Adam Grant

It's time to remove laptops from classrooms.

24 experiments: Students learn more and get better grades after taking notes by hand than typing. It's not just because they're less distracted—writing enables deeper processing and more images.

The pen is mightier than the keyboard.

Bingeing TikTok reels may be hazardous to your well-being.

71 studies, >98k people: The more short-form videos teens and adults watched, the more they struggled with attention, self-control, and stress and anxiety.

Read a book. Watch a movie. Long live longform.

Weak leaders insist that they're the best. They seek attention to feed their egos, and measure success by how many followers they attract.

Strong leaders ask how they can get better. They seek feedback to fuel their growth, and gauge success by how many lives they improve.

The more girls in a class, the merrier.

Data on 87k students: In cohorts with more girls, boys and girls have better mental health. More female peers predicts closer friendships for boys—and better body image & STEM grades for girls.

Girls build cultures of competence and care.

Cursing is rarely a symbol of low class. It's often a mark of high authenticity.

Evidence: Swearing predicts higher rates of honesty and integrity. It signals a willingness to prize candor over courtesy.

A little profanity can show that you're being real and you do give a damn.

If you reach a goal by compromising your values, you haven’t succeeded.

If you fall short of a goal by upholding your values, you haven’t failed.

The highest form of accomplishment is standing by your principles when they’re tested.

When you follow a leader, consider what would lead you to withdraw your support.

If the answer is nothing, your integrity is in jeopardy. Our highest loyalty belongs to principles, not people.

No leader deserves unconditional love. Commitment is earned through character.

When you get defensive about feedback, you fail twice. You fail to learn today, and you fail to encourage people to keep teaching you tomorrow.

If you can't handle the truth, people stop telling you the truth.

A key to growth is showing that you're coachable.

We spend too much time arguing like we're right—and too little time listening like we're wrong.

Diatribes don't change minds. Productive disagreement depends on showing respect, curiosity, and humility.

The most compelling teachers are the ones who are most eager to learn.

A mark of emotional intelligence is prioritizing your values over your moods.

Immature people are victims of their feelings. Their choices are governed by fleeting sensations.

Mature people take responsibility for their reactions. Their choices are guided by lasting principles.

Being kind boosts mental health more than seeking joy.

Evidence: Doing 3 random acts of kindness a week is enough to reduce depression, anxiety & loneliness. It's more beneficial than doing nice things for yourself.

Self-care feels good, but generosity builds lasting bonds.

The most meaningful way to succeed is to help others succeed.

Intelligence depends on more than cognitive horsepower. It requires cognitive flexibility.

The faster the world evolves, the greater the cost of rigidity. Stubbornness is a path to getting trapped in the past.

The future belongs to those with the courage to change their minds.

The love of reading is an endangered species.

Just 16% of Americans do regular leisure reading—down from 28% in 2003. Only 41% of UK parents read daily to their toddlers—down from 64% in 2012.

Books aren't merely a source of flow. They're a gateway to empathy and lifelong learning.

In unhealthy relationships, people walk on eggshells to avoid conflict. They tell you what you want to hear.

In healthy relationships, people have the courage to address conflict. They tell you what you need to hear.

Silence protects fragile ties. Candor strengthens real bonds.

Feeling embarrassed by your past work is not a sign of incompetence. It’s a mark of growth.

Regretting your prior decisions doesn't reflect poor judgment. It reveals new insight.

Cringing at your old opinions doesn't display ignorance. It demonstrates an open mind.

Ultracrepidarian, n.

A person who offers opinions, critiques, and advice on issues beyond their expertise.

See also: every internet comment section ever

Friendliness isn't always a sign of trustworthiness. Warmth is easy to fake.

The foundations of trust are reliability and integrity. What counts isn't courtesy in the moment—it's keeping commitments over time.

The best way to inspire confidence is to consistently walk our talk.

People who cheat on their spouses are more likely to cheat at work, too.

Evidence: Marital infidelity predicts 2-3x greater odds of professional misconduct among CEOs, financial advisors, and police officers.

Integrity is not a 9-5 job. Character counts in every part of life.

Resilience is not resistance to suffering. It’s the capacity to bend without breaking.

Strength doesn’t come from ignoring pain. It stems from knowing that your past self has hurt and your future self will heal.

Fortitude is the presence of resolve, not the absence of hardship.

Too many people recognize their opinions as feelings, but mistake their beliefs for facts.

Closed minds hold truths to be self-evident. Open minds are willing to question even strongly held views.

Lifelong learning requires the courage to challenge our own convictions.

The best way to gauge others’ values isn’t to ask them directly. It’s to find out who they respect.

Shallow people are impressed by superficiality. They look up to beauty, fame, money, and power.

Deep people are drawn to substance. They admire wisdom, kindness, humility, and integrity.

Dads are spending 3-4x as much time with their kids as their dads did with them.

When father figures are engaged, kids show better cognitive development, boys have fewer behavioral problems, and girls have fewer emotional problems.

Every child deserves strong parental bonds.

Good books immerse you in a new world. Great books introduce you to a new worldview.

Good books are page-turners—they're meant to be devoured. Great books are corner-folders—they're made to be savored.

Good books keep you engaged. Great books leave you changed.

A mark of wisdom is being quick to change your opinions but slow to change your principles.

It takes openness to update your views. It takes integrity to uphold your values.

A key to growth is raising your understanding without lowering your standards.

Can we all agree that presidents shouldn’t have the power to pardon people convicted of crimes that involve…

1) Violence
2) Harm to children
3) Large sums of money

Asking for both parties

The most important part of an apology is not saying sorry. It's taking responsibility for what you did wrong and taking action to make it right.

Admitting mistakes doesn’t mean you're a bad person. It's an effort to be a better person—and a display of care for another person.

link.chtbl.com/RTAdam

Loyalty should never come at the expense of integrity.

Anyone who asks you to violate your values doesn’t deserve your allegiance. Respecting your boundaries is a foundation of trust.

The people worthy of commitment expect you to stand by your principles, not conform to theirs.

We pay too much attention to strong opinions—and too little to deep insight and broad perspectives.

Pontificating is not a sign of credibility. Hot takes are not a substitute for being well-informed.

Expertise is how much you know. Wisdom is knowing how much you have to learn.

Public service announcement for parents, managers, teachers, coaches: you can’t judge effort by results.

Inconsistent performance doesn’t mean people aren’t trying their best. It often means they’re doing their best in the face of turbulence.

In humans, variability is a feature, not a bug.