[cardguy]

Quora is a really interesting site where you can get dozens of intelligent responses to any question you can think of. The site is structured in such a way that interesting responses get posted - often from experts working in the relevent fields.

Anyway - I just came across a really great thread on there. And wanted to share it here. As I work through the site I will post up other interesting threads. And hopefully others can share there favourites as well.

http://www.quora.com/Business/Whats-the-...n-business

The thread above covers the smartest moves that people have ever seen in business. There are some great stories on there.

The site is easy to sign up with - since you can log in with your Facebook, Twitter or Google accounts.

[LeBeau]

Good thread idea.

I get the summaries in my email, I went looking but realized I deleted a bunch of older ones that were good, here's a few remaining:

How-was-the-100-million-2003-Antwerp-Diamond-Center-heist-executed
http://www.quora.com/Robbery/How-was-the...t-executed

What-are-the-top-five-facts-everyone-should-know-about-oil-exploration
http://www.quora.com/Oil-Exploration/Wha...xploration

What-is-it-like-to-live-in-the-middle-of-nowhere
http://www.quora.com/Middle-Of-Nowhere/W...of-nowhere

How-did-you-make-your-first-million-dollars-1
http://www.quora.com/Money/How-did-you-m...-dollars-1

Is-there-a-science-to-picking-colors-that-work-well-together-or-is-it-just-subjective
http://www.quora.com/Color-and-Colors/Is...subjective

How-much-stronger-is-the-United-States-military-compared-with-the-next-strongest-power
http://www.quora.com/Military-History-an...gest-power

[LeBeau]

This is an amazingly comprehensive answer with a list of regions and their flags:

What are likely to be the next new countries, or at least the most likely candidates to become independent?

http://www.quora.com/International-Polit...ndependent


And for the Elon Musk fans, or those who are interested in travel to Mars:

How feasible is Elon Musk's idea to establish a colony on Mars in the 2020s?

http://www.quora.com/Mars-planet/How-fea...-the-2020s

[Icarus]

Michael O. Church on how to become an asshole.

[Rotisserie]

Great thread idea. One post in particular was very interesting, although insanely long (for a post).

Question: Do grad school students remember everything they were taught in college all the time?

Answer: No. You build 'skills' that allow you to solve problems down the line. The poster specifically refers to physics, but I believe this applies to other technical fields as well, including Math, Computer Science, various forms of engineering, physical/natural sciences, etc. Just an amazing post about how best to approach learning in general… had to print it out to get through the whole thing.

A few comments from the post as well:

Quote:

And now Charlie Cheever can rest in the knowledge that his dream for Quora has been fulfilled.

Quote:

The best and most well researched answer on Quora. Brilliant.

Quote:

Mark, this is friggin unbelievable. Consider publishing this in an actual press outlet?

[Icarus]

Here's a Quora answer on RVF, by some former member who was banned:

Quote:

I'm was quickly banned from the http://www.rooshv.com forum (it only took me a day) because I began sticking up for women after realizing the forum was full of frustrated, women-hating men who were there to learn how to "get back" at females after being ignored all their lives for not getting laid.

Sad group of men that is. Wish I could help them in person, especially Roosh V himself. He's leading the party into a darker place than they'd started.

It's about loving women, guys. When they can see you genuinely care for them, they have sex with you... And on their own will!

[Ziltoid]

(03-23-2014 11:03 AM)Icarus Wrote:  

Here's a Quora answer on RVF, by some former member who was banned:

Quote:

I'm was quickly banned from the http://www.rooshv.com forum (it only took me a day) because I began sticking up for women after realizing the forum was full of frustrated, women-hating men who were there to learn how to "get back" at females after being ignored all their lives for not getting laid.

Sad group of men that is. Wish I could help them in person, especially Roosh V himself. He's leading the party into a darker place than they'd started.

It's about loving women, guys. When they can see you genuinely care for them, they have sex with you... And on their own will!

IRT?

[Icarus]

(03-23-2014 11:05 AM)Ziltoid Wrote:  

IRT?

The mofo is Italian-American, apparently:

[Handsome Creepy Eel]

^^ So much about Quora

The members at that website indeed do have some good answers as far as geography, history, trivia and technology are concerned, but otherwise I have also found them to be insufferable and delusional. They remind of Cracked.com in a different format - very interesting to read, but ultimately parasitic.

This thread seems more informative than the other one, so I encourage everyone to post here.

[Icarus]

Gents,

Marvel at this Beta of the Century question on Quora:

Quote:

How, as a 22-year-old male, can I have a chance with a 31-year-old female who is literally more accomplished than me in every aspect of my life?

Met this girl at a restaurant yesterday; grabbed dinner with her today. Thought she was 24 but she's early 30s, and is more accomplished than me in every respect -- bulge-bracket, PE, B-school. Last week she partied in London, Paris, and Kyoto. Hopefully I'll be where she is in 10 years.

3 hour dinner. It went great. Good chemistry; both of us laughed a lot, she implied we should hang out again. But she's a veteran to this game. The question is, do I have a chance? What's my approach?

