From The Time We're Born, Our Brothers

When You Learn Conflict-resolution Skills In The Playroom, You Then Practice Them On The Playground, And That In Turn Stays With You. If You Have A Combative Sibling Or A Physically Intimidating, Older Sibling, You Learn A Lot About How To Deal With Situations Like That Later In Life. If You're An Older Sibling And You Have A Younger Sibling Who Needs Mentoring Or Is Afraid Of The Dark, You Develop Nurturing And Empathic Skills That You Wouldn't Otherwise Have.

Credit Or Debit Cards, For Starters, Are Nothing Short Of Shoppers' Novocain. Even In The Age Of Digital Purchases And Virtual Money, We Still Attach A Special Value To Dirty Paper With Pictures Of Presidents On It. Handing Some Of That To A Cashier Simply Hurts More Than Handing Over A Little Sliver Of Plastic.

The Best Thing About Science Is That Hard, Empirical Answers Are Always There If You Look Hard Enough. The Best Thing About Religion Is That The Very Absence Of That Certainty Is What Requires - And Gives Rise To - Deep Feelings Of Faith.

Introverts Listen Better, They Assess Risks More Carefully, They Can Be Wiser Managers. It's Not For Nothing That The Silicon Valley Billionaires Are So Often The Retiring Types.

Confidence Quickly Curdles Into Arrogance; Smarts Turn To Smugness, Charm Turns To Smarm.