can leave us feeling lost and alone. However, in her book Bittersweet, author Susan Cain offers two methods that help to ease the suffering and allow us to carry on without moving on. Read on to learn how to cope with grief and loss, according to Cain’s two methods.

3 Gamification Engagement Tips to Boost Player Motivation

What does gamification engagement mean? How can you create more engaging mechanics to boost player motivation? Gamification engagement refers to the use of game elements in non-game contexts to motivate individuals to engage with a brand or product. According to gamification consultant Yu-kai Chou, businesses often fail to integrate gamification elements effectively, leading to a loss of engagement. Keep reading to learn Chou’s three tips for boosting player engagement with a gamification system.

Mark Manson on Religion, Hope, and Suffering in Life

Rescue From Without: The Hero's Journey Is Aided

What are Mark Manson’s views on religion? Why does he claim that religion, hope, and suffering are inseparable? According to Mark Manson, religion can be problematic. He contends that believing in a religion that provides hope for the future paradoxically leads to suffering. Manson argues that no ideology can deliver on its promise of a pain-free future and will often cause conflict with those who hold different beliefs. Read on to learn about Mark Manson’s views on religion, according to his book Everything Is F*cked.

Transcend by Scott Barry Kaufman: Book Overview

Looking for an overview of Scott Barry Kaufman’s Transcend? Why does Kaufman say Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is misunderstood? In Transcend, Scott Barry Kaufman argues that Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs is largely misunderstood. He provides an updated view that’s more in line with modern science and Maslow’s full body of work. Read on for an overview of Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization by Scott Barry Kaufman.

Accepting Your Mortality: How to Live With Impermanence

How can accepting your mortality benefit you? How can you learn to embrace mortality? According to author Susan Cain, accepting your mortality can actually benefit you by strengthening your connections with others. In her book Bittersweet, she explores how accepting your life’s impermanence gives it more meaning and provides strategies for increasing your awareness of impermanence. Read on to learn about the importance of accepting your mortality and how to do it, according to Cain.

Why Is Hope So Important? Finding the True Meaning of Hope

Why is hope so important in life? What does hope really mean? Self-help author Mark Manson explores the importance of hope in his book Everything Is F*cked, defining it as the belief that we can progress towards something valuable and create a better future. He also explores how hope can empower us to cope with the pain of existence. Read on to learn why hope is so important, based on Manson’s exploration of its true meaning.

Humanistic Psychology: Abraham Maslow’s Theory of Needs

What is Abraham Maslow’s humanistic psychology theory? How did Maslow’s hierarchy of needs contribute to humanistic psychology? In Transcend, psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman explains the ideas of humanistic psychology and Abraham Maslow’s contributions to them. According to Kaufman, Maslow developed his hierarchy of human needs based on the tenets of humanistic psychology. Read on to learn about humanistic psychology and how Abraham Maslow’s theories contributed to its founding.

Our Need for Emotional Safety: Why It’s So Important

Why is emotional safety a human need? How do people achieve emotional safety? Based on Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman created a new hierarchy of needs in his book Transcend. According to him, neuroscience and psychological research reveal that we all have security needs, and he notes that emotional safety is one of them. Read on to learn why emotional safety is so important to humans, according to Kaufman.