[cardguy]

I don't use Quora anymore.

It has excellent content - but I find the layout of the site really badly designed.

[Cattle Rustler]

(03-23-2014 11:18 AM)Icarus Wrote:  

Gents,

Marvel at this Beta of the Century question on Quora:

Quote:

How, as a 22-year-old male, can I have a chance with a 31-year-old female who is literally more accomplished than me in every aspect of my life?

Met this girl at a restaurant yesterday; grabbed dinner with her today. Thought she was 24 but she's early 30s, and is more accomplished than me in every respect -- bulge-bracket, PE, B-school. Last week she partied in London, Paris, and Kyoto. Hopefully I'll be where she is in 10 years.

3 hour dinner. It went great. Good chemistry; both of us laughed a lot, she implied we should hang out again. But she's a veteran to this game. The question is, do I have a chance? What's my approach?

That guy has no hope, there's no way on earth she's going to keep in touch with him. Bankers are a "one shot" type of people. He wasted his only shot.

Either way I'll answer the question.

You don't place importance on her career nor act insecure, she will smell it from a mile away. Be fun, most men her age are boring and like to sit in the couch watching March Madness or gayball (baseball) or got drama from their past marriage. It's simple to explain, just be a cool cat.

I've dated doctors, lawyers, rich divorcees, and banker MILFS. My first banker was 33 and I was 16 (told her I was 20). My approach is to simply being an active funny young guy....and I got my shit together (degree, no kids, job or lied that I had one when I was unemployed). Having your shit together will make them think you're not looking for a sugar momma, they'll leave their guard down. Sometimes we'll go out dancing or drinking, have a somewhat serious conversation (saving, investing....proves I'm smart) and that'll do the trick. After a bit, they'll start to pay for your shit, reveal their finances, and let you use their stuff (home, car, card).

Fuck older women good and they won't leave.

Also, beware that they're power hungry and will try to control your shit or ask you a lot of question. Don't cave in, give them shit and ignore them. One MILF once told me "I don't know why you don't do what I say after everything I do for you. For some reason I like that! But why do you keep doing it?". My reaction: laugh lightly and didn't answer her question.....then I told her to let me borrow her E350.

[456]

Pro-tip: add ?share=1 to the end of a Quora url to avoid having to log in.

[Icarus]

Here's a question that reveals the true nature of women:

Quote:

Is it arrogant to know that you are out of your boyfriend's or girlfriend's league?

Sometimes you can just objectively know who is more attractive, who is smarter, who earns more money, who is more of a catch, etc.

Do you ever acknowledge this in your mind, and is it wrong if you do?

I know this sounds ridiculous, but although my boyfriend is sometimes annoying, I still love him a lot. But at the same time, I know that he can never get a girlfriend who is as pretty as me or prettier, and because of that I am less restrained when showing my anger or arguing with him when he annoys me. I like that power of being able to say whatever I like to him because I know he'll never leave me.

Some of the answers are actually good.

[Rotisserie]

Interesting post: What can I learn right now in just 10 minutes that could be useful for the rest of my life?

Quote:

1. Primacy and recency : People most remember the first and last things to occur, and barely the middle.

When scheduling an interview, ask what times the employer is interviewing and try to be first or last.

2. If you work in a bar or in customer service of any kind...
...Put a mirror behind you at the counter. This way angry customers who approach you will have to see themselves in the mirror behind you and the chances of them behaving irrationally lowers significantly.

3. Once you make the sales pitch, don't say anything else.

This works in sales, but it can also be applied in other ways. My boss at an old job was training me and just giving me pointers. I was working at a gym trying to sell memberships. He told me that once I got all the small talk out of the way and presented the prices, that the first person to talk will lose. It didn't seem like a big deal but it actually worked. Often there were long periods of awkward silence as the person tried to come up with some excuse, but usually they bought.



4. If you ask someone a question and they only partially answer, just wait.
If you stay silent and keep eye contact they will usually continue talking.

5. Chew gum when you're approaching a situation that would make you nervous like public speaking or bungee jumping.
If we are eating , something in our brain reasons 'I would not be eating if I were danger. So I'm not in danger'. It has helped me to stay calm a few times.


6. People will always remember not what you said but how you made them feel.
Also most people like talking about themselves so ask lots of questions about them.

7. When you're learning something new, teach it to a friend . Let them ask questions to you related to it.
If you're able to teach something well, you can be sure that you've understood it very well.

8. If you get yourself to be really happy and excited to see other people, they will react the same to you.
It doesn't always happen the first time, but it will definitely happen next time.

9. The physical affects of stress - breathing rate and heart rate - are almost identical to the physical affects of courage.
When your feeling stressed from any situation immediately reframe it : Your body is getting ready to be courageous, it will NOT feeling stressed.

10. Pay attention to people's feet.

If you approach two people in the middle of a conversation, and they only turn their torsos and not their feet, they don't want you to join in the conversation. Similarly if you are in a conversation with a coworker who you think is paying attention to you and their torso is turned towards you but their feet are facing in another direction, they want the conversation to end.

