Quotes: Mark Twain

"Humour is a way to show you're smart without bragging." 

–– Mark Twain (1835-1910), pen name of Samuel Clemens, American writer 

via: Sketchbook M 13, 2024, p. 4.

Quotes: Charles Duhigg

"Small wins are exactly what they sound like, and are part of how keystone habits create widespread changes. A huge body of research has shown that small wins have enormous power, an influence disproportionate to the accomplishments of the victories themselves. "Small wins are a steady application of a small advantage, one Cornell professor [Karl E. Weick] wrote in 1984. "Once a small win has been accomplished, forces are set in motion that favour another small win." Small wins fuel transformative changes by leveraging tiny advantages into patterns that convince people that bigger achievements are within reach." 

–– Charles Duhigg (b. 1974), American journalist and non-fiction author

Source: Charles Duhigg. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2012; p. 112.

via Commonplace Book 2013-2014, 2013, p. 18. 

Quotes: Teresa Amabile and Steven J. Kramer

"Progress and inner work life feed each other. Mathematician Norbert Wiener called this sort of interaction a positive feedback loop or "cumulative causation." Progress enhances inner work life ... and positive inner work life leads to further progress ..., creating a virtuous cycle. The loop can operate as a vicious cycle, as well. Just as inner work life and progress improve in tandem, when one goes downhill, so does the other. ...

"Like any feedback loop, the progress loop is self-reinforcing. ... [A] vicious cycle can be broken by ... removing obstacles to progress and providing the supports necessary for success." 

–– Teresa Amabile (b. 1950), American academic and author; and Steven J. Kramer, American independent researcher, writer, and consultant

Source: Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer. The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press, 2011; p. 98-99. 

via Commonplace Book 2013-2014, 2013, p. 29-30.