Concepts

These are the building blocks - discrete ideas that show up across different areas of life.

Unlike the longer guides, these are meant to be quick references. Definitions, patterns, and traps that are useful to name and recognize.

Think of them as a vocabulary for understanding yourself and the situations you find yourself in.

The concepts

Anxiety - The fear that something is wrong. How your threat-detection system misfires in modern life.

Comparison - The thief of joy. Why measuring yourself against others is a game you can’t win.

Perfectionism - The pursuit that defeats itself. How high standards become a prison.

Impostor Syndrome - Feeling like a fraud despite evidence of competence. Almost everyone has it.

Sunk Cost - When past investment traps you. Why “I’ve already put so much into this” is a bad reason to continue.

How to use these

When you notice a pattern in your thinking or behavior, check if one of these concepts applies. Naming what’s happening is often the first step to changing it.

These concepts interconnect with the longer guides in Foundations, Skills, and Thinking. Follow the links at the bottom of each page to explore related ideas.

More concepts will be added over time.