Even if I get 8 hours of sleep, if I wake up at 6:30 am, I feel terrible. If I wake up around 8 am, I feel great. What's going on?This has always been true of me—when I'm in the habit of getting up at 6 AM, I always feel tired and burnt out.  But when I'm in the habit of getting up at 8 or 8:30 AM, I consistently feel energized. What's going on?Farah Ghniem, I struggle with early mornings.Written Sep 27Sadly, biology dictates a lot when it comes to sleep patterns. I’ve spent years trying to turn myself into a “morning person”. Due to my current job and commute, I have to wake up no later than 6:30 am every day. This may not seem so late to some, but despite everything I’ve tried and continue to try, this makes me chronically tired and constantly feeling like I’m not getting enough sleep, even if I go to bed earlier and increase the number of hours of sleep I get.

We all seem to be happy with a certain number of hours of sleep; this is socially accepted and if you ask around, most people will tell you their number. Those who need less sleep will often wear it as a badge of honor and rub it in your face, raising incredulous eyebrows at you if you dare to say something like, “oh, no, 4.5 hours only would leave me destroyed.”

But there is something else. We are also all genetically /pri:dɪs'pəʊzd/  to needing our hours ofsleep in a certain “slot” in the night. This is better known as our“chronotype”, and it is defined by our “midsleep”. Simply put, midsleep is thehour in the night when you’re halfway through your required number of hours intheir / ˈɒptɪməl/ /pə'zɪʃnɪŋ/ within time. You can figure this out if you have a bunch ofdays off. Go to sleep when your body is compelled to, rise when you feelrested. Take the number of hours you slept, divide them by two and add theresult to the time at which you fell asleep. That’s your midsleep orchronotype. A lot of us aren’t getting our sleep when we need it, due to 8–5 or9–5 work schedules, resulting in chronic exhaustion that mimics jet lag thateven has a term coined for it: “social jet lag”. To learn more about this Irecommend a book called Internal Time by German chronobiologist Till Roenneberg.

Early chronotypes will of course also rub that in your face: “I just open my eyes at 4:30 am and smile and begin singing with the birds and butterflies.” Early chronotypes who need few hours of sleep? They’re probably plotting world domination. It is a bit of a genetic lottery, this one.

One thing that has made early mornings less painful for me is exercise the previous afternoon/evening. Another is having married a morning person who brings me coffee to bed so I can wake up faster. I highly recommend the latter!

Perhaps more things will work for you. Good luck! Society really perceives late chronotypes as weak-willed and lazy and 8–5 work schedules can be unforgiving for those of us who need those early morning sleep hours.

Overthinking is ruining my life - to the point where I overthink myself out of living. Why do I do this and what should I do?

For most of my life I've avoided living .I spend most of time in my room (I'm 30) and hardly ever leave it .I do suffer from severe social phobia and depression and have been through severe abuse in my life but I do naturally overthink anyway and and the abuse has just made it worse.

Lukas /ʃwenkendik/

I want to present you with two strategies to overcome this gigantic monster you grew over the years.

1. Keep overthinking to the point it makes you absolutely sick and tired. You started this, now finish it. Get so involved in this overthinking that you are making yourself absolutely sick.

Push your thinking as far as it goes. Get it all out of your system. Cry, scream, do whatever you have to do until you say enough is enough.

If you do this beware, you will find yourself in a very, very low spot! And that’s great! Get as low as you can.

This negativity will push you to your limit. You have to commit to a new life. If that means going down to rock-bottom then go there, and come back up stronger than ever!

The only way you will come out of this cycle is if you finally decide that you are done living this life, but you have to commit yourself fully to this. No more passive lifestyle, no more sitting in your room, no more distractions.

You get in life exactly what your standards are and what you hold yourself to. If you hold yourself to being a overthinker that is doing nothing with their life, then that is exactly what you will get.

But if you hold yourself to a greater standard then you will receive everything that standard upholds.

You gotta commit to a better life, and the first step to starting that is to get so emotional that it leads you to a life-changing event. Get so lost in your fear, anger and sadness that you must do something about it.

Should is not going to cut it any longer.

I challenge you to stay in your room for 2 hours without doing anything. Do not turn on the computer, do not turn on the music, the TV and do not open a book. Just sit there for 2 hours and think.

This will be the hardest, worst and best 2 hours of your life.

2. Meditate for an hour a day until the end of the year. The other way to /stɒp/ this monster is by slowly suffocating it instead of putting a sledgehammer to its face.

If way number one is crushing it with a sledgehammer than this is suffocating it with a very soft pillow.

Your thoughts come from fears and worries inside of you. Meditation attacks exactly that area of your life.

When you meditate you learn to /stɒp/ thoughts, one by one. You deal with the problems inside of you one by one and you start improving one step at a time.

Start this journey today and meditate for the next 50 days for an hour a day. That is all you must do.

