The Psychology of Ambition
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My journey from ADHD skeptic to Adderall enthusiast
And what it taught me about living with agency
Aug 16, 2025
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Dr. Gena Gorlin
146
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It's Time to Build the Builders
Introducing my new Substack newsletter
Feb 1, 2022
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Dr. Gena Gorlin
76
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The best way to build yourself is to build
There’s a phenomenon most therapists have been confronted with, but few explicitly identify or discuss (partly because it’s hard to know what to say…
Oct 2, 2023
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Dr. Gena Gorlin
77
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From “walking in the desert” to Escaping Flatland
Why and how Henrik Karlsson raised his ambition
Feb 25, 2025
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Dr. Gena Gorlin
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Matt Bateman
70
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Reflections upon turning 40
Today is my 40th birthday, and I have been feeling many feelings.
Oct 30, 2025
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Dr. Gena Gorlin
63
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What is ambition, actually?
Some reflections on my book draft now that I've handed it off
Sep 24, 2025
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Dr. Gena Gorlin
62
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On being married to Gena
A little over seven years ago, Gena and I were both at a conference, and her outbound flight was cancelled.
Mar 19, 2025
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Matt Bateman
187
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A different and better way to live
An exposition of the "builder's mindset" and its contraries
Jul 14, 2023
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Dr. Gena Gorlin
123
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The builder's mindset: a way out of the "drill sergeant" / "Zen master" dichotomy
Here's a radically new way to relate to your work.
Feb 2, 2022
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Dr. Gena Gorlin
96
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All for Adam
A humanist meditation on the divine, occasioned by the birth of my second child
Jan 16, 2023
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Dr. Gena Gorlin
45
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The math professor who invented Silicon Valley’s favorite sport
My exchange with John Gill, the father of modern bouldering
Nov 12, 2025
•
Dr. Gena Gorlin
40
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The Right Kind of “Crazy”
A conversation with serial entrepreneur Esther Crawford
Oct 28, 2024
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Dr. Gena Gorlin
42
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