11. Fake it till you make it ; confidence is more important than knowledge.
Don't be intimidated by anyone, everyone is playing a role and wearing a mask.

12. If you pretend to be something for long enough, you will eventually become it.

13. Not to be creepy, but if you want to stare at someone unashamedly, look directly past them and wait for them to try and meet your eyes.
When they fail to do that, they'll look around (usually nervously for a second) they won't look at you again for some time. This is your chance to straight up stare at this person for at least 45 seconds.

14. Build a network.
Become their information source, and let them be yours. Even grabbing a beer with a former colleague once a year will keep you in the loop at the old office. Former coworkers might have gotten a new position in that office you always wanted to work in, great! Go to them for a beer, and ask about the office. It's all about connections and information.

15. If you are angry at the person in front of you driving like a grandmother...
Pretend it is your grandmother, it will significantly reduce your road rage



16. Stand up straight
No slouching, hands out of pockets, and head held up high. It's not just a cliche -- you literally feel better and people around you feel more confident in you.

17. Avoid saying "I think," and "I believe" unless absolutely necessary.
These are phrases that do not evoke confidence, and will literally do you no good.

18. When feeling anxious, clean up your home or work space.
You will feel happier and more accomplished than before.



19. Always buy the first pitcher or round of drinks.
You'd be surprised how long you can drink on the phrase "I bought the first one."

20. Going into an interview...be interested in your interviewers.
If you focus on learning about them you seem more interesting and dynamic. (Again, people love to talk about themselves.)

21. Pay Attention Parents: Always give your kid a choice that makes them think they are in control.
For instance when I want him to put his shoes on I will say ,"do you want to put your star wars shoes on or your shark shoes on?"

Pro-tip: In some cases, this works on adults.



22. Your action affect your attitudes more than your attitudes affect your actions.
As my former teacher said "You can jump and dance FOR joy, but you can also jump and dance yourself joyful."

23. When a group of people laugh, people will instinctively look at the person they feel closest to in that group.

24. If you want to build rapport or gain someone's trust quickly, match their body posture and position.
If someone is sitting with her legs crossed cross your legs. If they're leaning away from you lean away from them. If they're leaning towards you, lean towards them. Mirroring and matching body position is a subconscious way to tell if someone trusts you or is comfortable with you. If you're sitting with your arms crossed and you notice someone else is sitting with her arms crossed, that is a good indicator that you have/are successfully built/building rapport with that person.



25. The Benjamin Franklin Effect (suggested by Matt Miller)

The pencil one may seem far-fetched but I find the basis of it (the Benjamin Franklin effect) is very useful and extends far beyond pencil borrowing. This knowledge is useful in the world of flirting too. Asking a girl in your class if you can borrow a pencil or her notes or to explain the homework will make her more likely to like you than if you let her borrow your stuff or are the one to help her. Even just asking a girl to buy you drinks (facetiously) leaves a much bigger impression than offering to or actually buying a girl a drink. The best part is it kills 3 birds with one stone: you get the advantages of the favor itself, the person subconsciously likes you more, and it makes them more open to future favors and conversation.

NOTE :

Did I miss anything? Leave psychological life hacks you'd recommend in the comments and I'll be sure to add them.
Thanks for reading and sharing...

[cardguy]

If you are staring at a guy at the start of a fight.

Don't stare into his eyes.

Pick one eye - and use both of yours to stare into them.

[LeBeau]

Some more good ones:


What are the best Craigslist advertisements of all time?

http://www.quora.com/Humor/What-are-the-...f-all-time


What are your top 10 life hacks?

http://www.quora.com/What-are-your-top-10-life-hacks


What are good ways to prepare my kids to be billionaires?

http://www.quora.com/What-are-good-ways-...llionaires

[Rotisserie]

^^ Amazing posts, especially the billionaire one:

Quote:

The world abounds with opportunity to lead whatever life you want, but you have to demystify, demystify, demystify for them to be able to see what makes go businesses go.

I've been hearing this quite a bit from a number of different trustworthy sources and mentors. Exposure really is critical.

Quote:

Finally, the most important thing is they must be worthy. No backing comes to those who lack abundant evident character.

[Rotisserie]

The most productive ways to spend time on the internet

So many great answers on here, but one that's buried deep in the fray... Memrise, learning a new language online

Quote:

My most productive 'free time' activity on the internet is using Memrise for language learning. I've used to to go from knowing about 10 Chinese characters to being able to read simple books.

The site uses spaced repetition software to help you remember vocabulary efficiently. The best thing about the site, as far as I'm concerned, are the mems, prompts written by the site and by users that help you to remember each item presented to you. The usefulness, quality, and variety of mems on the site continue to impress me…and creating new mems seems to help cement words in my mind.

Whatever you choose to do, remember that it's imperative that you be active rather than receptive. Watching TED talks is great…but if you don't do anything to act upon/realize what was presented, then all you've done is consume information.

[Icarus]

What are 5 reasons why Matt Forney should be beaten?