If you do this until the end of the year you will have gained the ability to silence your thoughts instantenously. You will watch the thoughts go by like clouds in the wind instead of chasing them down into the pits of the abyss.

Your mind will grow quieter by the minute and you will face your inner demons one by one. A lot of days will come where you do not feel so good, but that is okay. You will stay there with those same recurring thoughts until the demon is beat and then you will await the next one.

This path leads you on a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. Instead of having one crash and then slowly climbing back up you will have a journey that leads you uphill with a lot of rabbit holes that you must work through.

But at the end you will come out with a clear head, a stronger heart and the will to take life into your own two hands.

Whichever way you choose, the result will be the same. Both paths lead you on an intense journey of self-discovery.

Either way, you have to start this journey. No one can force you to and no one can tell you to keep going. I can only tell you what you will find and what is at the end of the path. But you have to walk it yourself.

Don’t think whether this is right or wrong, smart or dumb… you have done that all your life and that has lead you here. For the first time I want you to feel the choice.

Stop listening to your head and follow your heart.

What is it you feel you need to do right now?

What are your (3) rules of life and rules of love?James Baxley, Independent Researcher | Blogger at Huffington Post | OIF Disabled Combat VetWritten Nov 14

Life:

1. Never lend money to a relative
2. Never borrow money from a relative
3. Never let anybody know how much money you have

Love:

1. The love of a woman is temporary
2. The love of your mother is permanant
3. There is no love like that of a loyal dog

Are some people more creative than others? If so, why?Roman Trusov, Empathy > CompassionWritten Oct 11

I’ll never forget the day when I’ve met a genius.

People often describe such experiences as intimidating. But for me it was one of the most inspiring and reassuring things ever.

The process of inventing something new, he told me, depends on the breadth of your experience, your willingness to avoid a beaten track and your readiness to be wrong.

I understand the first point. You don’t create out of nothing, you synthesize. The second point is more about your personality, you can get used to your familiar methods of work and unknowingly abandon any innovation.

But it was the third thing that opened my eyes. Even when you are qualified, respected, credentialed, when you have a lot to lose, don’t be afraid. Show others your crazy idea. Lower your standards for yourself and let the others judge.

Hesitant silence buried more brilliant ideas than censorship.

What is a polite but effective way to deflate someone's ego?Maria Supplisson, Literature student, humanist, film devourer.Updated Aug 19

Being both calm and direct, and above all, keeping eye-contact with that person. There might be a miraculous catchphrase but attitude is still the strongest persuasive feature there is.

You’ll be surprised how a calm tone and a steady eye-contact can quickly destabilize anyone who might think they are semi-gods. Just hold on to your argument and formulate it straightforwardly and tranquilly.

I usually ignore people with too strong an ego, but when I see someone trying to take down another person or even myself purely to flatter their reflection in the mirror, I can lose my shit effectively.

Reminding people that they’re not semi-gods is fairly easy as long as you stay aware that this is all stemming from an insecurity. No, this is not leading up to the suggestion of throwing their insecurity into their face. This is neither polite nor noble, it can be satisfying but it won’t work in the long run as it will only make them grow more egoistical.

No, once you see that someone is too insecure to behave with respect for other people, someone who constantly seeks for a way to lift themselves above the crowd by looking down on others, well in that case I can assure you that whatever you decide to tell them will work wonders as long as you are talking back in a calm, unshaken voice.

Calmness and eye contact are signs they will rapidly receive which mean that 1) You’re not taking any crap from them no matter how glorious they think they are. 2) You do not consider them your superior and they will have to consider you their equal if they want to take the conversation any further.

If that doesn’t work and they keep trying to grow taller than they are, turn around just as calmly. Beyond any catchphrase, staying collected really is the best way to handle anyone of that sort. It will make them boil, and then hopefully they will realize that their behavior is leading nowhere and they need to change it.

Liam Quinn II, "If you want something done, give it to a busy person"Written Nov 2

Burn all your exotic clothing, clean your room, and eat more noodles.

what?

Let me explain.

1. Before you start to work on anything, clean. Clean your work space, tidy up the room, make the room free of all distractions. A messy work place is a major distraction. Think about it. You are stuck, you are trying to think, and than you notice the room has been hit by an F5 tornado. So you immediately get up and begin to clean the room. You then lose your train of thought, and then its all down hill from there. Clean the work space. This isn't just your place of employment; this applies in many areas, your bed room, your kitchen, your yard, anywhere. Give yourself the benefit of one less distraction in this hectic world.
2. Go through your wardrobe, and get rid of anything that takes thought. If you have to ask yourself what matches with this or what could I wear with this, get rid of it. This is wasted time and energy that you will never get back. We’ve all heard about Mark Zuckerberg wearing a grey shirt everyday, theres a reason.
3. Buy staple foods. When you go grocery shopping, keep it simple. Noodles, rice, broccoli, quinoa, whatever, anything thats simple and does its job.(dependent on the person and their health needs) These are staples to pretty much any meal, they go with anything, and you can do anything with them. This will once again save you time and energy and keep your mind in the right places. Also an added bonus is these are fairly cheap.
4. Drink Green tea and eat an apple. Green tea is cheap, and you can find apples at relatively good prices. They’re both amazing for you, and will wake you up. It’s that simple, they keep you alert.

