Twenty-three percent of people admit to having shared a fake news story on a popular social networking site, either accidentally or on purpose, according to a 2016 Pew Research Center survey. It's tempting for me to attribute it to people being willfully ignorant. Yet the news ecosystem has become so overcrowded and complicated that I can understand why navigating it is challenging. When in doubt, we need to cross-check story lines ourselves. The simple act of fact-checking prevents misinformation from shaping our thoughts. We can consult websites such as FactCheck.org to gain a better understanding of what's true or false, fact or opinion.

You're sick, but you have an appointment to meet your friend and don't want to cancel it. You visit your friend and describe your symptoms to her. She says they're exactly the same as the symptoms she experienced last month. Her doctor prescribed her some antibiotics, and she has some leftover pills. She offers you the rest of them. It could be tempting to take them because you'd save money and time. But taking medicine prescribed for someone else is a bad idea. Prescriptions are written for one specific person based on their height, weight, and other factors. Therefore, your friend's medication is probably not the correct dosage for you. Besides, you can't be sure the two of you have the same illness. Taking the wrong medicine could be harmful to your health. Remember, sharing is not always a good thing.

Fights between siblings are a common occurrence. With all of the screaming and crying involved, it's easy for parents to think that their parenting skills are somehow at fault. It's important to realize, however, that sibling rivalries are natural, and they can even be valuable for helping children discover their own uniqueness. This doesn't mean that parents should just let their kids fight, though. They still need to take steps to prevent conflicts from happening. One effective way to do this is to reinforce good behavior by praising children when they are kind to each other. And even more importantly, when it's necessary to criticize bad behavior, parents should do it privately so that the other siblings don't hear. Otherwise, they will likely use that criticism to boss around their brother or sister by saying things like, "Hey, Mom told you not to run in the house!"

I have read many stories about the lives of successful artists, and they all seem to have one thing in common. In every young artist's life, there seems to be a moment when someone tries to discourage him or her. Even the most talented artists have this experience. People tell the artist that it is impossible to earn money as an artist and that becoming an artist will lead to failure. Whenever I read a story like that, I think about how important those artists are. If they had given up because of someone's words, how would the world have been different? It also makes me think about all the people who could have been artists but gave up. Many of them are now in jobs they do not want. So if you know someone who wants to be an artist, be careful. You don't have the right to destroy someone's dream.

The management of a car company recently had an interesting experience. When they asked their employees to think of "ways to increase productivity," they received little response. However, when the request was rephrased as "ways to make your job easier," the suggestions began to pour in. This shows how our perception of a situation differs depending on words. The word "productive" suggests extra work, while the word "easier" carries a more positive feeling. Therefore, if you want your message to be effective, pay close attention to your choice of words. For example, if the need to "increase sales" sounds too harsh, you can soften it to "attract new customers." In this way, simply by using a richer and more varied vocabulary, you can become a more effective communicator.

I believe the second decade of this new century is already very different. There are, of course, still millions of people who equate success with money and power — who are determined to never get off that treadmill despite the cost in terms of their well-being, relationships, and happiness. There are still millions desperately looking for the next promotion, the next million-dollar payday that they believe will satisfy their longing to feel better about themselves, or silence their dissatisfaction. But both in the West and in emerging economies, there are more people every day who recognize that these are all dead ends — that they are chasing a broken dream. That we cannot find the answer in our current definition of success alone because — as Gertrude Stein once said of Oakland — "There is no there there."

If you drive down a certain highway in England, you'll come across an unusual sight—a farm located in the middle of the road. The highway splits in two, passing on either side of the farm. Many people assume the owner of the farm refused to sell the property and the highway was built around it. However, that's not the case. The land beneath the farm was simply too unstable to build a highway on. The workers had no choice but to split the highway in two. These days, the farm has become a stopping place for drivers experiencing car troubles. The owner of the farm explains that people pull over and ask for repairs or gasoline. Although he doesn't mind the uninvited guests, the noise from the highway does bother him. "I'd like to switch it off," he jokes, "but I can't find the off button."

Are you searching for an easy-to-learn method that will allow you to read faster and with excellent comprehension? If so, you're likely to be disappointed. An increase in speed inevitably sacrifices accuracy — this is true in everything we do, including reading. Therefore, the magic bullet you seek is nothing more than a myth. In certain situations, trading accuracy for an increase in speed may be acceptable. Perhaps, for example, you are reading an article on a topic you know well, simply to find a specific piece of information. In this case, reading faster and with less accuracy can be useful. But when you find yourself reading something unfamiliar and challenging, the best approach is to read the material at a normal pace, which is 200 to 400 words per minute.

King Dionysius the Elder was the ruler of Syracuse during the fourth century B. C. One of the members of his court was a man named Damocles. He often remarked that he believed Dionysius was lucky and that being king was the easiest job in the world. Dionysius became annoyed with Damocles and decided to teach him a lesson. He invited Damocles to a party with wonderful food and beautiful music. Just like a king, Damocles was surrounded by luxury! However, Damocles couldn't enjoy himself because his seat was directly beneath a sword hanging by a single hair. At any moment, the hair could break, and the sword would fall on his head. This was the king's way of showing Damocles that his throne was under a sword.

The news plays an important role in our lives by providing valuable information and keeping us informed about current events. But it's important to understand how your body reacts to it. According to research, consuming too much negative news can affect your mood and lead to increased anxiety levels. When you take in too much bad news, it often prompts a fight or flight response in your brain, which triggers the release of stress hormones that can cause anxiety and even depression. However, this doesn't mean that you should completely ignore the news. Think of how a diet works. To lose weight, you eat less frequently, eat smaller amounts, and avoid certain foods. The same is true for the news. With a news diet, you can limit its negative side effects and improve your mental health.