Foreword ix
1. Mental Accounting 1
2. The Fine Art of Correction 5
3. The Pledge 9
4. Black Box Thinking 13
5. Counterproductivity 18
6. The Negative Art of the Good Life 22
7. The Ovarian Lottery 26
8. The Introspection Illusion 30
9. The Authenticity Trap 34
10. The Five-Second No 38
11. The Focusing Illusion 42
12. The Things You Buy Leave No Real Trace 46
13. Fuck-You Money 50
14. The Circle of Competence 54
15. The Secret of Persistence 58
16. The Tyranny of a Calling 62
17. The Prison of a Good Reputation 66
18. The "End of History" Illusion 70
19. The Smaller Meaning of Life 74
20. Your Two Selves 78
21. The Memory Bank 82
22. Life Stories Are Lies 86
23. The "Good Death" Fallacy 90
24. The Spiral of Self-Pity 94
25. Hedonism and Eudemonia 98
26. The Circle of Dignity-Part I 102
27. The Circle of Dignity-Part II 106
28. The Circle of Dignity-Part III 110
29. The Book of Worries 114
30. The Opinion Volcano 118
31. Your Mental Fortress 122
32. Envy 126
33. Prevention 130
34. Mental Relief Work 134
35. The Focus Trap 138
36. Read Less, But Twice-on Principle 142
37. The Dogma Trap 146
38. Mental Subtraction 150
39. The Point of Maximum Deliberation 154
40. Other People's Shoes 158
41. The Illusion of Changing the World-Part I 162
42. The Illusion of Changing the World-Part II 166
43. The "Just World" Fallacy 170
44. Cargo Cults 174
45. If You Run Your Own Race, You Can't Lose 178
46. The Arms Race 182
47. Making Friends with Weirdos 186
48. The Secretary Problem 190
49. Managing Expectations 194
50. Sturgeon's Law 198
51. In Praise of Modesty 202
52. Inner Success 206
Afterword 211
Acknowledgments 215
Appendix 219
Notes 221