Overloading attention shrinks mental control. Life immersed in digital distractions creates a near constant cognitive overload. And that overload wears out self-control.

Who does not recall school at least in part as endless dreary hours of boredom punctuated by moments of high anxiety?

Smart phones and social media expand our universe. We can connect with others or collect information easier and faster than ever.

I don't think focus is in itself ever a bad thing. But focus of the wrong kind, or managed poorly, can be.

In a high-IQ job pool, soft skills like discipline, drive and empathy mark those who emerge as outstanding.

Like secondhand smoke, the leakage of emotions can make a bystander an innocent casualty of someone else's toxic state.

Empathetic people are superb at recognizing and meeting the needs of clients, customers, or subordinates. They seem approachable, wanting to hear what people have to say. They listen carefully, picking up on what people are truly concerned about, and respond on the mark.