Now my simplicity to a complex question may seem odd. But no one is going to immediately make profound life changes after reading a Quora answer, for it takes time, and the small things matter too. So if productivity is a major problem for you, I challenge you to start small. Apply these basic ideas to your life, and if these are too much, just try making your bed in the morning.

Over time small habits build up, no one becomes the most productive version of themselves in one day. It takes attention to detail.

Remember, small details build the big picture.

Jake Williams, IQ 148, if I wasn't a narcissist I'd be perfect.Written May 26

As someone with an IQ of around 150 (slight variation between tests), and as someone who spends a lot of time around high IQ individuals I feel qualified to answer.

Some do, some don't. Most think it sometimes, some think it most of the time. People with IQs above 140 are not some homogeneous group, there is a lot of variation.

I myself do not think of people with average IQs as stupid. I don't even think of people with lower IQs as stupid. I recognise that anyone can behave or talk in a stupid way.

If I'm talking about how to write music, horror movies, Australian politics, or ancient history I am stupid. I have no idea what to say. I don't understand the topics. If, however, I'm talking about how to solve equations, Disney movies, British politics, or 17th century history I am intelligent. I know exactly what I'm talking about and I know my topics to a T.

IQ really doesn't have much of an effect on how stupid you are. I myself have been humbled many times by people’s knowledge of all sorts. Just by the rules of probability, most of these people have a lower IQ than myself.

Conner Davis, The dumbest smart person you'll ever have the misfortune of meeting.Written Nov 10

I'm somewhere north of 160, but tests are inaccurate in that range, so I can't say where exactly. I'm getting my PhD in math.

I would have to study MUCH more if I were getting a degree in History, as memorization is critical to learning history. For math, understanding is what’s important. As a result, I don't have to study. It comes to me pretty easily. I do study a little though. I spend a lot of time tutoring my peers and sometimes it's in a class I'm actually in, so that counts as studying. I spend some of my free time playing with math problems I come up with, so I think that counts a bit too. I do some of the assigned homework, usually during class. That counts as studying.

Even in math, there are things that are very difficult to know apriori, so I use a little trick for exams. Essentially, I treat every question as if it comes with a note that says “Hint: this question is solvable in the time allotted for the exam.” Aside from typos, this is a pretty safe bet given that the question was asked. If I'm not sure how to prove statement Q, it likely relies on a theorem I don't know. So I think of what would need to be true in order to prove Q within a reasonable amount of time. I come to several conjecture statements and determine which ones are true. I then use the appropriate one(s) to prove Q. This isn't always necessary, as I do go to class sometimes and memorize a few things just by being there, but it's a very useful tool. My full method is a bit more intricate than I described, but you get the idea.

I also tutor a lot in engineering without ever having taken a course in it. I just ask the student for the definitions I need and occasionally check a book or google something, but the math usually unravels everything for me.

So I don't study much and get by just fine at the PhD level. Not a recommended tactic for History students though. No matter how smart you may be, it's hard to use logic to determine The Hundred Year War lasted 116 years.

Farhan Stargaryen, Makes you a better person every single time.Written Nov 9

• Parents never lie or speak of anything unimportant.
• Friends come and go. Chasing them is wasting time.
• Having faith in yourself saves you from a lot of stress.
• Money comes and goes. Time and opportunities do not.
• Studying matters. Time management and having worthwhile experiences matters more.
• There is no shortcut to anything great. Most things are earned the hard way.
• The art of interaction is a very important skill. Saves a lot of time and effort later.
• People won’t respect you for the grades that you get or the jobs that you do but for the person you are.
• Time is expensive and wasting all the time back in those days feels like a big sin you have committed.
• People mostly do not care and think about you. So there is no point in giving up opportunities out of shyness.
• To have a highly functional mind, you must also have a body that can handle the mental stress.
• You can’t be great at everything. It is often better trying out one thing at a time and mastering it to a level where you can help people and expect help in return.
• Everything follows the give and take principle. You have to pay a price for everything.

Lance Stevenson, The legend of QuoraWritten Nov 11

How to be the most interesting man in the world

I have to admit, smoking a cigar and having a bottle of whiskey out in front of you does make you look cool.

But unfortunately,we can't all walk around puffing a Cuban and sipping the finest scotch.

So how can we look equally as interesting?

Make people eager to find out about you!

Don't tell anyone anything.

People are innately curious. If you exhibit odd and eccentric traits, people are more willing to put the time and effort to get to know you.

Be mysterious

People are fascinated with characters like Dr. Gregory House.

Why?

Because they aren’t like most people.

They have traits that remarkably differentiates them from everyone else.

Don’t be scared to be different!